How to Import Wine, An Insider’s Guide ~ Second Edition by Deborah M. Gray, is an important wine book for anyone importing wine; most especially for a novice in the aspects of our wine business. I once tried to get a novice to read this book, as I was working with the neophyte. That person no longer has any wine brands, and has turned the attention to leading people on European tours. When I was working with her, I was let go. Why? I was told, “Great publicity, Jo, but this person doesn’t know what to do with it.”

There are “how to” books; when it comes to importing, this THE ONE

How to Import Wine, An Insider’s Guide ~ Second Edition is critical for those wanting to break into the business; and it’s also important for those already in the business, because the nature of the wine industry is ever changing. We just have to keep up or bow out. According to Deborah Gray

For me, writing is actually engaging in the pursuit that brings me the most pleasure and sense of fulfillment in life. I wish I’d discovered that many years before I did. I feel compelled to write; I cannot not write. Ideas, plots, characters, dialogue and story lines swirl around my head all the time and some of them make their way to the page as fiction. With non-fiction it is a desire to provide accurate information, insight and perhaps inspiration for others, to enable them to move forward in their own career choices.

Since the 2011 publication of the first edition of How to Import Wine, tectonic changes have fundamentally reshaped the US wine business landscape. This comprehensively revised edition puts this new environment into a manageable, actionable context.

Novices and veterans alike will be able to identify dangers and new opportunities, in such areas as

• Federal and state regulations
• Evolving distribution practices
• The impact of social media
• How to appeal to newly emerging, Millennial trendsetters

ENDORSEMENTS

“I wish I had had Deborah Gray’s book at hand, during my wine importing days. This book is essential reading.” –Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator

“I didn’t think a book about the wine business could be as interesting to read, as this book was; but, I found it very hard to put down. You feel like you are having a personal conversation with a friend that is very knowledgeable about the business.  –Boris Gutierez, Chilean-wine.com

“I think it is the best and most comprehensive piece on the subject I’ve seen in print. I am certain this book will make a valuable contribution to the wine industry.” –Janeed Olsen, PhD, Professor of Wine Marketing, Sonoma State University, and author of Wine Marketing and Sales.

ABOUT DEBORAH GRAY

• Established her first wine importing company in the US in 1992
• Has travelled to forty of the fifty states throughout her wine career
• Worked with distributors
• Conducted wine dinners and tastings
• Spoken at wine festivals and conferences
• Appeared on radio and television
• Served on the Wine Board of the Australian Trade Commission for many years
• Instructor at San Diego State University, teaching wine importing and distribution

And, she just became a US Citizen!