Up close with Alex Guarachi, President, TGIC Importers

Written by Bonnie Skop

What made you go out and open up your own company?

Alex Guarachi

I came to the US on a soccer scholarship and I got injured. I was always passionate about wine as I grew up with wine always on the table. In addition, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit so it was destined for me to do my own thing. I love food and wine and all of the lifestyle centered around good food and good wine. Some of the best pleasures in life are good food and good wine! Back in 1982 you could not even find a bottle of wine from Chile here in the US. We were the first to introduce Chilean wines into the US. Someone needed to get the wines here and then make noise to the press and talk them up.

Who was the biggest influence in your life?
George Tralle. He was my partner in helping me start TGIC and he was a mentor to me. He was a brilliant man with a great brain and I was like the son he never had. He passed away last year.

Why did you get into the wine business and how have you seen the growth in the US?
Americans are interested in learning about wines from all over the globe and I like this. The world has become so global and people can get access to global wines easier than ever. Wines are also becoming more user-friendly, more inviting and less intimidating with animals on labels, etc.

If there is someone you could share a bottle of wine with, who would it be and what would the wine be (vintage, year, etc.)?
It would be my mother, Carmen. She died when I was only nine years old. I would love to sit next to her and catch up on everything. We would be drinking a 1982 Chateau La Tour and a 1990 Vega Sicilia Unico.

What are your future plans with growing your company?
We will continue on the same path working with the same amazing wine makers with a focus on a new portfolio from Italy. We will also be producing a new Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley.