About Us
FlyWithWine was founded with a mission: to solve the single biggest problem faced by wine country travelers as they follow their dreams of visiting their favorite wineries around the world. How to bring their favorite wines back home with them safely and securely on an airplane so they can be enjoyed while reliving memories with every sip. And so was borne the idea for FlyWithWine
Behind FlyWithWine is a team of wine enthusiasts, globetrotters, and creative thinkers living and breathing in the wine industry, right in the heart of Napa Valley. Over the years, as we traveled to stunning wine regions around the world (enjoying a few bottles of wine along the way), we were constantly reminded of the problems of transporting wine and became dead-set on remedying them.
For me, the journey started with a trip to Burgundy during the hot summer months a number of years back. It was there that I discovered a jewel of a winery outside of Beaune producing some amazing wines that I wanted to bring back home to my cellar. My only options were to risk shipping the wine back to the U.S. illegally in unknown transit conditions during summer, or, I could pack the wine myself in cheap Styrofoam shippers and put it in the cargo of my plane, risking the wrath of overworked baggage handlers at multiple airports along the way.
I was faced with quite the dilemma, and a seemingly medieval one at that — we’d invented the wheel, then electricity, then space travel, and yet somewhere in there we missed wine travel. There had to be a better way to buy, bring home, and enjoy wine - and now there is. It’s called the VinGardeValise.
You can find the VinGardeValise® on our website, and at winery tasting rooms throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, and elsewhere in North America, and at major national retailers. Plus, we ship to most international countries right from our headquarters in Napa. So, whether you’re venturing home from wine country or trekking through the next country on your bucket list, FlyWithWine will get you there and back — without broken bottles.
Cheers and safe journeys,
Ron Scharman
CEO
Our Team
Ron Scharman
CEO and Chief Marketing Strategist
Ron received his MBA in Finance and his B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. Before moving to Napa in 2005, Ron was CEO/COO of several national retailer chains for 14 years, including 4 years as CEO of the Morrell Wine Group. His 20-year career in the DTC channel of the wine industry includes COO/President positions with New Vine Logistics (Wine Direct), eWinery Solutions (VinSuite), Chatterbox Wine Marketing, and VinoVisit. For the past 8 years, he’s also been on the faculty of Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute, where he teaches a course in Direct to Consumer Marketing and eCommerce. During this time, he’s consulted with wineries throughout the West Coast and Europe on developing custom strategies for DTC success. Ron’s approach to work and play is simple. “Running an entrepreneurial wine business is a 24/7 mental challenge. But I’m still able to do that while pursuing my love for traveling to interesting places with great food & wine, art, history, and culture. Some call it work, I call it living.”
E-Mail: ron@flywithwine.com
Ryan Neergard (& Juno)
Director of Business Development
Ryan draws on 13 years in wine industry and destination tourism marketing, including 6 years as Director of Business Development at VinoVisit.com and Chatterbox Wine Marketing Services. Before venturing into marketing, Ryan received his Sommelier Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers and worked at some of Napa’s finest dining establishments, like Auberge du Soleil, La Toque, and Redd.
E-Mail: ryan@flywithwine.com