IWM for the Wine Enthusiast

In addition to our wine collecting services, Italian Wine Merchants caters to the wine enthusiast through our Portfolio Managers, exclusive wine selections, and educational facilities. Our Portfolio Managers are on-hand to assist enthusiasts in evaluating their cellars for depth, breadth and drink-ability. We help our clients manage their purchases so that the wines they have on-hand are best-suited for their taste preferences and needs.

Wines at IWM:
Judge us not only by the wines we carry, but also by what we don't carry. Like the great French wine regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux, only 5% of Italian wines are of high quality. Our methodical selection process is demanding and differs entirely from other wine merchants. We only want the best quality wines at the best price points. We will save you the time and heartache of wading through seas of poor wine and lead you straight to the best bottlings coming out of Italy. The wines listed on this site represent a fraction of our entire cellar. Our Portfolio Managers are available to discuss our complete listing with you in depth - by phone or in person. Call 212.473.2323 to schedule an appointment.

Why Drink Italian:
Considering the dismissal of Italian wines until just a few years ago, Italy’s wine renaissance has been a resounding success. We are proud to bring our clients the best of “The Boot.” Exploring Italian wines, you will discover hundreds of wines from indigenous grapes, many of which don't grow elsewhere or simply don’t produce the same results as on their home turf. Other reasons to drink Italian are:

Drastically Improved Quality
(leading to Italian wine skyrocketing to the top of US wine imports)

Outstanding Recent Vintages

In the past decade, the wine world has witnessed legendary vintages from Italy, especially from Piedmont and Tuscany. Robert Parker has no hesitations, calling the 1997 vintage in Piedmont so good that it's "freakish" and stating emphatically that 1997 is "the greatest Tuscan vintage I have ever tasted." Knowing that this vintage was exceptional, we made certain to stock-up and still have a wide variety of wines to try from this vintage.

The IWM Difference:

Selection Process
Sergio Esposito and the IWM staff travel to Italy more than any other wine team in the United States. Sergio spends his time looking for producers who are passionate about their wines and often produce limited quantities of their finest wines. At Italian Wine Merchants you will find an astonishing variety of specially selected rare, vintage, dessert, cult, fantasy, old and new world style Italian wines.

Temperature Control:
The one non-subjective fact of the wine world is that temperature controlled wines will always be better preserved for the enjoyment of the consumer.

At IWM we temperature control all of our wines from Italy's finest cellars in our specially designed climate controlled storage facility. This is why you will only find one bottle of each wine displayed in our show room. This is practiced by only a handful of merchants in the US. Merchants who don't commit to this practice are jeopardizing the ultimate integrity of your wine’s character. The bottom line is: light and heat are enemies, so why buy from a store that exposes your investment to these conditions?

Wine Portfolio Managers & Buying Objectives:
Several decades ago, the trusted source for buying fine wines in Europe was the traditional wine merchant. At IWM, we continue this tradition through our Portfolio Management services.

Our Portfolio Managers will share their extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for the exotic wines of Italy while explaining:

Classic Producers of New & Old World Styles

Up-and-Coming Producers

Cult Wines

Unusual Grape Varieties and Blends

Vintage Ratings

Wines and Food by Region

The Official Italian Classification System

Italy has an extensive list of wines with various characteristics, thousands of producers, and a wide range of price points. In just a few minutes, our Portfolio Managers can recommend the best buying strategy for you based on your need for:

Everyday Wines

Gifts and Special Event Wines

An Occasional Bottle to Stash Away

For a complimentary introduction and consultation please contact Sergio Esposito at 212.473.2323 or email sergio@italianwinemerchant.com.

Wine Seminars and Private Tastings:
With the close of the 20th Century, the wine world witnessed a marked growth in wine sales and tasting events around the world. Many corner wine stores now offers wine tastings, many at no charge. At Italian Wine Merchants, we have taken a different approach by offering seminars through our Studio del Gusto that cater to the serious enthusiast. The facilities at Studio del Gusto are designed as a learning lab for both seminars open to the public and private tastings for our clients (personal and corporate). Events open to the public include some of the industry's leading personalities and winemakers. From Daniel Thomases of Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate to the premier winemakers of Italy, there is a wide range of wine personalities to meet and themes to explore. Click here to see a list of our up-coming tastings.

IWM Weekly e-Letter:
Each week IWM informs enthusiasts about wines that will soon be arriving, what events are coming-up, and what educational wine pages have been added to the web site. To sign-up for our weekly e-Letter, please enter your e-mail address below:

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Praise and Reviews:
“If you need Italian wines, especially hard-to-find cult favorites, ‘this is where to go’ declare ‘serious buyers’ weighing in on this Union Square-area shop, which is co-owned by chef Mario Batali and stocks over 1,000 wines exclusively from The Boot, ranging from $10-$1,000; with its handsome looks, smart demonstration kitchen and frequent tastings and classes, it may sometimes feel ‘more like a club than a store,’ but the ‘professional, knowledgeable’ staff makes shoppers feel welcome.” -- Zagat Marketplace

Click here to see reviews from The New York Times, Wine & Spirits Magazine, Wine Spectator and many other sources.

Get Started with Italian Wine Merchants:
If you have not set-up an account with IWM, please feel free to call Sergio Esposito at 212.473.2323 for a free wine consultation to explain what Italian wines represent the best investment for your wine education and potential cellar need.