Sotiris Bafitis Selections
1810 Ingleside
Terrace NW
Suite 3
Washington, DC USA 20010
Phone: 202-483-5436
Fax: 202-483-6522
Web
site
Contact: Sotiris
Bafitis
e-mail
Producers:
Kir-Yianni
Gerovassiliou
Biblia
Hora
Argyros
Gentilini
Karydas
Oktana
Katsaros
Ktima
Myrtoa
Voyatzi
Parparousis
Distributors:
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Hear an interview
with Sotiris Bafitis on WAMU, D.C.'s public radio station:
click here.
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Sotiris Bafitis, the founder and
co-owner of Sotiris Bafitis Selections, arrived in America in 1986 at age sixteen
from the Patra region of the northwest Peloponessos. Patra, still known as the home
of Greece's famed Mavrodafni, has also become the region of note for modern, high
quality production of the well-regarded native Roditis variety. Perhaps this is why
Sotiris seems to have wine, especially fine wine, in his blood.
While it has been the modus operandi of many Greeks in America to enter the restaurant
industry with the dream of owning their own operation, Bafitis was drawn in a decidedly
different direction. Working as a waiter in Washington, D.C., he gravitated towards
upscale concept restaurants in which wine was a core component. Ultimately this path
led him to work at Washington's celebrated tapas restaurant, Jaleo.
His exposure to Jaleo's very serious approach to Spanish wine fueled his passion
and ultimately led to a decision to work in wine retail. After finding a position
at D.C.'s Calvert Woodley, Bafitis' education in wine began in earnest.
It was during his retail stint that it dawned on Bafitis that quality Greek wine
suffered from unnecessarily poor exposure in the market. It was also during this
period that a chance encounter and a conversation about Greek wine with a highly
skeptical Pierre Rovani, then employed at Washington's Macarthur liquors, began an important relationship that continues
to this day. During their initial conversation Rovani, now co-reviewer for Robert
Parker's Wine Advocate,
made light of Greek wine. According to Bafitis, the incident inspired him to prove
Rovani wrong. Persistence, mutual respect and, of course, good wine prevailed. Today
Rovani is one of a handful of elite reviewers in the field who devote energy to Greek
wine. Bafitis meanwhile became determined to use quality as a calling card for the
introduction of Greek wine into the mainstream of the American market.
By 1999 Bafitis had a plan, and financial backing, in place. Stelios Boutaris, Marketing
Director of Naousa's prestigious Kir-Yianni estate was the first to succumb to Bafitis'
entreaties to give his marketing concept a try. In a conversation we had with Boutaris
last year he said, "it was a huge leap of faith to commit to an importer who
had no track record. On the other hand, Sotiris was incredibly earnest and we liked
his approach of tackling the upscale market directly. It is very important to us
to have access to mainstream outlets as well as the Greek American market—maybe more
important. Sotiris was able to convince us that his approach would give us this access."
Sotiris Bafitis Selections began operating in 2000. Self-distributing in Maryland,
D.C., Virginia, New Jersey and New York, the company began with a small portfolio
featuring several of Greece's preeminent names. The company is now home to eleven
producers (and growing). Some of the portfolio is distributed in California, Oregon
and Georgia. Massachusetts,
Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Texas are in the works.
Now Bafitis does have a track record and the business appears to be gaining
steam. Salespeople for greater New York and the southeast have just come on board.
Recent reviews in the Wine Advocate are creating demand in the heartland. Building
long-term customers for his wines is now Bafitis' chief priority. |