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WANT A MOLDOVAN WINE? SARKISOV DELIVERS SPIRITS
By Kathy Carlson, News Correspondent
Nashville City Paper, TN
Nov 6 2006
Care for a glass of wine? It's light, crisp and clean, with good
body and a hint of peach, similar to a pinot grigio. By the way,
it's from Moldova.
Nashville accountant turned entrepreneur Simon Sarkisov wants to
introduce Nashville - and the rest of the country - to Moldovan wines
plus others he says are well-known in Europe but not here, yet.
"I want to be basically some kind of ambassador of good quality wines
to United States," he said.
His South Nashville-based business, World Vintage LLC, currently
imports wines from Spain and Moldova, a landlocked country about the
size of Maryland in southeastern Europe, between Rumania and Ukraine.
Moldova, formerly part of the Soviet Union, is now independent.
Moldova's economic future may hinge on its wines - and people like
Sarkisov.
Wines from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have gained much
interest recently, especially as land, labor and grapes become pricier
in other wine-growing regions, said Elise Loehr Solima, proprietor/
wine director at the Green Hills restaurant F. Scott's.
Moldovans have produced wine for thousands of years, Sarkisov said,
and its climate and soil are well suited for grapes. Moldovan wineries
- including the one Sarkisov imports from - also have won honors in
recent international competitions. Nevertheless, the United States
imported less than $1 million in Moldovan wine last year, according
to U.S. Census Bureau trade data.
Sarkisov's company imports wines from Moldova's Dionysos-Mereni
winery, along with Man Quixot and Lopez Panach wines from Spain. The
businessman is planning trips to Spain and Italy this year to seek
additional wines.
Sarkisov is an American citizen of Armenian descent. He grew up in
Azerbaijan, another former Soviet republic, and came to Nashville in
1991 at age 24. After graduating from Belmont University in 2000 with
an accounting degree, he worked in the corporate world.
Oddly enough, breaking his leg in a racquetball game in 2003 was
a turning point for him. With time to think about his career, he
focused on a long-time passion for wines. He decided to invest in a
wine-importing venture and specialize in unusual vintages and products.
In 2004, Sarkisov started World Vintages, importing his first wines
in 2005. Sarkisov now has one employee and, while he declined to give
revenues, said business has grown by about 35 percent over last year.
He sells in six states besides Tennessee, his main state for sales.
World Vintages imports wines under annual agreements with producers.
Tennessee law allows him to sell only to distributors who sell to
restaurants and liquor stores, which in turn educate consumers by
suggesting wines for specific meals or occasions. One distributor
that handles Sarkisov's products is Nashville-based Aleksey's Imports,
which distributes several Russian brands.
Moldovan wines compete with "inexpensive wines that are easy to drink,
versatile and friendly," said Eric Nichols, director of sales with
Aleksey's. "It's not special occasion [wine] but it's very good
quality. It's still kind of a secret, too."
Perhaps the secret will not be kept long as the Moldovan wines World
Vintages imports are very reasonably priced. For example, a bottle
of Vino Vista Pinot Noir is currently selling for about $10 at one
local retailer.
Nashville's Tin Angel restaurant is one of Aleksey's Imports'
accounts. From time to time, Tin Angel owner Rick Bolsom has featured
wines - including a Moldovan variety from Alexsky's - that aren't on
the regular wine list so that patrons can sample something different.
"I love to be able to offer quality wines at a reasonable price that
[offer] something interesting," Bolsom said. Moldova is "way off the
beaten track," he added, but has a long history of winemaking.
Currently, Russia forbids the sale of Moldovan and Georgian wines,
claiming they don't meet its sanitation standards, which the two
countries contest. Others see retaliation because Moldova and Georgia
oppose Russia's bid to join them in the World Trade Organization. The
loss of the huge Russian market has forced layoffs at some Moldovan
wineries, but one European press report says Dionysos-Mereni still
is doing well because of the quality of its wines.
Sarkisov and his distributors are betting that the Moldovan wines'
mix of value and quality will win customers.
