Today we’d like to introduce you to Kallie Barry.
Hi Kallie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My business partner, Nathan Woodhouse, and I met in college at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He had recently returned to the U.S. after being stationed in Sicily in the Navy.
His love of Sicily and all things Italian and my love of food and travel led us to explore wine together. As we approached graduation, Nathan’s friend in Sicily asked him for help selling his espresso in the U.S., and Nathan in turn asked me for help as well.
We hatched a plan to import not only the espresso but also Italian wine and olive oil. With our first imported shipment of wine, we knew we had really found our passion and our niche. We focused more and more on a wine over the coming years.
Our success in wine coupled with the steep increase in local coffee roasters led us to halt coffee importation. We now import over 200 Italian wines from approximately 40 family wineries in addition to distributing in Missouri wines from California, Greece, France, Australia, and beyond.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening a business takes grit and determination. Nathan and I have pulled off 19 years of business straight out of college but it has been a long and winding road.
There have been times we each felt we couldn’t continue but we pulled each other through and kept evolving. We began only with the money in our own pockets and have always struggled to acquire proper funding.
Importing containers full of wine, maintaining inventory to supply our customers, paying suppliers long before we can collect from our customers… it all takes a lot of capital!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We strive to show the U.S. the unmatched beauty that can be found in Italian wine. Ionia Atlantic specializes in Italian wine and we pride ourselves on our unique and quality-driven portfolio.
Our wine portfolio is comprised mostly of small family wineries that practice organic and biodynamic farming and winemaking, yet use modern practices to ensure quality and consistency. Wine is a living thing, a blend of science and art, and a way to bring people together.
Our wines are not found on grocery store shelves but in the hands of local shops who can pass along the beauty of well-made wine and assist consumers who want to learn more and expand their palate. We have curated an outstanding portfolio that I am proud to stand behind.
A portfolio is nothing without someone to sell it and I am therefore also so proud of my team. I would put their Italian wine knowledge up against anyone in the industry, and they exhibit great care for our customers.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We have heard many times, “You are so lucky!” It is true that we have an envy-inducing profession.
After all, we get to travel to Italy to visit wineries, spend time tasting wine and amazing food, attend events at the best restaurants, and have endless wine at our fingertips. While we smile and typically throw out a joke in response, the truth is that luck has nothing to do with it.
We decided to open a business on a shoestring, we worked hard and never gave up. We’ve had good luck and bad luck, but hasn’t everyone?
Contact Info:
- Email: kallie@ionia-atlantic.com
- Website: www.ioniawines.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ioniawines/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ioniaatlantic/