Chicago, IL (September 9) — Connoisseur Wines, the fine wine distributor based in Niles IL, today announces its sale to longtime industry professional Ken Fredrickson and partners. The 30-year-old company is widely recognized as a leading premium fine wine distributor focusing on top accounts in the Illinois market.
Fredrickson, a co-founder of craft spirits importer High Road Spirits, is also a Master Sommelier with a storied career in the wine and spirits industry—including partnerships in successful restaurants, wineries, and wholesale import companies. With the acquisition of Connoisseur Wines, he sets his sights on re-entering the distribution marketplace.
“My intention with this new project is to continue building a modern model for small distributors—one that is dedicated to work culture, distance selling, technology, education, and people,” says Fredrickson. “The global reaction to COVID-19 magnifies the need for distributors to operate quite differently. We must adopt new ways of working to add value to restaurants, retailers, and suppliers in order to be effective for the long term.”
In early 2020 Fredrickson stepped down from Tenzing Wine & Spirits, the West Loop boutique distribution company he founded a decade ago. Tenzing was sold in its entirety to New York-based Breakthru Beverage Group in 2017. “My time at Tenzing was epic; we created something special, and eventually we grew big enough to attract major suppliers,” Fredrickson notes. “Now I’m delighted to be back in that entrepreneurial role again, focusing on the artisan producers I care so much about.”
Connoisseur Wines will continue to contract with Heritage Wine Cellars for temperature-controlled warehousing and refrigerated delivery. Fredrickson’s next steps for the company include growing the talented staff, advancing the portfolio, and supporting the restaurant industry that has been so negatively impacted by the ongoing pandemic.
