Did you know that less than 1% of wines make it to US retailers' shelves?  On this weeks edition of Grape Encounters you'll meet a wine importer, distributor and retailer who is determined to give hard-to-get imports an opportunity to show their stuff in the extraordinarily competitive American market. Vero, which means real in Italian, is all about opening up the category of small production, sustainably made, authentic wines, olive oils and foods from around the world. We curate them ourselves from farmer-artisans not yet present in the US market, and we sell them to business and consumers across the US. In doing so, we create a community of small producers, businesses, and wine and food lovers where passion is the common denominator. Sheila Donohue is the Founder and CEO of VeroVino.  A native New Yorker now residing in the California coastal community of Ventura, Sheila lived in Bologna, Italy for 20 years. After becoming a sommelier and getting to know hundreds of smaller producers with great tasting authentic products, but mainly unknown around the US, she decided to start 'spreading the love' by bringing these hidden gems from anywhere in the world direct to people who want to explore and experience more out of wine, food and life. On this week's edition of Grape Encounters you'll hear Sheila reflect on her transition from a full time job in Fintech to following her entrepreneurial passion in food and wine as she founded a startup bringing farmer-artisans of small production wines and foods just a click away from US wine lovers and foodies.  In the world of wine marketing, there couldn't be a tougher challenge, but challenges have never deterred Sheila Donohue, and her success bringing tiny producers to one of the world's toughest markets is a success story that host David Wilson is anxious to share with listeners. This week edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More. Total Wine is the absolute best place to find perfect holiday gifts and unparalleled wines for your holiday table. Find what you love, and love what you find at Total Wine and more! Please drink responsibly. Be 21.