@vintuswines

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Welcome to #SommChat everyone! Tell your friends to join us to learn from President & CEO of @vintuswines Michael Quinttus!

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: We’d like to introduce you to President & CEO of @vintuswines Michael Quinttus #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Diane it is a pleasure to be on #SommChat with @keepercoll and I am looking forward to answering the audience’s Questions and this is my 1st time on twitter so I look forward to talking about #Vintus and my role.

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: We're about ready to dive in with questions, so shout out to Michel Quinttus @vintuswines to say hello & so he knows you're here! #WineWednesday #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Don't forget that EVERY tweet during this chat should include the #SommChat hashtag in order for everyone to see it!

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: As we ask Michel Quinttus @vintuswines our Questions, you can ask Michael Quinttus @vintuswines your Questions as well! He'll do his best to answer all Qs in the order they come #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: With so many participant’s lots of great Question's R asked! Even if you dont ask one--give a Shout Out to @keepercoll & @vintuswines 2 let us know u R here! #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Let's start talking #wine with President & CEO of @vintuswines Michael Quinttus #WineWednesday #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @vintuswines Michael Quinttus You are not only the President & CEO of @vintuswines but you founded this business in 2004, what was your goal for this #wine business before you started? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: My goal in starting Vintus was to organize an exceptional portfolio focused on the luxury side with wineries from leading International regions while offering customers a more focused portfolio rather than all price points #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines What are some of the characteristics you look for in hiring for Vintus employees? Any special skill sets you think are needed for working for an importer?

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Deep #wine knowledge, Fire in the belly, and well- rounded good people. For working for an importer it is a broader view of the market to provide a more diversified approach to #wine sales to build our wineries' brands in the marketplace…. #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: working for importer is not selling just one case of #wine but the whole picture of the winery and their wines and being able to organize consumer and trade #wine events - we focus on the details #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Question fr #SommChat #Somm If you were starting in the #wine world today, how would suggest a #Somm start – ie retail or resto or ???

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: I think that there is a fundamental experience that is critical to anyone wanting to be in the #wine business - which is a solid sales experience. that especially can be obtained thru retail, distributor level or floor of resto, and then eventually importer #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: I started in the #wine biz in 1985, and was working for 2 years on the streets of #Boston - i still consider that the single most important experience I had in the wine business #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @vintuswines Michael Quinttus How do you decide what #wines to bring into #Vintus? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: It starts by determining what regions we wish to include in the #wine portfolio then I evaluate who are the producers that are driven and leaders in their categories and have a passion for creating the best expression of their appellations emphasizing quality #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @vintuswines Congrats on recently hiring Master #Sommelier @ccollinsms as your #Italian Portfolio Sales Manager. What does having someone of his caliber & experience add to the team? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: @ccollinsms Not only brings great knowledge but also a great reach into the #Sommelier community which is fundamental to us as so many of our brands are focused on #restaurant sales #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Question from #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines Michael Quinttus What is your future focus when it comes to your company? Anything special that you anticipate for the future? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: We are likely to further develop our domestic portfolio of #wines and venture into the craft #Spirits business #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @vintuswines Michael Quinttus Can you tell us more about your representation of @Ornellaia from #Italy and how that came about? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: I was involved 30 years ago with the launch of the @Ornellaia brand in the #US and had maintained relationships with the principals of the estate They approached us in the spring of 16 as they were evaluating a change in #importers. …. #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: @Ornellaia had observed the evolution of our co over the years and we both wanted to explore the possibility of working together and we are enjoying this partnership #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines Michael Quinttus how do you decide on which states to import into and what are your biggest markets and which states you would like to grow?

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: We approach sales in #US in a logical fashion based upon population centers and demographics of consumption. For our larger production producers we have distribution in all 50 states #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Key consumption markets are certainly on key coasts with #NewYork #california and #Florida key growth markets have to include #texas #chiago and #Massachusetts…. #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: But in fact we take every market large or small seriously as key accounts and informed #wine consumers are located in all #US states #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Question from #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines Michael Quinttus do you ever get back vintages from your #wineries and how can a #resto find out when you get them? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Some of our producers for aging and releasing older vintages such as @ChMontelena and Luciano #Sandrone fr #barolo however most wineries focus on current vintage releases and rely on their customers to cellar if they choose #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Question from #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines Michael Quinttus how important are your state distributors and how do you select them? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Our state #distributors are an absolutely critical part of our business. In selecting them we look for shared values, customer service, #wine savvy sales team, and an appropriate prioritization of our producers #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Question from #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines Michael Quinttus do you focus sales more on restos or retail and why? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: We have a balanced sales approach where we consider both sales channels as essential 2 reach consumers. we value representation of our #wines on #resto #wine lists and #BTG programs. We want to make the #wines accessible for home consumption through retail as well #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Q fr #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines Michael Quinttus Why have you chosen to focus mostly on #wines from #France and #Italy?

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: In fact the #Vintus portfolio is comprised of #wines fr 10 different countries but invariably #France and #Italy are represented more deeply as they account for nearly 50% of imported #wine consumption in #US #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Question from #SommChat #Somm @vintuswines Michael Quinttus When building your company, were there certain aspects that you relied on to get VINTUS’s name to #wineries around the world? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: There was no specific strategy, I had already worked in #wine industry for 18 years , so I fortunately had an important network of relationships internationally which was essential at the start… #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: As important, as we grew, a key factor was the goodwill and reputation that we established through our diligent work in representing the producers in our #wine portfolio #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: .@vintuswines Michael Quinttus you are named @WineEnthusiast #Importer of The Year and won this year’s #Wine Star Award, Can you tell us more about what it meant to you and your company to accept this award? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Receiving the @WineEnthusiast Award was hugely important in that it was in some sense an acknowledgment of the hard work & focus of #Vintus team & our producers and our #distributor partners in developing the quality of distribution throughout the #US #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: .@vintuswines Michael Quinttus @WineandSpirits named you Importer of the Year , How does it feel to be awarded with an honorable title and how did business change after being awarded this? #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: We have tremendous respect for Josh Greene’s publication @WineandSpirits - we consider his 3 annual consecutive awards as a real tribute to the quality work of the many producers in #Vintus portfolio that he has also selected as his #wineries of the year #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @vintuswines any summer trends you see in #wines right now that you can share with our #SommChat community ?

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Thrilled to observe increasing interest in #wines from #oregon and are finding opportunities for our relatively new relationship representing @PonziWines, one of the pioneering producers from the #willamettevalley who continue to lead and innovate with their quality #wines #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: @vintuswines we know you represent several Family-owned #wineries - can you tell us about these relationships #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: It is certainly a privilege to be able to represent producers like @Bollinger_Int and @DOMAINEGUIGAL that have maintained their leadership position and quality standards across multiple generations #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Time to wrap up! Hope you enjoyed this hour of #wine talk with President & CEO Micheal Qunittus @vintuswines #WineWednesday #SommChat

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: It was great to have Michel Qunittus join us today for #SommChat. We hope everyone learned as much as we did! #WineWednesday

KeeperCollection @KeeperColl: Please join us in thanking President & CEO of VINTUS Wines Michael Qunittus @vintuswines for his time #SommChat

Michael Quinttus @vintuswines: Many thanks Diane, it has been awesome to have the direct reach to your #SommChat following and hope you and the followers can break out one of our #wines tonight