"Once people try them," Nichols said, "they'll come back."
By Kathy Carlson, News Correspondent
Nashville City Paper, TN
Nov 6 2006
Care for a glass of wine? It's light, crisp and clean, with good
body and a hint of peach, similar to a pinot grigio. By the way,
it's from Moldova.
Nashville accountant turned entrepreneur Simon Sarkisov wants to
introduce Nashville - and the rest of the country - to Moldovan wines
plus others he says are well-known in Europe but not here, yet.
"I want to be basically some kind of ambassador of good quality wines
to United States," he said.
His South Nashville-based business, World Vintage LLC, currently
imports wines from Spain and Moldova, a landlocked country about the
size of Maryland in southeastern Europe, between Rumania and Ukraine.
Moldova, formerly part of the Soviet Union, is now independent.
Moldova's economic future may hinge on its wines - and people like
Sarkisov.
Wines from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have gained much
interest recently, especially as land, labor and grapes become pricier
in other wine-growing regions, said Elise Loehr Solima, proprietor/
wine director at the Green Hills restaurant F. Scott's.
Moldovans have produced wine for thousands of years, Sarkisov said,
and its climate and soil are well suited for grapes. Moldovan wineries
- including the one Sarkisov imports from - also have won honors in
recent international competitions. Nevertheless, the United States
imported less than $1 million in Moldovan wine last year, according
to U.S. Census Bureau trade data.
Sarkisov's company imports wines from Moldova's Dionysos-Mereni
winery, along with Man Quixot and Lopez Panach wines from Spain. The
businessman is planning trips to Spain and Italy this year to seek
additional wines.
Sarkisov is an American citizen of Armenian descent. He grew up in
Azerbaijan, another former Soviet republic, and came to Nashville in
1991 at age 24. After graduating from Belmont University in 2000 with
an accounting degree, he worked in the corporate world.
Oddly enough, breaking his leg in a racquetball game in 2003 was
a turning point for him. With time to think about his career, he
focused on a long-time passion for wines. He decided to invest in a
wine-importing venture and specialize in unusual vintages and products.
In 2004, Sarkisov started World Vintages, importing his first wines
in 2005. Sarkisov now has one employee and, while he declined to give
revenues, said business has grown by about 35 percent over last year.
He sells in six states besides Tennessee, his main state for sales.
World Vintages imports wines under annual agreements with producers.
Tennessee law allows him to sell only to distributors who sell to
restaurants and liquor stores, which in turn educate consumers by
suggesting wines for specific meals or occasions. One distributor
that handles Sarkisov's products is Nashville-based Aleksey's Imports,
which distributes several Russian brands.
Moldovan wines compete with "inexpensive wines that are easy to drink,
versatile and friendly," said Eric Nichols, director of sales with
Aleksey's. "It's not special occasion [wine] but it's very good
quality. It's still kind of a secret, too."
Perhaps the secret will not be kept long as the Moldovan wines World
Vintages imports are very reasonably priced. For example, a bottle
of Vino Vista Pinot Noir is currently selling for about $10 at one
local retailer.
Nashville's Tin Angel restaurant is one of Aleksey's Imports'
accounts. From time to time, Tin Angel owner Rick Bolsom has featured
wines - including a Moldovan variety from Alexsky's - that aren't on
the regular wine list so that patrons can sample something different.
"I love to be able to offer quality wines at a reasonable price that
[offer] something interesting," Bolsom said. Moldova is "way off the
beaten track," he added, but has a long history of winemaking.
Currently, Russia forbids the sale of Moldovan and Georgian wines,
claiming they don't meet its sanitation standards, which the two
countries contest. Others see retaliation because Moldova and Georgia
oppose Russia's bid to join them in the World Trade Organization. The
loss of the huge Russian market has forced layoffs at some Moldovan
wineries, but one European press report says Dionysos-Mereni still
is doing well because of the quality of its wines.
Sarkisov and his distributors are betting that the Moldovan wines'
mix of value and quality will win customers.
"Once people try them," Nichols said, "they'll come back."