about us

We are an importer and distributor of fine wine and spirits based in Medford, Massachusetts. The company’s roots go back to 1905, when Samuel Bender and two partners founded a retail wine and provisions store in Boston, which evolved in the years after WW II into one of the city’s premiere fine wine shops. It was in the late 1970s that Larry Bender, the third generation of his family in the business, decided to strike out on his own, separating the importing business from his father’s retail operation. His goal was to import small high-quality wineries directly to the Massachusetts market, wines that had previously only come through national importers, if they were imported at all. Most of the wines at that time were French, but the company soon expanded its Italian selections, and has since rounded out the book with some American wineries as well as wines from other countries.

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The focus of the company remains much the same, though the portfolio evolves every year – our first criterion is the quality of the wine. While we are not dogmatic about viticulture or wine-making, we have found that the best wine comes from producers with a light touch, and a passion for terroir. We strive to present wines of pleasure and purity, balance and value.