We believe wine is personal

Philip James

When our Founder and CEO Philip James set out to build a new kind of wine business, he knew it had to be about more than great wine.

It also had to be about more than convenience. It had to be about achieving a different and better kind of blend - of people’s tastes in wine, their buying experience and the way they actually drink it.

As a student of the industry, Philip knew that historically, most wine in America is sold not directly to consumers, but to wholesalers and retailers. This means that the average wine purchase is shaped more by the store shelf than by the universe of wine that’s available and by people’s individual tastes.

He built Firstleaf to change that - by changing the relationship between expert winemakers, superb grapes, and the consumer. It all starts with a deep passion for understanding what individual members like, and why.

Then, using decades of experience in wines, Firstleaf sources the highest quality bottles worldwide and maps them to every member's unique taste preferences, while bringing world-class practices to winemaking as well as wine selection. For the first time, thanks to his vision, anyone can taste more of what the world of wines has to offer, in ways best suited to them - not just what is on the shelf.

A misty vineyard with wine bottles in the foreground

Purpose

We exist to enhance the joy of wine exploration.

Mission

Our mission is to remove the guesswork that comes with wine selection, making it easy to discover new favorites without the “hit or miss.”

Vision

We envision a world in which a positive experience is uncorked with every bottle.

Values

  • Challenge conventional wisdom
  • Always exceed expectations
  • Be passionately curious
  • Never compromise on integrity
  • Blend data with imagination
  • Fail out of boldness