Importers and distributors receive tons of emails and pitches by brands on a daily basis. The hard part for them is to figure out what brands would actually fit into their portfolios. Having a great product is one thing, but one of the major aspects importers and distributors look for in a brand is if the brand is educated enough for the US market. Does the brand know what the US market consists of? Is the brand ready to offer full support to the importers and distributors in terms of marketing, merchandising, and sales?

If a brand is just going to send their cases to the warehouses and step back from there, then the importer and distributor will most likely not work with the brand.

As an importer or distributor, out of hundreds of brands approaching them, it can turn into a hassle to find brands that would be ready to go all in, are educated about the US market before even pitching to enter, and would they be ready to give all the support the importer and distributor is looking for?

Organized by Beverage Trade Network, the 5th edition of the annual USA Trade Tasting (USATT) is set to focus on these exact needs of importers and distributors. Taking place in New York, USA Trade Tasting is set to offer importers and distributors a widespread platform to connect with brands that are exactly what they are looking for.

This is the event, where we will bring fast-growing and emerging wines, beers and spirits brands that want to grow their distribution in the US market. There will be new brands looking for import partners, there will be local brands looking for distributors in other states, and there will be some in-state brands looking to get into more restaurants and retail accounts.

The main thing which makes brands exhibiting at USATT stand out amongst others already in your emails is that all brands exhibiting at the 2020 USA Trade Tasting are well versed about the US market, and are ready to enter - proving all the support you as an importer and distributor could need from them.

USA Trade Tasting invites all small to medium-sized importers and distributors to fly to New York City on May 26-27 and connect with brands that would be perfect to add to your portfolio.

“As many of you know I’m very passionate about helping open the doors of the U.S. market to new wine, beer and spirits brands. The main idea that brought up the birth of USATT 5 years ago was to match small and medium-sized brands who are educated about the US market with small and medium-sized importers and distributors” says Sid Patel, Founder & CEO of Beverage Trade Network, the organizers of USA Trade Tasting.

USATT offers importers, distributors, and retailers the perfect spot to single out new wines, beers, and spirits to fill the gap in their portfolio. Meet with producers and suppliers from across the globe, all in one place, whose wines, beers, and spirits could be the next addition to your list.

You will be able to taste, network with, and crack deals right there and then at the USATT Grand Tasting in New York.

USATT puts SCA winners in the spotlight

Competitions are a huge part of the alco-bev industry, especially for importers and distributors. This year, USATT will also be shining the spotlight on wines that grabbed a medal at the 2019 Sommelier’s Choice Awards.

Importers, distributors, and retailers will be able to taste the winners of the 2019 Sommeliers Choice Awards and grab a chance to expand their portfolios with the wines that are assessed by the leading trade buyers from the industry.

Wines entered in the 2019 Sommeliers Choice Awards were tasted and assessed by over twenty wine industry professionals. The judging panel of the Sommeliers Choice Awards consisted entirely of top sommeliers, wine directors and on-premise buyers at U.S. restaurants, bars, pubs, and clubs.

What is SCA?

Sommeliers Choice Awards is the ultimate wine competition which aims to provide on-premise buyers and sommeliers a valuable benchmark for understanding which wines would make a compelling addition to a wine list.

An all-star judging panel consisting of leading sommeliers, on-premise wine buyers, wine directors at the U.S. restaurants, bars, pubs, and clubs gather in San Francisco to judge wines coming from across the globe. Wines are judged on the basis of Food Parability, Typicity, Value, Quality, and Package.

Medals are awarded to those wines that meet very specific judging criteria, with a goal of identifying wines that should become additions to restaurant wine lists.

So if you’re searching for a perfect wine to add to your list, then an SCA winner is the one to go with. Wine industry professionals have singled out these wines as their best pick for on-premise establishments and retail stores. A plethora of wines to taste, just in one place.

What is USATT?

USATT is an annual trade show that brings together small and medium-sized importers, distributors, retailers and press professionals of the US wine, spirits and beer industry in New York City for 2 days of learning, buying and selling, networking and fun — all designed to help all alco-Bev professionals and brands to grow their bottom line.

It is one of the largest industry meeting and networking opportunities for professionals of viticulture, production, and trade. For importers, distributors, and retailers, USATT is the perfect platform to network with and taste wine, spirits, and beers from around the world to add to your portfolio and shelves.

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About the organizers

Beverage Trade Network is a leading platform helping beverage professionals connect with peers and better understand the global business landscape will lead to overall long term growth of the independent alcohol beverage industry. Along with Sommelier’s Choice Awards, BTN has also organized other successful competitions such as the London Wine Competition, London Spirits Competition, London Beer Competition, China Wine Competition, and Bartender’s Spirits Awards. BTN also owns BevRoute, a magazine for Importers and Distributors and runs a lineup of trade shows around the world which includes USA Trade Tasting in New York, IBWSS UK in London and IBWSS China in Shanghai,  IBWSS USA in San Francisco, Cannabis Drinks Expo and are also the organizers of the upcoming Cannabis Food Show.