Like many of our industry friends, our company has its roots in our dad’s wine collection. But for us, it was not a straight path from basement cellar tasting to wine importing. 

Over the years, Ronnie, inspired by our father, began to hone his impressive wine palate while Lori grew a career in finance after earning a degree in economics from The University of Pennsylvania.

When our father Hal died suddenly at age 60, we were thrown into managing the family textile company. The timing was unfortunate: we were young, and the future of the domestic textile industry was bleak. We’re now grateful for this trial by fire and the lessons learned. But by the late 1990s we were done with the world of textiles and found a promising new opportunity.

Ronnie’s gifted palate, along with the wine knowledge he learned from our dad, helped him see the vast potential in importing Australian wines to the U.S. He established Vine Street Imports in Philadelphia in 1999, and soon after we joined our wildly different skill sets to embark on this new journey. Ronnie scours the world for the best under-the-radar wines to market, while Lori leverages her financial acumen to oversee finances and operations. 

We think Dad would be proud of how we built VSI together with integrity, and how we’ve weathered the ebbs and flows of the wine industry. We feel incredibly lucky to work in such a fun environment, with some of the very best in the business. Loyalty and authenticity in our relationships with customers, winemakers, and our team is at the heart of our company, and we personally vouch for every wine we sell.

— Ronnie and Lori

We’ve always pursued and invested in undiscovered wines that are as singular as the colorful characters who produce them. While we’re not beholden to trends, we know how to find cutting-edge winemakers who deliver fresh and unexpected wines. 

Known for our unique palate, our customers trust the curated selection we’ve built over the years. They know that the VSI logo indicates that the wine will be anything but cookie-cutter — and the winemaker’s point of view and passion will come through in every bottle.

Before we welcome a new addition to our portfolio, we look for the following qualities:

• Taste. If it doesn’t taste good, we don’t represent it, buy it, or sell it. Know that if a wine is in the VSI portfolio, we believe in it and enjoy drinking it ourselves.
• Balance. Alcohol, fruit, tannins, and acidity work harmoniously with the texture to create the structure of the wine.
• Precision. The flavors of the grape are delineated and apparent, and the wine tastes like the habitat of the vine, reflecting nuances such as soil content and elevation.
• Clarity. If the flavors and aromas are muted or confused, the wine cannot be enjoyed to the fullest extent.
• Good design. Customers tend to reach for an eye-catching label. We expect all of our wines to make an impact visually. 

Finally, we’re obsessed with value. Whether you’re paying $20 or $200 for a bottle, we want you to come away from the experience satisfied that you’re getting more than you paid for.