Airing between regular episodes of the VinePair Podcast, “Next Round” explores the ideas and innovations that are helping drinks businesses adapt in a time of unprecedented change. As the coronavirus crisis continues and new challenges arise, VP Pro is in your corner, supporting the drinks community for all the rounds to come. If you have a story or perspective to share, email us at [email protected]
In this “Next Round,” VinePair Podcast co-host Zach Geballe speaks with Alexi Cashen, CEO and co-founder of Elenteny Imports, based out of Manhattan in NYC.
Cashen details the wide range of services her company provides to its primarily U.S. importer client base, including freight forwarding, inventory management, and currency exchange between client and producer, to name a few. Simply put, a fine-wine importer will source and sell its product, such as a Riesling from Germany, and Elenteny Imports takes care of the logistical steps in between.
Despite pandemic-related setbacks, Cashen reveals that import operations, luckily, never fully ceased for her clients. Even with delays, European alcohol imports continued, albeit at reduced capacities. However, Cashen believes the pandemic isn’t the only concern: European wine tariffs have been creating financial complications since long before the pandemic spread.
For Elenteny and other beverage alcohol importers, Cashen believes there are clear steps to improve the oppositional tariffs. She describes promising efforts happening in Washington, D.C., right now that advocate for fair positioning of taxation for wine businesses in the future.
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