Challenges Of A Wine Import Business
USA Trade Tasting interviews Testa Wines of the World, a small to medium sized wine importer, based in New York. The company has been a family-owned business since 1962 and represents over a dozen wine producers from around the world in markets across the U.S. With nearly five decades of trade experience, Testa’s Owner Deborah Rouhana Lane has gained valuable insights on key variables for business success and ways to manage them. Recently, Ms. Lane shared her experiences on the challenges facing small/mid-sized importers and some ways to overcome them.
About Testa Wines:
Testa Wines was purchased in 1962, as a family owned business. It continues to this day as such, under second and third generation management.
Testa Wines has been in existence since the repeal of prohibition, when Camilo Testa received one of the first licenses in NY.
When Bill Rouhana purchased the company in 1962, it was actually a winery. The wine was purchased in bulk from California producers like Mondavi and bottled here under our own labels. Bill bought the company without any money and sold the entire inventory and the winery equipment to pay the Testa family for the business. Bill decided to focus the business on importing and distributing wines. With a reputation and relationships from his years as an accountant at Transamerica, Bill was able to build his business on a very limited budget. He started as a distributor for Bolla, Ruffino and Moet.
Over the course of many years, Testa Wines and other small distributors worked to introduce and develop many of the well-known brands in today’s market.
Hard work, good relationships, great wines and a ‘little help from our friends’ has not only helped us to survive, but has enabled us to take the company in a whole new direction. We became more focused on finding “hidden gems”, and getting back to our roots of Building Brands. We love working with small family wineries that put their passion, pride and heritage into the bottle.
Read more on USATT Blog.