A perpetually ignited passion for great wines drives our search for Burgundy producers, our relationships with them, and the trust we work to maintain over time. We spend time with growers, understand their work at close range, and earn inclusion in their limited allocations. Across domaines of every scale, what remains constant is a commitment to terroir and craft, and a discipline in vineyard and cellar that shows itself clearly in the glass.
These wines deserve to be shared. They also require proper handling at every stage, from preparation for shipment to refrigerated transport, from storage to presentation, so that they are experienced as the winemaker intended.
“The Medium is the Message” in Wine
We return often to Marshall McLuhan and his statement: “the medium is the message.” If wine and a winemaker’s philosophy form the message, then the wine importer and merchant are the medium. The way a wine is shipped, stored, handled, and presented can support or undermine the work done at the domaine.
Our responsibility is to carry that message without distortion. This includes temperature-controlled logistics, careful cellaring, and informed recommendations on service and drinking. It also includes conversations that help place each wine in context, whether with seasoned collectors or those new to Burgundy wines.
A Focused Burgundy Portfolio
More than twenty years on, this work continues to engage us in full. It brings challenge, motivation, and satisfaction in equal measure. Many of the producers we represent have become close friends, and we take pride in presenting their wines to a growing audience.
Our portfolio reflects a clear point of view. We are often asked why we do not extend further across regions or grape varieties. The answer is straightforward. We select wines we believe in and would gladly drink ourselves.
This results in a Burgundy-focused portfolio that favors depth over breadth. You may think of it as a cellar we stand behind with conviction.
Becky Wasserman and Burgundy
We recognize those whose work shaped the modern Burgundy wine trade. Among them is Becky Wasserman, whose influence continues to be felt across the region.
Driven by goodwill, she gave far more than her share. Her support for growers was practical and decisive, including a moment when she mortgaged her own home to ensure they were paid following a distributor’s bankruptcy. She championed producers such as Lafon, Moreau, Pataille, Pacalet, and Bizot, many of whom are now central figures in Burgundy.
She was also in the confidence of Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Their relationship reflected a closeness that extended beyond the formalities of the trade. He once remarked to her, “What is so marvelous about you, Becky, is that you wash glasses so beautifully,” a small but telling detail that speaks to familiarity and regard.
Becky passed away on August 20, 2021, but her legacy continues through her family and the team at Becky Wasserman & Co., and through the growers and merchants whose work she helped sustain.
Her philosophy is captured in the motto of Becky Wasserman & Co.: Non vendimus quod non bibimus — we do not sell what we do not drink. Our CEO (IG @burgnut88) and COO (IG @jaimejalandoni) would likely say with slight variance, “We drink what we sell.” Do drop in on us any one of these afternoons, and you’ll be able see and be part of what this means!
Burgundy Beyond Grands Crus
Becky also spoke to a shift in how Burgundy wines are approached. Interest in earlier drinkability has grown, along with an appreciation for wines outside the most celebrated classifications.
Burgundy is not limited to grands crus. Village wines and regional appellations, when well made, form part of the identity of the region. This perspective continues to inform how we present our selection.
The Role of the Wine Importer and Merchant
A last note on Becky’s legacy to importers and wine merchants. For those of us who came after, she set the standard, demonstrating that a wine merchant’s name on the back label can stand for quality and integrity. More than an example, she came to represent the best of the trade, giving the rest of us something to live up to, and, in some measure, a good name. The wine world is better for the life and work of Becky Wasserman.
We tip our hats to those who have helped advance and support producers and hope we are able to do our part in ensuring the continuity and development of the ecosystem that makes great wine possible. After all this is one of humanity’s apex achievements: to be able to transform and add value to what nature provides, to preserve it and be in harmony with it, through our gifts of talent and capability.