web cork screw

Aaron Campbell, Founder

I remember when it first hit me. I was waiting tables in Los Angeles in my very early 20’s (early nineties) at a restaurant that was frequented by a lot of big-time actors but flew under the radar – so no big-name chef to mention. The food was authentic Northern Italian, and the owner grew organic vegetables behind the building so the food was fresh and delicious! He also put together a wine list that was completely foreign to me - but incredibly intriguing yet very intimidating as a young server. I knew the food, but this wine thing made me stumble. Yet, I was determined to figure out what the fuss was all about. I was not going to be a 'deer in the headlights' when asked about wine pairings– and equally as important –I was not to butcher the names!

Gravitas Wine Marketing bottle
wine corks

Aaron Campbell, Founder

I remember when it first hit me. I was waiting tables in Los Angeles in my very early 20’s (early nineties) at a restaurant that was frequented by a lot of big-time actors but flew under the radar – so no big-name chef to mention. The food was authentic Northern Italian, and the owner grew organic vegetables behind the building so the food was fresh and delicious! He also put together a wine list that was completely foreign to me - but incredibly intriguing yet very intimidating as a young server. I knew the food, but this wine thing made me stumble. Yet, I was determined to figure out what the fuss was all about. I was not going to be a 'deer in the headlights' when asked about wine pairings– and equally as important –I was not to butcher the names!

Gravitas Wine Marketing bottle
web cork screw

Aaron Campbell, Founder

I remember when it first hit me. I was waiting tables in Los Angeles in my very early 20’s (early nineties) at a restaurant that was frequented by a lot of big-time actors but flew under the radar – so no big-name chef to mention. The food was authentic Northern Italian, and the owner grew organic vegetables behind the building so the food was fresh and delicious! He also put together a wine list that was completely foreign to me - but incredibly intriguing yet very intimidating as a young server. I knew the food, but this wine thing made me stumble. Yet, I was determined to figure out what the fuss was all about. I was not going to be a 'deer in the headlights' when asked about wine pairings– and equally as important –I was not to butcher the names!

Gravitas Wine

I had to dive in and figure it out, after all upgrading the table to a nice bottle or two of wine, meant a bigger check and more tips. I was young, but no idiot.

I began reading books and asking questions. Hugh Johnson’s: The Wine Atlas; Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World, and anything else I could get my hands on. Every door opened lead to several more behind it. I went down a rabbit hole of not only wine but cultural history and culinary tangents that were completely fascinating. This wine “thing” was part of the fabric of cultures dating back millennia. Tied to generation upon generation of families, intertwined with religion, associated with political clout, and the metamorphosis of the very landscape (think Etna and Mt. Vesuvius). I couldn’t pull away – there was something very special about wine. The confluence of so many different components was profound. My mind was blown, and I was hooked. That was when it all came together.

Since those days I have had the privilege to represent, visit, and get to know some of the greats of the wine industry. I even met my wife in the business too! Yet, many years and many miles later the intrigue and fascination remain. Although finding “new” wines and varietals is becoming rarer, the very nature of wine is the reinventing of itself each and every year with a new crop – and with it a new vintage that is expressed by the underpinnings of the land and painted by the temperament of the seasons. I love this constant cycle of renewal.

With Gravitas Wine Selections, the goal is to bring to market and share world-class producers, both established and new, that truly have a sense of place and consistently impress.

I guess I appreciated wine at a younger age than I realized.
I guess I appreciated wine at a younger age than I realized.
Me with my wife – my favorite ‘connection’ in the wine business.
Me with my wife – my favorite ‘connection’ in the wine business.