USA Trade Tasting interviews Testa Wines of the World, a small to medium sized wine importer,  based in New York. The company has been a family-owned business since 1962 and represents over a dozen wine producers from around the world in markets across the U.S. With nearly five decades of trade experience, Testa’s Owner Deborah Rouhana Lane has gained valuable insights on key variables for business success and ways to manage them. Recently, Ms. Lane shared her experiences on the challenges facing small/mid-sized importers and some ways to overcome them.

About Testa Wines

Testa Wines was purchased in 1962, as a family-owned business. It continues to this day as such, under second and third generation management. Testa Wines has been in existence since the repeal of prohibition when Camilo Testa received one of the first licenses in NY.

When Bill Rouhana purchased the company in 1962, it was actually a winery. The wine was purchased in bulk from California producers like Mondavi and bottled here under our own labels. Bill bought the company without any money and sold the entire inventory and the winery equipment to pay the Testa family for the business. Bill decided to focus the business on importing and distributing wines. With a reputation and relationships from his years as an accountant at Transamerica, Bill was able to build his business on a very limited budget. He started as a distributor for Bolla, Ruffino, and Moet. Over the course of many years, Testa Wines and other small distributors worked to introduce and develop many of the well-known brands in today’s market. Hard work, good relationships, great wines and a ‘little help from our friends’ has not only helped us to survive but has enabled us to take the company in a whole new direction. We became more focused on finding “hidden gems”, and getting back to our roots of Building Brands. We love working with small family wineries that put their passion, pride, and heritage into the bottle. Let Testa Wines address and discuss their day to day challenges as a small to medium sized wine importer and how they overcome them in USATT’s Office Hour session designed for importers only. USATT’s Importer Office Hours will be limited to 200 seats only. Wine, Beer, and Spirits Importers are encouraged to reserve their seat asap. RSVP now to get early bird pricing for Office Hour sessions.

More about Importers Office Hour Session: USATT's Office Hours sessions give you a chance to talk one-on-one with speakers and mentors. We bring in dozens of experts so you can get targeted advice on everything from sales and distribution to operations and management.

Who: Office Hours are for Importers, Distributors, Retailers, and Suppliers who want informed feedback on business ideas and challenges. Our mentors have real-world expertise in a range of topics.

What: There will be 4 sessions, each of an hour’s duration. If you are an importer, you are recommended to attend the Import business office hour session. If you are a distributor, you are recommended to attend the Distribution business office hour session and so on. Each session will have experts from your domain. For example, The Distributor Office Hour session will have one expert from sales, one from management, one from legal and one from operations. This will allow you to ask questions ranging from sales to operations about your distribution business. Seats are limited to 200 people per session. You must pre-register and select your office hour sessions.

When: Distributor's Office Hour Session: May 16, 1 pm to 2 pm. Importer’s Office Hour Session: May 16, 4 pm to 5 pm. Supplier's Office Hour Session: May 17, 9.30am to 10.30am. Retailer’s Office Hour Session: May 16, 1 pm to 2 pm.

Set up: The set up is a mix of classroom and chair-only setup. Those who need to work on laptops may sit on the chairs that have desks with them.

What it’s not: 1) We’re committed to creating a lively learning atmosphere, and we require that all participants abide by our code of conduct. These conversations are fun, but Office Hours is not a speed-dating event. 2) It’s also not a pitching event; mentors appreciate your questions, not requests for taking your brand. 3) It's not one to one, you will be in a session room of 200 people and your questions will be open and in public. This is an open session where you will also benefit from other attendees’ questions.

Why: We’re excited to host this format as a way of helping you learn about solutions for real-world business problems and ask questions related to your business.

Event Producer: Beverage Trade Network

USA Trade Tasting is brought to you by Beverage Trade Network, the leading online platform dedicated to connecting the global beverage industry. Beverage Trade Network (BTN) successfully connects wineries, breweries, distilleries and brand owners with international importers, distributors, brokers and beverage industry professionals on a daily basis. Strong partnerships with international and US organizations have helped BTN establish USA Trade Tasting as a premiere sales and marketing event committed to connecting the beverage industry.