about Jon Visser…
Like many of those who end up in the wine business Jon did not go to college with aspirations to sell wine for a living. He commuted to Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY and needed to find a job to help contribute to the expenses for his college education. He found what he thought was just another liquor store in Fort Lee, NJ. The store happened to be Carlo Russo’s Wine & Spirit World which was known to have a broad and diversified collection of wine, especially from France and Italy. Jon graduated from Manhattan College in 1995 with a degree in Finance, but decided to continue in the wine business because of his passion for wine that he discovered while working with Carlo Russo.
In 2002, Jon decided to take on a new challenge at Gary’s Wine & Marketplace. He quickly became involved with purchasing and selling all wines but specialized in French and Italian. During this time he was able to make multiple visits to Napa, Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhône, as well as visiting the Loire Valley, Chablis and Provence.
One of Jon’s most memorable experiences enjoying a bottle of wine with friends was when he volunteered to bring the wine to a bachelor party dinner. He brought a number of wines including two bottles of Château Cheval Blanc 1985. This was one of the best wines he’s ever had to this day. We all know Cheval Blanc is a great wine especially when you drink it near its maturity, but also the wine is always enjoyed a great deal more when you’re with friends.
Jon enjoys wines from all regions but especially from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the value wines coming from Beaujolais and Chinon. He also enjoys tasting wines from all over the world, looking for high quality wines that are varietally correct and true to the region they are coming from. He feels there is a lot of great wine being produced all over the world that can be enjoyed for a reasonable price and loves the challenge of finding them.