Votto Vines First Ever Wine Importing Company to Make the Inc. 500

Family-Owned Votto Vines Importing, #464 on the 2014 Inc. 500|5000 List, Now Planning Proprietary Wine Brand Release and Expansion of Distribution Platform

HAMDEN, CT, August 20, 2014 — Votto Vines Importing has been ranked #464 on the Inc. 500|5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America for 2014 and #14 in the food and beverage category.  The first ever wine importing and distribution company to make the list, Votto Vines’ rapid ascent has been fueled by its strong industry partnerships; unique approach to wine sourcing and marketing; and its esteemed portfolio of boutique wine producers and proprietary brands.

From delivering 1,000 cases locally in Connecticut out of the back of co-founder Nick Votto’s Subaru wagon at the height of the economic downturn in 2009, Votto Vines has quickly scaled to become a multi-state importer and marketer of fine wines.  The Votto Vines Inc. 500 profile reveals three-year revenue growth of 1,023% based on sales of $384,000 in 2010 and $4.3M in 2013.   “Among our many short-term goals is to continue our aggressive growth trajectory and achieve $10M in sales by 2015,” says Votto Vines CFO Stephen Votto.

Co-founded by five members of the Votto family, Votto Vines’ ascent over the past five years has largely been due to the company’s 90+ Collection of leading family-operated wine estates from all over the world, as well as the development of high profile proprietary brands and licensing programs. Votto Vines has collaborated with companies and personalities including B.B. King, the Sons of Italy (Leone d’Oro), CBS/Showtime Networks (Star Trek) and famed eco-stylist and Today Show contributor Danny Seo (Philosophy organic).  Votto Vines also oversaw the VIP wine program for the NFL in London for the 2012 International Series Game at Wembley Stadium.

“We started Votto Vines with the goal of building an entrepreneurial family business in the wine and spirits industry,” says Chairman & CEO Michael Votto. “While we’re still a small and humble company by industry standards, we’re extremely proud of our rapid growth and more importantly the tremendous partnerships and personal relationships that we’ve developed, which continue to facilitate our expansion plans.”

In continuing its mission to apply forward-thinking ideas to the international wine trade, Votto Vines plans to continue broadening its distribution footprint and also debut a proprietary wine brand in late 2014 or early 2015. Capitalizing on Votto Vines’ close relationships with leading wineries across the globe, the Hidden Vines™ collection will be comprised of wine sourced directly from wineries whose excess supply would otherwise be sold to neighboring wineries or wine brokers. Bottled under one label, each wine in the collection will bear a custom rating on the 100-point scale; the rating is a proprietary formula of previous critical scores from leading publications, winery reputation, and blind-tasting results from the Votto team. “By sourcing these wines directly, we’ll be able to offer our partners, and ultimately wine consumers, a wide range of top-rated wines at an incredible price quality ratio,” says Jeremy Jerome, Votto Vines’ Senior Vice President of Sales.

For more information about Votto Vines or the Hidden Vines™ collection, please contact Votto Vines at info@vottovines.com or 1-800-316-8956.

ABOUT VOTTO VINES
Votto Vines Importing is a dynamic wine importation, distribution and marketing firm headquartered in Connecticut. Led by Chairman & CEO Mike Votto, one of Connecticut Magazine’s Top 40 Emerging Business Leaders under 40 for 2013, Votto Vines combines a deep entrepreneurial spirit with diverse professional experience to apply its forward thinking ideas to the international wine trade. Votto Vines represents leading family-operated wine estates around the globe through its 90+ Collection and develops high-profile proprietary brands in partnership with some of the world’s leading organizations. For more information about this family-owned business, please visit www.vottovines.com.

ABOUT THE INC. 500|5000
In 1982, Inc. introduced the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States. Since then, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success and the place where future household names first make their mark. Microsoft, Timberland, Vizio, Intuit, Chobani, Oracle, Zappos.com and numerous other well-known brands have been honored by the Inc. 500|5000. In 2007, the Inc. 500 list expanded to the Inc. 500|5000, giving readers a deeper, richer understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape and capturing a broader spectrum of success. Today, the list is a distinguished editorial award, a celebration of innovation, a network of entrepreneurial leaders, and an effective public relations showcase. The Inc. 500|5000 ranks companies by overall revenue growth over a three-year period.

Original press release by Margot Dempsey and Juliana Colangelo, Colangelo & Partners PR