PRP Wine International

Vineyards in 22 countries throughout Europe, South America, and Australia bottle some of their boutique wines exclusively for PRP Wine International—but the company specializes in more than wine. It also lets customers personalize wine bottle labels, and proffers skincare products infused with vitamin-rich leftovers from grape mashings. At the warehouse and during tastings, wine consultants pour familiar wines as well as unusual ones: late-harvest cabernet sauvignons, German wines made from regent grapes, and sangiovese. They also educate customers about unique blends such as true rose wines made in the Old-World tradition—by which red and white wines are fermented separately, then immediately blended together without staging any ice-breaking games.

Wine consultants hold open houses and public wine tastings for their member clients, and also travel to homes for private tastings. Each tasting is custom, sometimes including popular wines such as the medium-red Chevralier de Bayard and medium-white Duca d'Amalfi. As the oenophiles pour and dispense anecdotes, they field questions about how to differentiate between wines, pronounce names of varietals, or tell when you’ve spilled wine on your shirt. Most events are open only to PRP Wine International's members, but staffers also host food-and-wine pairings at local restaurants, special warehouse sales, and other public tastings.