About Us

We are a small, family-owned wine brokerage servicing Southern California since 1992. We specialize in High Quality, Small Production domestic wines from all of the best California regions, as well as select imports. We strive to offer outstanding wines at great prices, representing many award-winning and 90+ point wines. You won't find our wines at any of the big box retailers, rather at smaller, more curated businesses and restaurants. If you would like to carry our wines or find out where you can purchase them, please contact us!

Mission

We are passionate about our brands and hope our enthusiasm is contagious. Wine falls somewhere between fine art and exact science. Our goal is to pass along the craftsmanship of our brands by accurately telling the stories behind them. We visit the vineyards and tasting rooms of our portfolio and meet our winemakers face-to-face. We study our wines and choose those we represent with great care. If you are a winemaker who is interested in our representation, please reach out.

History

Jim Lewis, pictured above selling wine in the early 1960’s, founded Vin West International in 1995 after a storied career in the wine industry. Most notably, he spent 17 years as a Sales Executive for Almaden Vineyards. Working his way up within the company, all the way to the position of National Accounts Manager. When Almaden sold to Gallo, Jim decided it was time for a change. He had the privilege of traveling throughout the U.S. and much of world for his job. He wanted to spend more time with his family and saw the potential in a little place called Paso Robles, which no one took seriously in the wine industry back then. Jim built Vin West International Wine & Spirits on integrity and the relationships he cultivated throughout his career. He built some unknown wineries into well-known brands, including Tobin James, Midnight Cellars, and many more. He ran Vin West as a family operation. His “family” of reps all worked for Jim until they retired, on average 15-20 years. After losing his first wife, he met and married, Carol Mcllroy-Lewis, who took managing company finances and his stepdaughter, Rhonda Rezek, leading sales. Jim passed away in August 2019 and is dearly missed by all that knew him. Carol and Rhonda are now carrying on his legacy through Vin West, applying Jim’s work ethic and honesty to every transaction they broker.