Meet Edward Bayer | Wine Importer & Model

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

Hi Edward, what do you want your legacy to be?
My legacy will be that of bringing the knowledge about South Eastern European wine to the Western World. In 10 years, I want people to walk into a liquor store and see a “Balkan” section that will feature wines from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Albania, and more. The Balkan peninsula is one of the three great peninsulas of the Mediterranean sea, and has very similar climate to Italian and Iberian peninsulas.

The region produces some world class wines that are native to the region. The west is ready to redefine their common varieties with a new generation of wine drinkers – the wines from the Balkans will be those wines.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Wines of Illyria is a wine brand, importing, and consulting business. Wines of Illyria imports products from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Georgia, Croatia, and Slovenia. These products range from different native varieties of wine including Blatina, Trnjak, Plavac Mali, Zilavka, Tamjanika, and more. Sarajevsko beer, as well as brandy made from the Vranac grape are also a couple staple imports. What really sets us apart from other wine companies is that we are focused on the development as the region as a whole. By importing only native varieties, we’re aiming to educate consumers about the region’s grapes, opening the door to not only our products, but also other wineries from the region.
We also provide consulting the other importers who wish to begin importing products, guiding them through the liquor control boards and the FDA here in the US.
The key takeaway that has been learned along the way and what is really the foundation of the business, is that helping other’s businesses, always tends to come back around to help us. By aiming to grow the region, and not just our own brand, we can help our “competitors” have a better chance to get in the door and have their own success. Once that success is apparent, the retailers want to have a greater selection of the same native varieties. And naturally, this works both ways.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, being someone who enjoys good food and drink, I would have to list off my favorite wine bar that I frequent most often, Temperance Wine bar in the West Village. From there I would recommend getting some Balkan cuisine to pair with your wine or beer of choice, and check out Mimoza or Selo, both in Astoria and serving fantastic traditional Balkan food options. Pro tip – Mimoza Lounge is a great place to head to on the weekend for Live Music and drinks. As for sites? New York as too many options to recommend! If its a beautiful sunny day, I love to sit out in the Sheep Meadow at Central Park, maybe taking an evening stroll along the highline (this will end you up fairly close to Temperance). Another great option is visiting museums in the city. There are endless options depending on what your interests are.

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?
My mother, Indira Bayer, is the most hard working woman in the world. She has taught me everything I know about business, and its her legacy that I would like to continue, and further her dream of bringing her countries products to the United States. She moved to the United States when she was 29 as a bank teller with an accounting degree from her home country of Yugoslavia, and didn’t speak a word of English.
She started from scratch, learning the language, and going so far as to get her degree in once again, even furthering it to a masters. She then became the VP of Small Business Banking for Bank of America, before starting to import wine from her home country of current day Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Website: https://winesofillyria.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winesofillyria/?hl=en

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