Who We Are
I was born and raised in the regions of Le Marche and Abruzzo, in central Italy, in the hilly countryside not far from the Adriatic Sea. A rural area surrounded by Montepulciano vineyards that I saw every day. My greatest passion has always been wine, like most of my friends who grew up with me.
Next to it, my second greatest passion has always been traveling. I came to America for the first time in 2007 and fell in love with the country. After that, I continued to travel to the United States every year, trying to spend more time exploring the countryside with each visit. I lived in California for six months in 2010, where I could explore the wine from the New World.
In 2012 I started working for a local winery in my Italian region; I was taking care of the American market, so my trips to America became more frequent. It was a dream come true! Finally, I was bringing my world to America through my wine. I was finally putting together my two passions: WINE and TRAVELING.
In 2017 I realized I had to move to the United States. So, I took a leap of faith, moved to New York City, and started my own company. I was helping American wine importers source Italian wines since I had personal relationships with many winemakers in every region. It was fun and allowed me to get in touch with more areas in the United States, becoming immersed in its culture since I was working with wine importers from all over the US.
In 2019 I co-founded a company with my best friend from France. Our business focused on importing wine from Italy and France. This new adventure allowed me to travel to France frequently, become familiar with the culture, and learn about their wine which I already knew but not as much as I know now.
I am starting a new chapter with my wife, Umit, and some good friends working with me to discover wines from Italy and France and bring them to America. I consider VALVAL wine different than other wine importers because I still have a deep personal relationship with my country; I spend more time in Italy and France than in America. When I need a particular wine, I go back to find my unique, family-owned, small farm where the quality is different and pick the wine I need. I will never grow tired of pouring my wine! 😉
Now, after living here for a few years, I have a new dream: Now that I have brought my world here, I will be bringing my friends from America into my world. We would be very pleased to share with you. If you are interested in travel to Italy, visit us here for more information.