Welcome!
Springboard is a California wholesaler of wine and spirits, focusing on family owned, quality driven producers from around the world. Founded in 2006, and Co-owned by sisters, Sybil Ajay Sanford and Elizabeth Corsini, we firmly believe that good people make better wine, better spirits, and a better impact on the world.
Alban Vineyards
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Alban Vineyards
Alban Vineyards
Aiming for delicious.
When John Alban set out to make California wines, there were about six varietals produced throughout the state, and really only two were ever consumed with any regularity, Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon. If there is one single person who helped shape California as a diverse, multi-faceted growing region, and specifically as a primary region for Rhône varietals, it is John Alban. His project is historic. Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache, and Syrah, were all relatively unknown wines to most wine drinkers stateside until John began planting. When there were fewer than 50 acres of Viognier in the world, John propagated 32, eventually supplying most of the clippings that would go on to make most California Viogniers. Syrah, now produced by seemingly every winemaker, jumped from a few hundred acres in California to well over 17,000 today. Now, if you were Springboard Wine Company (circa 2014, I think?) how excited would you be to have the opportunity to represent a literal hero in the world of wine? He saved us all from drowning in a sea of sameness. Yay John Alban! Thank you for the proverbial life boat.
NOTE: Springboard does not represent Alban in the central coast.
Andrew Will
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Andrew Will
Andrew Will
One of the premier Washington State wineries.
Andrew Will is a boutique family-owned and run winery located on Vashon Island, WA. Named for owner Chris Camarda’s son Will and nephew Andrew. Chris’s first commercial vintage was 1989, and Andrew Will is now considered one of the best of the best in Washington. Chris was one of the first winemakers to create blends from single vineyards and has been a champion ever since, creating a reputation for the specific red blends: Sorella, Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, and Two Blondes. Starting in 2013 Chris’s son Will Camarda came to work at the winery full time. He has now taken over as Winemaker and Sales Director, and has continued to maintain their simple philosophy of minimal intervention winemaking. The second generation going strong. And I must add, if you do not know these wines, you are truly missing out! They are some of the best in our portfolio. And yes, we know California consumers are foolishly opposed to getting deep with Washington, and Andrew Will is one of the greatest examples of that folly. If they only knew…but at least you could know!
Angeleno Wine Co
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Angeleno Wine Co
Angeleno Wine Co
Making wine naturally in DTLA from local Los Angeles Vineyards.
With a focus on unique varietals, Angeleno Wine Co aims to push the boundaries of what Southern California wine growing can be. Tannat, Graciano, Godello, Loureiro, Treixadura and Alicante Bouschet, etc. Proprietors are friends, Jasper Dixon and Amy Luftig. Jasper’s start in wine was early, following his father the home winemaker around to vineyards and helping with fermentations. Amy got hooked into wine when she volunteered for a harvest post-college, and has never looked back. They both work hard to make wines that express Los Angeles’ unique character: a growing region where the desert meets the sea.
Arietta
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Arietta
Arietta
Lifted, expressive Napa Valley wines that sing
Arietta specializes in limited production Bordeaux-style blends from some of Napa’s most revered, cooler climate sites. Proprietors Fritz Hatton, wine specialist and auctioneer, and Caren Frutig Hatton, began the project in 1996 with Napa Valley legend, John Kongsgaard and his wife Maggie. Now the Hatton’s work closely with famed winemaker Andy Erickson to make remarkably lifted and yet densely structured red wines (Quartet, Variation One, Cabernet Sauvignon and Hudson Vineyard Merlot), plus their limited and unique white, On the White Keys. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Each and every one of these wines will surprise you with just how danged good the Napa Valley can truly be.
Averaen
Portfolio > Wine > Domestic > Averaen
Averaen
Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that dramatically over delivers
Averæn is a Willamette Valley project from the folks at Valkyrie selections. They are True (with a capital T) lovers of Pinot Noir, especially the cool climate stuff planted in exceptional dirt. They have created a few Pinot based projects over the years, and almost all of them are driven by the need to over deliver in a very difficult category. They are simply obsessed with creating something affordable, AND authentic, so that Tuesday nights can just as awesome as Saturday nights. Averæn sources from top sites across the Willamette Valley to create a true expression of the place, including Chehalem Mountains, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Dundee Hills. In short, you don’t need to break the bank to have something delicious, with vibrancy and a sense of place. Averæn Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are both tremendous examples of this mission. Daily drinking Oregon! So much to love in that sentence.
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Brick & Mortar
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Brick & Mortar
Brick & Mortar
Wines deeply rooted in California, but driven by French traditions.
Old-world refinement. New-world roots. Founded in 2011, brick & mortar is a domestic sparkling wine house with a secondary focus on single-vineyard Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah, from select high-elevation Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino vineyards. Husband and wife team Matt and Alexis Iaconis are quite the dynamic duo. Her background is on the restaurant floor as a WSET Advanced Sommelier. He got an engineering-gone-winemaking degree from Davis, where he was gearing up to be an astronaut (nerd alert), and took a winemaking elective that changed the course of his life. Together they are elevating sparkling wine in California, while keeping it affordable and approachable, with many single vineyard bottlings, to cans of white, rosé, red, and sparkling.
