What Potomac Selections Inc does

Potomac Selections, Inc. is a privately held wholesale wine distributor founded in 2002 and headquartered at 3601 West St, Unit D, Hyattsville, Maryland. The company specializes in curating and distributing small-production, family-run wines from Europe, South America, and US wine regions (California, Oregon, Washington, Virginia) to restaurants, wine bars, retailers, and hospitality venues across the mid-Atlantic region, encompassing Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia.

The business operates on a B2B wholesale distribution model. Potomac Selections holds exclusive mid-Atlantic distribution rights to eight importers: Brazos Wine Imports (South America), John Given Wines (Italy), José Pastor Selections (Spain and the Americas), Grace Under Pressure (Champagne), Palinkerie (Hungary), Rosenthal Wine Merchant (EU), Think Global Wines (Spain), and Vom Boden (Germany and Austria). It supplements these relationships with direct winery partnerships in the US and EU. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated, with no public disclosure. The go-to-market is a relationship-driven field sales motion staffed by seven territory-dedicated sales representatives and a VP of Sales with 12 years at the company.

The company employs approximately five people total (per available headcount data) plus its territory sales reps, and generates revenue through transactional markups on wine purchased from producers and importers and resold to wholesale customers. There is no proprietary technology platform, no app, no API, and no digital commerce channel beyond an Instagram presence for brand awareness. Ownership rests with founders Eric Hauptmann (partner since 2004) and Tom Kiszka (original founding partner), with no institutional investors, private equity, or venture capital backing documented.

Name

Potomac Selections Inc

Legal name

Potomac Selections, Inc.

Website

https://potomacselections.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Potomac Selections is a privately held Maryland-based wholesale wine distributor founded in 2002 that exclusively distributes small-production, family-run wines from European, South American, and US estates to restaurants, wine bars, and retailers across Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyattsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wine Distribution and Resale: As a wine wholesale distributor, Potomac Selections generates revenue by purchasing wine from producers and importers, then reselling to retailers, restaurants, and hospitality businesses in the mid-Atlantic region with a markup.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Potomac Selections is a wholesale wine distributor that purchases wine from producers and importers and resells it to restaurants, wine bars, retailers, and hospitality businesses throughout the mid-Atlantic region (Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia). The company specializes in a curated portfolio of small-production, family-run wine estates from Europe and South America, sourced through exclusive distribution agreements with eight US importers and direct winery relationships.

Product overview

Potomac Selections is a small production wine wholesale distributor founded in 2002, specializing in representing small production, family-run wine estates from Europe and beyond. The company serves the mid-Atlantic region encompassing Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. Their core offering is wine portfolio curation and wholesale distribution services, featuring wines from exclusive distribution partners including Brazos Wine Imports (South America), John Given Wines (Italy), José Pastor Selections (Spain and the Americas), Grace under Pressure (Champagne), Palinkerie (Hungary), Rosenthal Wine Merchant (EU), Think Global Wines (Spain), and Vom Boden (Germany and Austria), along with direct winery relationships in the US and EU. The company's portfolio spans French, Italian, German, Spanish, Californian, Oregon, Washington, and Virginia wine regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small-Production Wine Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of a curated portfolio of small-production, family-run wines sourced from direct US and EU winery relationships and exclusive importer partnerships; delivered to restaurants, wine bars, retailers, and hospitality venues across Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia from the Hyattsville, MD warehouse.
• European Wine Portfolio Distribution Exclusive regional distribution of European wines curated through importer partnerships covering France, Italy, Austria, Spain, Hungary, and Germany, made available to mid-Atlantic on-premise and retail accounts.
• Champagne and South American Wine Distribution Exclusive regional distribution of Club Trésors de Champagne and Special Club Champagne selections from Grace Under Pressure, and South American wines from Brazos Wine Imports, made available to mid-Atlantic on-premise and retail accounts.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Brazos Wine ImportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for South American wines. Brazos Wine Imports provides the portfolio of South American wines that Potomac Selections distributes in the mid-Atlantic region.
• John Given WinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for Italian wines. John Given Wines specializes in Italian wine imports distributed through Potomac Selections.
• José Pastor SelectionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for Spanish wines and the Americas. José Pastor Selections provides Spanish and American wine portfolios for Potomac Selections distribution.
• Grace Under PressurecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for Club Trésors de Champagne and Special Club Champagne selections. Specialized Champagne portfolio distributed by Potomac Selections.
• PalinkeriecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for Hungarian wines. Palinkerie provides Hungarian wine selections for the mid-Atlantic market.
• Rosenthal Wine MerchantcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for European wines from France, Italy, Austria, and Spain. Rosenthal Wine Merchant portfolio distributed by Potomac Selections.
• Think Global WinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for Spanish wines. Think Global Wines specializes in Spanish wine imports for the mid-Atlantic region.
• Vom BodencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Exclusive distribution partner for German and Austrian wines. Vom Boden provides Germanic wine selections for distribution through Potomac Selections.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Brockman & Brockman / National Wine & Spirits (Indiana): Regional wine and spirits distributor operating in the Midwest with a portfolio blend of mainstream and specialty imports. Comparable as a regional wholesale distributor model, though it does not directly compete in the mid-Atlantic.

Direct peers

• Kermode Lynch Wine Merchants: Specialty importer-distributor of small-production French and European wines serving restaurants and retailers on the US East Coast. Operates with a similar curatorial focus and regional wholesale footprint comparable to Potomac Selections.
• Polaner Selections: Specialty wine distributor focused on family-owned and small-production European wineries, with deep importer relationships and field sales coverage in the Northeast US. Closely aligned with Potomac Selections' curation-driven, on-premise-led model.
• Vias Imports: Importer and regional distributor of small-production Italian wines serving the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on-premise trade. Highly comparable to Potomac Selections given its Italian-focused portfolio overlap and similar regional distribution model.
• Skurnik Wines & Spirits: Family-owned specialty wine importer and regional distributor representing small-production, family-run estates from Europe and beyond. Highly comparable to Potomac Selections in its curatorial philosophy and importer-distributor hybrid model, though Skurnik operates across multiple US regions.
• Rosenthal Wine Merchant: Specialty importer of grower-producer wines from France, Italy, Austria, and Spain. Functions as both an importer (partner of Potomac Selections) and a regional distributor on the West Coast, making it a directly comparable specialty operator.

Broad incumbents

• Winebow: Multi-regional wine importer and distributor with deep portfolios of Italian, Spanish, and other European wines. Comparable to Potomac Selections in its importer-distributor hybrid model and East Coast footprint, though at significantly greater scale.
• Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: The largest US wine and spirits distributor, operating across all 50 states including MD/DC/VA. Competes with Potomac Selections for on-premise and retail accounts at the larger end, but with a mass-market portfolio that lacks Potomac's small-production curation.
• Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC): One of the largest US wine and spirits wholesale distributors with broad portfolio coverage including the mid-Atlantic region. Comparable as a competitor for on-premise accounts and shelf space, though its portfolio is far broader and less curated than Potomac Selections'.

Others

• Mionetto USA / Freixenet Mionetto USA: Specialty wine importer-distributor with East Coast operations; relevant as a thematic peer in the European-wine distribution space, though it skews toward sparkling wines and mass-premium rather than Potomac's artisanal positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/potomacselections
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/potomac-selections-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Potomac Selections Inc