WINE
Wine was born from adventure, exploration and happy accidents. Liking one is a matter of taste, we all have our own favorites, but realize that there is no right and wrong, we try not to be dogmatic when selecting wines, we want to work with. When considering selection for our wine importer portfolio we ask ourselves three questions –
1. Do we like the wine?
2. Does it have a sense of time and place?
3. Who is going to buy and enjoy it?
ELEVATION
The elevation of a vineyard is among the first issues to be discussed when tasting a wine for the first time. In short, mountain and hillside vineyards offer three critical advantages: more direct and concentrated sunlight, dramatic temperature shifts, and exceptional drainage. Match these three together, and the vines struggle to survive. Those who succeed -
well, you know.
US
DAVID SPELL
After a 15 year career in investment banking and finance, David followed his passion for wine into a new career. Since 2009, David has served in multiple capacities in the wine industry – from starting as a sales rep on the streets of NYC to running the sales team, as well as leading the finance department and spearheading operational changes. Launching Elevation Wine Partners has allowed David to share his love of real wine from real people that express the vineyard and land. David lives in southern NJ, close to Philadelphia with his family. When he is not on the road finding new wineries or meeting with customers, you can find him on his front porch, enjoying a glass of wine with family and friends. He also spends time in the Colorado Rockies, hiking to new elevations.
Cheers!
GIL AVITAL
Gil was first introduced to the hospitality business, in 1986, at age 21 by his parent’s neighbors, who owned a restaurant in his hometown in his native Israel.
In 1996, he followed a life-long dream and moved to New York City. After few stints as a Barista, Server and Bartender, Gil worked for “Ian Schrager Hotels” as a Restaurant Manager and Assistant to the Food and Beverage Director. During that time, Gil attended the “Sommelier Society of America” wine course and received his Sommelier diploma. Pursuing his main interest, he started working as Service and Wine Director at “Estiatorio Milos” an upscale seafood restaurant in midtown Manhattan.
Starting in 2001 Gil started a long and fascinating journey at “Savoy” restaurant. As the General Manager and Wine Director, Gil worked closely with Chef/Owner Peter Hoffman and became passionate about market-driven cuisine and local and sustainable food and wine. After getting introduced to “Boqueria” as a customer Gil decided that this would be his next exciting stop and has Joined Chef Seamus Mullen at “Boqueria” in November of 2006. Working closely with Seamus revealed mutual beliefs, shared values and has led to a wonderful friendship. It was a natural next step and dream opportunity for Gil to join Seamus on his exciting new project as a partner at Tertulia and later at El Colmado.
When Tertulia closed down in the summer of 2018, Gil was introduced to David Spell by a mutual friend. After countless conversations over many glasses of wines, both decided to launch Elevation Wine Partners, a wine import/distribution company in NY and NJ.
Good Food, Good Wine, Good People!
Luke Scileppi
A lifelong lover of wine, Luke got his professional start serendipitously in a stockroom position. Perhaps an over-enthused use of the fringe benefit of the post —discounted wine prices— quickly brought him into deeper contact with fine wines; an education and appreciation that was put to more formal tutelage when his bent found better outlet on the sales floor. He learned the technical and business sides of wine on the job working at The Winery, a Harlem wine store, under sommelier and wine judge Eric White.
Before finding the wine business Luke held a wide variety of jobs in New York City, where he was drawn by the magnetic force of the city's vibrance and cultural happenings. As early as high school, an initial passion for music introduced the city's performance spaces, bars, restaurants and theaters, and made good excuse for an exploration of New York that has proved to be a life's work.
Other turns in Luke’s career path included buying for restaurants and wine stores, hosting private tastings, and working grape harvests. His passion for winemaking has led him to personal connections with winemakers around the world, as far as Australia, Austria, Germany, France and the United States. He started with Elevation Wine Partners in 2021.