Gina Fugina on Flavorful Wines From Spain and Giving Back
Gina Fugina is a passionate female Spanish wine importer and the Owner of Able Beverage LLC, a Maine-based Spanish wine import company. Able Beverage imports high-quality biodynamic, vegan, and certified organic Spanish wines to more than 15 states, including Maine, California, New York, Colorado, and New Jersey.
Gina is also the owner of her sip for a cure brand, pALS CAVA. She was inspired by a friend’s fight against ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and runs the company by the motto, “Sip For A Cure.” Gina’s passion for the wine business and experience came from her time working with Steve Miles as the Operations Manager for Steve Miles Selections.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
How Gina Fugina got started importing Spanish sparkling wines
The relationship and values that an importer and wineries cultivate
Why cava wines appeal to the consumer
Gina describes her transition to an owner in the wine business
How Gina is giving back to the ALS community through her brand
What challenges does a brand owner face during the launch of a new product?
In this episode…
Have you ever wondered about the role of a wine importer? The role of an importer is associated with buying and selling wine, but how does an independent importer select a bottle? What are these factors, and what role do they play in wine selection?
An importer deals with more than just suppliers. They establish relationships with wineries, need to understand logistics and compliance, and know how to prepare a delectable portfolio of wines. Gina Fugina started her own brand based on a passion and love for Spanish wines, and she has become an industry pioneer — in sparkling wine and giving back. Inspired by a personal friend and mentor, she shows how a wine-loving community can make a difference.
On this episode of The Alexi Cashen Podcast, hear from Gina Fugina, Owner of Able Beverage and pALS Cava, as she details creating a unique experience from imported wine from Spain. Gina talks about her journey into the alcohol beverage industry, lessons she’s learned in the process of scaling her brand, and the inspiration behind her “Sip For A Cure” motto.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
Sponsor for this episode...
Elenteny Imports is an alcoholic beverage logistics and compliance service that alleviates back-office work so that clients can focus on what they do best: sourcing and sales. Elenteny works with importers of all sizes, distributors, marketing agents/brokers, and wineries, and they guide their partners through a myriad of intricacies of the three-tier system offering logistics, consolidation, importing, customs, freight, drayage, and back-office administration for inventory management, invoicing, collections, and compliance.
Elenteny is licensed in all 50 states and they import over 1 million cases of wine, beer, and spirits annually. They create competitive advantages for their customers through customized cargo and information flow by employing the use of superior technology to provide transparency and access to information that’s crucial to expanding business and accelerating growth.
To learn more about their services, send them an email at info@elentenyimports.com or visit their website today.