Meet David Aferiat | Entrepreneur | Sustainability, Start-Up Nation Investor

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Aferiat and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
One of my drivers in life is sharing experiences with others that foster a deeper appreciation for what’s in front of us and being present. Everything I’ve done revolves around this deep desire to connect and move forward together.
My French-American heritage drove me to spend many years bringing together family that were separated from war to settle in France and America.
Starting an import company that specializes in certified sustainable, organic, Champagne and wines to America gives me ample opportunity to do this and more.

What should our readers know about your business?
We source and supply, under ideal conditions we call O.C.E.A.N. ™: Organic, Chilled on import, Exceptionally reviewed, Artisanal, with
#NoRegrets.

I’m most proud of the brand we’ve created. It’s served as a platform for our 3 stakeholders: Consumers, Producers, and the Trade (restaurants, retail, distributors). Among all three of our constituents, we give recognition and reward to those who curate a routine of positive engagement with their own self-care as well as their communities where they show up to make an impact.

Building this vision is not easy, but it is necessary. Yes, people can live rewarding lives without rewarding themselves with high quality, artisanal wine and champagnes. But when you do experience the quality difference, explore the cultural significance and appreciate the effort put into these wines, the gratitude you feel makes everything else you do possible.

I built the company around the chance meeting with our first and flagship producer, Julien Tixier., 4th generation winemaker for Andre Tixier & Fils in the prime of his talents. From that meeting I set out building the supply chain, obtaining the licenses and partnerships needed to move the product with care from the Premier Cru vineyards of Montagne de Reims to our warehousess in Georgia and New Jersey for distribution in key states. This did not come without challenges. Heard of Covid-19? A distributor in Texas stopped its service due to a shortage of drivers and family in fighting. Restaurants that survived reduced themselves to take-out and brands that people were more familiar with vs. having to explain owner-grower, certified organic Champagnes called Andre Tixier & Fils.

We overcame these challenges with perseverance and a creative spirit that ignites when obstacles appear. We found a new partner in Texas capable of fulfilling online orders. We created online, private tasting events that featured the champagnes, sommeliers who loved them, chefs from incredible restaurants who paired them with amazing dishes that locals could pick-up and others could replicate via the recipe. We also had incredible musicians join us who were former American Idols, The Voice contestants, and others. All this over an hour on Saturdays each month at 5:30pm ET.

These experiences showed us that as appreciative as we are for our restaurant and retail partners who are willing to educate their clientele, the most effective, repeat consumers we attract are ones who come to our private tasting events in the markets we serve where we create a space with those who attend to connect and grow their appreciation for the wine itself paired with an incredible, intentional chef’s menu, the respect for terroir, whether its the local ingredients in the dish or the specific vineyards where wines are made,

I want those who experience these wines and Champagnes to have the same experience as one of our most avid fans:
“I enjoyed the champagnes and was still able to workout the next day. That doesn’t happen. I usually skip my next day work when I drink the night before.”

Have a solid health and wellness routine? Your reward for maintaining the discipline of such a beneficial routine, should be something that celebrates it, not taxes it. How you show up to the world to make a positive impact, depends on the care you afford yourself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If one of Avid Vines’ producers, Julien Tixier from Andre Tixier & Fils came to town, here’s what we would do. I’d put Julien at my house (if he refused, he’d stay at Sylvan Hotel, Buckhead).

The first place we’d eat for dinner would be https://brewandbird.com/ to showcase great Southern fare in the form of the best wings and local jazz music from the team behind Churchill Downs.

Day 2: We’d visit Buford Highway for great ethnic from the Asian community and settle on Great Northen China for lunch; we’d get our feet massaged and then head to Buckhead’s Le Bilboquet for more familiar cuisine and where Julien’s Brut Rose and Carte Or Brut are served on the wine list!

Day 3: I’d want to expose Julien to the farms most coveted by the city’s chefs who care about local, sustainable, and organic farming. This same respect for terroir would spark mutual appreciation between farmers. We’d visit:
EliYahu Ben Asa, https://www.atlantaharvest.com/the-farmers, with Atlanta Harvest and
Joe Reynolds and Judith Winfrey, https://www.loveislovefarm.com/who-we-are, with Love is Love Farms.
We’d have dinner at Deer & Dove with Terry Koval to celebrate authenticity. We’d then visit a great speakeasy, Lion’s Head, owned by my friend Justin Anthony.

Day 4: We’ll visit the Porsche Driving Center to get the adrenalin flowing. We’d then pass by Ponce City Market for a Food, Art and History Experience. After the putt-putting and a walk around the Beltline to Krog Street for lunch. We’d have dinner in Sandy Springs with my friend, Thuy, and her beautiful Thai place, Nam, where Julien’s Brut Rose is available!

Day 5: We’d get to know Atlanta better with visits to the Atlanta History Center and have lunch with Jenny Levison at Souper Jenny (where my daughter works on the weekends). We’d then head downtown to see the Atlanta Civil & Human Rights Center, followed by MLK’s House and the mural of John Lewis. We’ll pass though Sweet Auburn market to see the sights and smells, but we’d grab dinner in Castleberry Hill at The Southern National. We’d then visit Humitsu, the Japanese speakeasy in Buckhead.

Day 6: On this day we’re headed to Peachtree Street to see the Fox Theater and peek inside or see a show. We’d head east and take a tour of the DeKalb Farmers Market before having lunch at Fox Brothers BBQ on Dekalb Avenue. Dinner that night would be at Chai Pani before we then would then head to Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium

Day 7: We send Julien back to France!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a lifelong learner, I found my tribe 8 years ago when I joined Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) in Atlanta. The peer CEOs and business owners provide numerous examples of perseverance and passion. We learn from each other the successes and the failures that come with the journey. Of all the insight from speakers and experiences gained over the years, my outlook is shaped most by Warren Rustand and Dandepani.

Website: avidvines.com

Instagram: Avid_Vines

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avid-vines/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/avidvines

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avidvinesllc/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJr1SN5gY8C6x7Q3AKA3JBw