The Importers To Look For When Buying Wine, According To An Expert

Picking the right wine can be daunting, even for experienced wine drinkers. With so many factors to consider, even those firmly in the camp of old world or new world wines, can be paralyzed by the abundance of options. We reached out to Gabriel Corbett, Sommelier of the two Michelin-starred JÔNT, to see how he recommends navigating the world's oldest alcoholic beverage. Corbett's suggests looking not at the front label but the one on the back of the bottle. 

America has a system that allows you to find on a wine's back label not only where it was produced but also the company that helped bring that bottle stateside. Apart from winemakers, wine importers are arguably some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry, and finding one who matches your taste can be a game changer. Through a trusted importer, you still have the freedom to choose from a selection, but with the safety of knowing you're likely to favor most of the wines within it. More importantly, the recommendations of such importers can be invaluable for discovering new wines. Here are Corbett's go-to wine importers.

One of the most prestigious wine importers in the country, Kermit Lynch, and his company Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant (KLWM), are fixtures amongst connoisseurs of French and Italian wines. Introduced to wines at age 16, Lynch later founded a wine retail business in 1972 with just 35 cases. Even during those early days he exclusively sold wines that he imported directly from French and Italian winemakers. As his business grew from retail to wholesale and eventually to the national scale, Lynch maintained and further solidified his relationships with small, traditional French and Italian winemakers.

A proponent of natural wines that exemplify, over everything else, the region they originate in, Lynch is a firm proponent of old-world wines and the deep knowledge their winemakers hold. Realizing the importance of natural wines early on, Lynch is nevertheless skeptical of fads like sulfite-free wine, pointing out that some of the best wines exist because of the sulfur added to them. 

The legendary wine importer has won two James Beard awards and has been knighted by the French government. Now retired, his company is managed by his long-time associate, with Lynch's son and son-in-law also involved in its day-to-day running. Just like the vineyards it's represented and exalted for decades, the Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant is going to continue a familial tradition of fine, personally selected wines.

Louis/Dressner Selections imports a wide variety of wines from France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia and Chile. While its selection is a mix of old and new world wines, the importer focuses on natural wines made from hand-picked grapes using traditional methods and no additives to boost flavor, aromas, or alcohol content. Again, this is an importer that endorses wines that channel the characteristics of the region they are grown in.

The importer's origin story sounds like the plot of a romantic film. The company's founders, Joe Dressner and Denyse Louis, met while studying journalism at NYU. They subsequently spent a summer in France's historical wine-growing region of Burgundy, where Louis hails from. Starting their wine-importing business in the late 1980s with a focus on independent French winemakers, things really took off for the company when its founders discovered and started focusing on natural wines. While the importer's portfolio has expanded significantly since then, its values of wine selection are still rooted in natural wines. Now in its second generation and growing, the founders' son Jules has joined the company and you can find wines from Louis/Dressner Selections in most states across the country.

Wilson Daniels Wholesale deals in some of the most prestigious wine brands in the world. The company's portfolio, which specializes in family-owned wineries with multi-generational expertise, features wines from 7 countries including France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Chile, and Hungary. The company also sells domestic wines. With a footprint in all 50 states and close ties with over 50 high-end fine wine estates, Wilson Daniels Wholesale is a good importer to help pick out high-end wines. While bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party can be dicey, if you really must, a bottle from this importer's selection is most likely to impress the host.

The company was founded by Jack Daniels (no, not the Tennessee whiskey-maker) and Win Wilson in 1978. Their objective from the start has been to pinpoint exceptional wines from the world's major wine-producing regions. The wines should exemplify their region's attributes, while also being from prestigious vineyards. Both Daniels and Wilson have been named in the list of the 10 most influential people in the wine business and also received honors from the French government.

This importer is deeply entrenched in French wine country. The company's founder and namesake, the late Becky Wasserman-Hone, had already spent over a decade living in Burgundy before she founded Becky Wasserman & Co. in 1979. The importer's offices are fittingly located in the heritage town of Beaune in Burgundy. Wasserman is credited with introducing Americans to a variety of iconic wines from the region and her company's portfolio encompasses established as well as up-and-coming winemakers. Having seen the wine industry's landscape evolve over decades, Wasserman herself was a trove of wine knowledge and responsible for bringing many small Burgundy winemakers to the attention of connoisseurs around the world.

Becky Wasserman & Co. doesn't have specific criteria for selecting wines except for what the company's team considers to be good wine (their motto is "If we won't drink it, we won't sell it").  Wasserman herself believed that despite the wine's exalted luxury status, a good Burgundy is available at any price point. 

The old world trio of wine producers — France, Italy, and Spain, — also happen to be the world's largest wine producers. Rating systems like the French AOC system, the Italian DOC/G, and the Spanish DO/Ca attempt to classify wines by quality. However, it can take a lifetime to understand the nuances of wine produced in these countries (or, for that matter, those produced even in a single region within any of them). Limiting yourself to a particular vineyard or label is also not advisable if you're interested in exploring and understanding wines. And this is before you begin to consider all the other countries that produce exceptional vintages as well.

With wines, it comes down to a human connection and the feel that a particular importer has for wines. You put your trust as much in the importer's knowledge as in their taste in wines. The importers that Corbett trusts have forged their own connection with wine and the regions where they are produced. Each of them pays particular attention to a wine's terroir or "sense of space," ensuring that when you take a sip, you experience the complexities and nuances characteristic of the region the wine hails from.