About Romano Imports
Built on Tradition
Romano Imports is a venture built on the storied tradition of Romano Brothers, a wine and spirits distributor that served the Midwest for more than 100 years. The family returned to the specialty wine business in 2019, this time as creators and importers of a new portfolio of wines including Bariano Prosecco, Trovati, The Loop and Seven Veils. Building on local and national relationships nurtured over the generations, Romano Imports is creating a new business: originating new brands in partnership with exceptional European-based vineyards, importing unique wines and rejuvenating some great existing brands for the US market. Headquartered in Chicago with strategic partnerships in Italy and Northern California, the wines are available online in 40 states and through retail ventures and in restaurants in 14 states. Woman-owned with a focus on hospitality, Romano Imports is poised for growth with plans to increase the portfolio of wines while expanding their reach nationwide.
The Romano family’s legacy business, Romano Brothers, evolved into the next generation of curators of fine wines, now known as Romano Imports. Tricia Romano Barry and her brother Danny, are at the forefront of the business creating a new model and a fresh approach Together the Romano family is building on its legacy of hospitality.
Together Romano Imports is building on its legacy of bringing decades of market knowledge, key restaurant and retailer relationships, and a love of wine to this new business. Tricia Romano Barry leads the business as a women-owned entity, providing the team with her many years of experience both inside and outside of Romano Brothers, and an affinity for building brands. The family’s love of Italy and connection to the land and its people have helped them forge new relationships that span from Trevisi to Sonoma. Tricia’s son, DJ, an IT consultant, was instrumental in setting up this new venture. It was his idea to combine his mother’s maiden name, Romano, with her married name, Barry = Bariano. And so, the next generation honors the previous ones. Vince Pecora, President of Romano Imports, is one of the drivers of the business, with a background in international finance. Vince studied viniculture and marketing at MIB Trieste in Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy, then stayed on in Italy to learn the business at the source. He is an advocate for finding new brands and bringing them to market. An experienced businessman, Vince brings a passion for the products as well as a deep knowledge of both the California and Italian wine markets. Danny Romano’s decades of leadership at the helm of Romano Brothers, and now at Romano Imports is invaluable to the new venture as he sources additional partnerships and explores new opportunities across the country and around the world to strengthen and grow the business.