Attention to quality yielding success

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):Jesse Sgro, co-owner/president; Anne Sage, co-owner/vice president2014 REVENUE: $185,2372012 REVENUE: $77,868REVENUE GROWTH: 138%
CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):Jesse Sgro, co-owner/president; Anne Sage, co-owner/vice president2014 REVENUE: $185,2372012 REVENUE: $77,868REVENUE GROWTH: 138%

The couple loved certain wines made by small, family vineyards from Long Island to upstate New York to Napa Valley. But those labels could not be found on Rhode Island retail shelves or restaurant menus.

So Jesse Sgro and Anne Sage opened a wine distributorship and introduced overlooked vintages to the Ocean State, founding Sage Cellars in Warren in 2011. And they are clearly filling a need. Annual revenue for their fledgling company increased 138 percent from 2012 to 2014.

Sgro, the sales director, said the company was founded on a deep knowledge of wines, smart business moves and carefully cultivated goodwill. “The primary thing … is building relationships,” Sage said. “Our vendors trust us to represent them and to give them the attention that the business demands.”

Both owners have worked with food and wine for years and both have certificates from Wine & Spirits Education Trust in London. As the former owner of Fat Cat catering in Newport, Sage traveled extensively to California, where she became acquainted with several family-operated vineyards.

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Sage Cellars won over retailers and restaurants in Rhode Island by patiently introducing their favorite wines and even hosting dinners for local businesspeople to meet wine makers from distant locations.

“Our customers know we are going to bring them quality products,” Sgro said. •

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