Broadley
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Broadley
Broadley
Outstanding wines that are true expressions of the place where they are grown and made.
Broadley is a family owned and operated winery and vineyard, growing and making primarily Oregon Pinot Noir. Their goal is to consistently produce dynamic and outstanding wines that are true expressions of the place where they are grown and made. The Broadley family began with planting their vineyards almost 40 years ago, and now the second generation Morgan and Jessica Broadley are running the show. Humble, thoughtful, these wines, like the people, consistently over-deliver in their category. I honestly do not know anyone that has spent 5 minutes talking to Morgan and Jessica that didn’t subsequently and immediately profess their undying love and support of the Brand. They are truly that awesome.
Channing Daughters
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Channing Daughters
Channing Daughters
Setting the standard on Long Island since 1982
A benchmark producer from Long Island, Channing Daughters is on the edge of experimentation and exploration of their unique terroir, growing over two dozen varietals including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Malvasia, Gewurztraminer, Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Bianco, Merlot, Blaufränkisch, Dornfelder, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Teroldego, Refosco and Lagrein. I am not joking. That’s a real list! Plus they make amazing vermouth… With long time winemaker James Christopher Tracy at the helm, the wines are minimal intervention, and fully expressive of their place.
Cobb Wines
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Cobb Wines
Cobb Wines
Exceptional Pinot Noir as a family tradition.
In 2001, two generations of the Cobb family came together to explore a shared passion for Pinot Noir. David and Diane were pioneers of the far Sonoma Coast when they planted Coastlands Vineyard with their son, Ross in 1989. The convergence of Ross’s winemaking talents and his parents’ development of Coastlands Vineyard led to the creation of Cobb Wines. Ross started in the lab and cellar, but eventually was the head winemaker at Flowers for eight years, and then at Hirsch for several more. Springboard has represented Cobb for almost a decade, and I still remember where I was when he called. Like a teenage girl talking to a pop-star, I was exactly that excited.
Day Wines
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Day Wines
Day Wines
Seeking to express the incredible character of Oregon through impeccable raw materials and minimal intervention in the winery.
Founded by winemaker and owner Brianne Day with the 2012 vintage, Day Wines is a producer of boutique, artisanal bottlings made from fruit sourced exclusively from a small group of Oregon growers who utilize Biodynamic, Organic and/or Sustainable vineyard practices. Her grower partners range from the Willamette Valley for more classic expressions, to Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley AVA, for the anti-classics. The through line is absolute freshness, from Pinot Noir to her unusual blends (i.e. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc…), and the labels are as diverse as the flavor profiles. It’s no surprise that Day is a rising star in the Oregon wine scene. She plays by her own set of rules, without apology. Anyone forging a path like she does, is one to watch, and we are lucky to be a part of the band!
Delta
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Delta
Delta
Wines for Change
Delta, meaning change, was born out of a desire to create a platform to make a difference in the fight to protect our planet. Husband and wife team Matthew and Alexis Iaconis of Brick & Mortar Wines partner with organizations dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment such as cleaning up our oceans and reducing CO2 emissions. So, along with their enthusiasm for making delicious and extremely affordable wines, they are also passionate about preserving our natural world, and they donate a portion of sales from each bottle sold to Surfrider Foundation and Cool Effects. All said and done, they not only offset the carbon footprint their winery creates, but their impact is large enough to cover their national sales team! Who says you can’t have it all, and without compromise?
Easton
Easton
Amador County excellent since 1994
Bill Easton has been mentor for many winemakers in the Sierra Foothills and Amador, and is simply revered in the press. He was one of the original Rhône Rangers and pioneered the Rhône varietals in the Sierra Foothills under the Terre Rouge label. The Easton portfolio includes Amador County favorites like old vine zinfandel and barbera. If you haven’t tried anything from his arsenal in a while or at all, I recommend making it a priority. Sometimes you live up to the hype.
Enkidu Wines
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Enkidu Wines
Enkidu Wines
Wines of outstanding character from the heart of Sonoma County
Enkidu Winemaker/Founder, Phillip Staehle, created Enkidu Wine to produce wines of outstanding character, and to get back to “…working with my hands, to use all of my senses, and live and work according to the seasons of the year.” Prior to Enkidu, Phil spent ten years at Carmenet Vineyards (Chalone Wine Group) from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. He combines that experience with the ethos behind the legend of Enkidu. It comes from one of the oldest stories ever recorded: The Epic of Gilgamesh, which ultimately highlights strength of character, and a respect for the land and his inhabitants. Phil has created long standing relationships with exceptional growers and stewards of the land in Sonoma and Lake County. He brings us affordable wines, that also happen to be luscious, balanced, and absolutely delicious.
