The Wine Sutra

 

Website: www.winesutra.com / www.heidelbergdistributing.com

Contact: E-mail: brad.lee.nichols@gmail.com Cell: (502) 216-0558

 

James M. Gabler’s Passions: The Wines and Travels of Thomas Jefferson tells us that upon his visit to Heidelberg, Jefferson made the long, steep ascent to the castle and thought it the “most noble ruin” he had ever seen. “Among the ruins was a round tower and the remains of a chapel with statues of saints and warriors looking down from niches along massive walls covered with ivy. These noble ruins were the handiwork of man and nature. A hundred years before Jefferson’s visit, the Heidelberg Castle had been ravaged by wars, but the final insult was delivered by nature in the form of a series of lightning strikes in 1764 that reduced the castle to the ruinous condition that Jefferson found. He made precise measurements of the Great Tun of Heidelberg, which had been built in 1751 to replace an older vat. Although the tun was empty, Jefferson calculated that it was capable of holding 283,000 bottles. From the edge of the precipice looking down on the Neckar River and across a green valley to the Black Forest, Jefferson was reminded of the view from Petrarch’s chateau at Vauclause and in majesty thought it ‘would stand well alongside the pyramids of Egypt.’ His notes do not tell us what time of day he witnessed this scene, but at sunset with the river and mountains bathed in a pink glow, the view is unforgettable.”

 

A century and a half-later, after Prohibition ended in 1933, Albert Vontz sold his ownership in a testament to a magnificent larghetto in D major written for Stadler (a tavern-deli named Mozart) and invested in the Vienna Brewery. Four years later, Albert sold Vienna Brewery to his brother-in-law and began running the Dayton, Ohio branch of Heidelberg Brewery located in Covington, Kentucky. In 1938 Albert purchased the distributing company from the brewery and bought a 5,000 square-foot warehouse on East Steward in Dayton. Albert’s only child, Albert W. Vontz Jr., became active in the business in 1947, and the word “growth” became an integral part of Heidelberg Distributing’s vision that continues today. Celebrating a 70th birthday with more than enough wind in its sails to still blow out the candles (and with a continuing, promising future), the company is, was and will contine to be family-run and family-oriented. The established Company Motto is: “Life ROARS Thru Us!” The established company Core Values are: “Family, Integrity, Respect, Knowledge, Pride, Excellence, Communication and Teamwork.”

 

In 2008, Heidelberg Distributing employed Brad L. Nichols as Fine-Wine Buyer for the Kentucky Division with the responsibility of acquiring new, exciting portfolios and wines to introduce in the expansion of the Kentucky market with two principles guiding his decision-making: “Integrity” and “Growth.” At a seminar to University of Florida Business School students, Warren Buffett stated that one looks for three qualities in a hire with the following advice: “Integrity, Knowledge and Enthusiasm…. I want to take a minute though to talk about the first one, because without the first one, the second two will kill you.” Building lasting relationships based upon Integrity throughout the industry at various levels ranging from wine-makers to importers, suppliers and representatives to local restaurants and businesses to the community itself is a testament to one of the greatest joys afforded in life: the ability to work with others to create something together that will continue long after one’s own efforts and far beyond one’s self. And while we continue to strive to create something that is greater than an individual, we are constantly reminded that one person’s passion can indeed make a difference.

 

When asked to write something about himself, Brad responded thusly:

 

“Wine into Words for the Week: ‘The Philosophy of Wine is an apology for the rare, solemn instants of life, of ease, play, and self-forgetting serenity. This is the world of dionysian, Mediterranean intoxication, the bee-master’s half-awake, half-dreaming meditation on an August afternoon, under the nut tree, the pure, glittering serenity of Orpheus: some of the rare, idyllic moments lived…’”

 

Below: A Glimpse of What We Are Capable of Achieving

 

 

In the moments that can only be revealed in the intimacy and truth of Language and Friendship, Blake Layne has described Nichols as:

 

“Ora Et Labora. Brad Nichols embodies the spirit’s unquenchable thirst for beauty, love and truth. His works form a wellspring of inspiration. Blessed with an almost supernatural energy which allows acute powers of observation, he stands among the great analytical minds of our age. In ways that draw historical comparison to Thomas Jefferson, Rumi and Pliny the Elder, he extolls the virtues of wine. Simply put, his goal is to find wines that offer far more than their price. A natural affinity forms between Brad and producers who share this same uncompromising devotion. This results in an extraordinary experience for us, the consumers. True success is measured in happiness. Truly, he has realized that the only happiness greater than finding extraordinary wines is sharing them.”

 

“The Secret to Art, Friendship is the Gift of Tears.” 

 

Contact:

Brad L. Nichols

Fine-Wine Buyer

Heidelberg Distributing of Northern Kentucky

101 W. 13th Street

Covington, KY 41011

E-mail: brad.lee.nichols@gmail.com

Website: www.winesutra.com