World Wine Synergy: What's in the Glass?

A friendship, a journey, and a decade uncovering the soul of wine.

Richard and I have been friends for over forty years, each pursuing careers in different industries. Despite working in separate fields, we shared a deep fascination with wine and everything it encompasses. In the early 2000s, we began our journey of learning—taking WSET courses and traveling through Europe together to explore the world of wine.

Like many beginners, we started with many questions: How do we tell a good wine from a bad one? What is terroir; how does it matter? Why is Old World wine often revered? In essence, we wondered “What is in the glass?” We were lucky to have the guidance of knowledgeable advisors and passionate industry leaders who generously shared their insights. Their mentorship played a key role in shaping our vision and mission, ultimately leading to the founding of World Wine Synergy in 2014.

The idea of “going back to the roots” has always been our guiding principle. This led us to begin our wine journey in Europe, where we discovered the origins of many rare grapes; grapes transplanted out of their original homeland; grapes being revived from near extinction such as Lazio's Cesanese.

Along the way, we came to appreciate the producer's deep-rooted belief in preserving their land and their original crop such as Cristiana Tiberio's preservation of the Trebbiano Abruzzese mother clone by painstakingly propagating her vineyard by Massal Selection.

On the flip side, we visited innovative winemakers like Sebastien Dauliac of Domaine Capelanel, who rejuvenated the traditional Cahors Malbec with a lively and juicy expression using amphora aging and masterful blending.

The influence of terroir spoke loudly and astonishingly as we navigated through the Crus of Beaujolais in 2018. Subsequently, a daring project was hatched to bring all 10 Crus back home in educational seminars.

The subject of indigenous grapes continues to fascinate us. We explored far-reaches of the earth to bring back wines made with Malvasia Volcánica and Listán Negro grapes, grown only on the Island of Lanzarote of the Canaries–a barren landscape that called for a totally unique viticultural practice.

In this 10-year journey, our original quest of “What is in the glass?” has evolved to include not only the wine, but also the craftsmen and the culture behind it. Our fresh identity reflects our renewed commitment to give exposure to these passionate artisans while deepening our conversations with the community of wine lovers that follow us.