Eric Kent
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Eric Kent
Eric Kent
Wines that are unapologetically Californian from exceptional vineyards.
Eric Kent Wine Cellar’s is a family owned winery in Sonoma County, that strives for greatness inside and outside of the bottle. Kent Humphrey makes the wine, and his partner Colleen Teitgen, an artist by trade, works with the many artists represented on the labels. Kent’s goal is to work with inspiring vineyards and produce wines that speak proudly of California, while maintaining their nerve and freshness. Colleen finds the artists that resonate and capture the thread Kent is trying to champion. Together they showcase new artists and California growers at their best, and the results translate into uniquely beautiful bottlings of immense quality. Win-win! And then another Win!
Gemstone
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Gemstone
Gemstone
Award winning Cabernet from the famed 16 acre estate vineyard in Yountville
The 16-acre Gemstone Estate vineyard is truly a study in terroir. Named because it’s diversity and dimensions reminded the original owners of it’s namesake (and no, it does not shine bright like a diamond, but it is multi-faceted and extra precious!). Divided into 20 micro-blocks; including eight clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, two clones each of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and one clone of Chardonnay. All of the vines are densely planted to a variety of rootstocks carefully matched to the soil. Their work in plotting and planting the vineyard has been used as a roadmap for many vineyards and wineries for the past 25 years. Winemaker Julien Fayard creates three small-production estate Cabernet Sauvignons, Heritage, Alluvial and Ruby Barrel – each a stylistically distinct expression of the estate vineyard.
Groundwork
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Groundwork
Groundwork
Single varietal wines from the Central Coast with verve, character and a touch of irreverence.
Groundwork is all about the fundamentals. Curt Schalchlin of Sans Liege is going back to the basics here, after 20 years in the cellar. The beauty of simplicity. Awesome sites with great dirt, farmed responsibly, and made with minimal intervention in the cellar. Initially inspired by the less is more deliciousness of the Rhône Valley, Curt is now making Picpoul, Petit Verdot, Graciano, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Grenache, Rose of Grenache, Grenache Blanc and Counoise. Plus, they are priced to make sure nothing stands in the way of enjoying a great bottle of wine, any night of the week. Thank you Curt!
Hendry
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Hendry
Hendry
100% estate, old school Napa Valley in the very best way possible
OMG the Hendry’s. So much love in our hearts for them! George Hendry and his family have grown grapes on the same land in Napa Valley since 1939. Back when it wasn’t about grapes at all, it was a fully functional ranch with all the diversity that comes along with that. Situated on the downslopes of Mt. Veeder near the border of Carneros, the property is as unique as their bottlings. With 114 acres under vine, they are outliers in Napa for making more than just Cabernet and Chardonnay. From Zinfandel to Albariño, with some Mission, Malbec, and Primitivo thrown into the mix. George makes the wines, and his nephew Mike Hendry has worked with the vineyards since he was a boy. The best people, doing honest work, and charging a fair price. SO MUCH LOVE!
Hunt and Harvest
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Hunt and Harvest
Hunt and Harvest
Pure, approachable, varietal-driven wines.
Hunt & Harvest is a stable of well-made, American table wines. Vintner Chris Hall has been farming in Napa since 1989, and together with winemaker Lisanne Leask (she is SO nice!), they have access and deep relationships with vineyards and established grape growers. The result is a great selections of wines from California, at extremely affable price points. In addition to growing organic grapes at their property Long Meadow Ranch, the Hall Family raises a herd of grass-fed highland beef cattle, produces estate-grown extra virgin olive oil and farm acres upon acres of organic fruits and vegetables throughout Northern California.
I Brand
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > I Brand
I Brand
Rugged and remote vineyards producing wines of intense character
Ian Brand does not make it easy. Even when we beg him to! Situated in the Salinas Valley in Central California, the sites he works with are far flung. The soils are hard, depleted, and the intense sunlight is tempered only by the coastal breeze. Ian is invested in the local farmers and his community, creating wines that have a sense of place entirely unique to the unusual and often desolate sites he works with. Affordable, not overly polished, and unquestionably delicious. It is no surprise that all of this work was highlighted by the San Francisco Chronicle awarding him Winemaker of the Year in 2018. Ian has three labels. Paysan in homage to the Rhône Valley, La Marea for the Iberian Peninsula, and I Brand as the pinnacle. Showcasing the best these lonely vineyards have to offer.
Iconic
Portfolio > Domestic Wines > Iconic
Iconic
Wine nerds making some pretty epic wine in Northern, CA.
Iconic is a project from Birk O’Halloran, a hospitality guy who cut his teeth in the New York City fine dining scene, and then landed in production many years ago. Sybil and I go way back with Birk, to when he was managing the portfolio for Acid Inc (what an amazing Italian importer that was, we still miss it). Iconic is single vineyard specialness from unique sites at terrific prices. These sites are the “icons” that supply the building blocks for greatness in wine. Oh, and the labels! Created by different comic book artists, these are so far from the norm, it is truly inspiring.
