About
The Art of Discovery
The wines we find most meaningful speak clearly of their origins: the soil, climate, historical traditions, and human intelligence from which they came. In an increasingly globalized world, wine remains a bastion of somewhereness—an opportunity to savor the very earth itself, and in doing so to nourish mind and spirit alike. Since our inception in the late 1970s, we have been guided not by concerns about marketability, nor by questions of prestige, nor by ideological strictures, but by our own aesthetic North Star. We pride ourselves on discovering wines which vibrate with a sense of place and hum with real character, and cultivating an audience for such wines, and the growers behind them, remains our greatest pleasure—and our very reason for existence.
Our History
Since our very beginnings as a one-man retail operation on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Rosenthal Wine Merchant has been concerned not with following the market, but with creating the market. We import wines we love – wines which speak to us – and set about finding an audience for them. Some experience immediate success; others take years of proselytizing to catch on. In every case, we trust implicitly in the growers and in the process of discovery, and time has vindicated our efforts consistently.
Founder Neal Rosenthal at our headquarters at 10 Grand Street in Williamsburg; Neal and his daughter Justine at Neal’s first wine store
Our Staff
Rosenthal Wine Merchant is a group of passionate professionals united by our love of wine and our unwavering commitment to excellence. As with our growers, we pride ourselves on staff loyalty, and the long-term tenure of many of our team members is a testament to the richness of our culture and the possibilities for growth and success within our organization.
Our Distributors
Our network of distributor partners extends our reach to encompass almost the entire country, making the entire portfolio available to restaurants and wine shops in 45 states. We work closely with distributors who share our values to ensure the stories of our growers are communicated to passionate wine people nationwide.
