Verkerk Wijnimport

What Verkerk Wijnimport does

Verkerk Wijnimport is a privately held Dutch wine importer and distributor headquartered in Amsterdam that specializes in Italian wines for the Dutch hospitality sector. Founded in 2008 when chef Mattijs Koornneef and partner Gijs Thio took over the business, the company directly sources from a curated portfolio of more than 50 Italian producers across regions including Piedmont, Tuscany, Sicily, and Campania, and sells primarily through direct field sales to restaurants and hotels in the Netherlands. Distribution and weekly deliveries (on Wednesdays and Fridays) are executed via an outsourced logistics partnership with CJ Hendriks, with a dedicated account manager (Aynsley) coordinating orders and supporting on-site consultation with sommeliers and owners.

The company operates three commercial lines: a B2B core of supplying Italian wines and curated selections to restaurants (with a quote-based pricing list available on request), a consumer retail channel called Enoteca Sprezzatura consisting of a physical storefront and an online webshop at enoteca-sprezzatura.nl, and a tasting-events service comprising themed professional tastings (e.g., 'Toscane vs Frankrijk') and bespoke events. Customer base includes 70+ Dutch restaurants, with named Michelin-starred accounts such as de Librije, Rijks, Flore, and MOS. The firm employs a small team of 5 people, including certified Italian Wine Scholars, and extends its expertise via a teaching arrangement at the Amsterdam Wine Academy. Marketing channels include the company website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, an email newsletter, tasting events, and earned media coverage in the Financieel Dagblad wine column.

Name

Verkerk Wijnimport

Legal name

Verkerk Wijnimport

Website

https://verkerk-wijnimport.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Verkerk Wijnimport is a privately held Amsterdam-based importer that sources and distributes a curated portfolio of 50+ Italian wines directly to 70+ Dutch restaurants, supplemented by a consumer webshop (Enoteca Sprezzatura) and professional tasting events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Import and Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft & Specialty Beverage Wholesale (Local/Artisanal) (AFAIAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

Keywords

• Italian wine import
• Wine distribution
• Wine wholesale
• Restaurant wine supplier
• Wine tasting events

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Import to Restaurants: Import and distribution of Italian wines directly to restaurants and hospitality establishments (horeca) in the Netherlands. Prices are quoted via price lists upon request. This is the primary B2B revenue stream.
2. Consumer Retail (Enoteca Sprezzatura): Consumer-facing sales through the online webshop enoteca-sprezzatura.nl and physical retail location Enoteca Sprezzatura. The store offers wine tasting experiences for individual consumers.
3. Wine Tasting Events: Organizing and hosting wine tasting events (proeverijen) for hospitality professionals and wine enthusiasts. These events feature Italian wines and occasionally include French and German wines from partner importers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Verkerk Wijnimport imports and distributes Italian wines directly from Italian producers to Dutch restaurants and hospitality establishments (horeca), while also operating Enoteca Sprezzatura, a consumer wine shop, and hosting wine tasting events. The company curates a portfolio of over 50 Italian producers across regions including Piedmont, Tuscany, Sicily, and Campania, and supports customers with sommelier-level wine selection consulting and weekly scheduled deliveries.

Product overview

Verkerk Wijnimport is a Dutch wine import company specializing in Italian wines, operating as a B2B importer and distributor to the Dutch hospitality sector (horeca) alongside a consumer e-commerce channel called Enoteca Sprezzatura. The company directly imports wines from Italian producers, sourcing from regions including Sicily, Campania, Piedmont, Tuscany, and other Italian wine regions. Core offerings include wine import and distribution services for restaurants, a consumer web shop for individual buyers, and organized or custom wine tasting experiences. The portfolio spans over 50 Italian wine producers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Italian Wine Distribution (B2B) Direct import and distribution of Italian wines from over 50 producers to Dutch restaurants, hotels, and hospitality establishments, with weekly scheduled deliveries on Wednesdays and Fridays, dedicated account management, and sommelier-level consulting on wine selection and pairings.
• Enoteca Sprezzatura Consumer Wine Shop Consumer-facing online and physical retail wine shop operating under the Enoteca Sprezzatura brand in Amsterdam (Czaar Peterstraat 91), selling Italian wines directly to individual buyers and offering wine tasting experiences for consumers.
• Wine Tasting Events (Proeverijen)

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in Financieel Dagblad wine column by Hilary Akers

Named customers20 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

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 minor and core.

• WijnkameelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with German wine importer Wijnkameel for joint tasting events. They organize combined tastings where Verkerk presents Italian wines alongside Wijnkameel's German wines.
• Au ParadisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with French wine importer Au Paradis for joint tasting events. They organize combined tastings featuring Italian and French wines together.
• Janselijn WijnenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with French wine importer Janselijn Wijnen for joint tasting events, particularly the annual 'Toscane vs Frankrijk/Bourgogne' tasting event.
• Amsterdam Wine AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMattijs Koornneef teaches Italian Wine Scholar courses at the Amsterdam Wine Academy. This partnership provides wine education to professionals and wine enthusiasts while promoting the company's expertise.
• CJ HendrikscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary distribution and logistics partner handling order fulfillment and delivery to restaurant customers. Receives customer number, order number, name and delivery address to process orders correctly.
• BrincerminorOthersAdministrative partner for processing orders and simplifying business processes behind the scenes.
• MamutminorOthersAdministrative partner for processing orders and simplifying business processes.
• ClicksmashminorOthersAdministrative partner for processing orders and simplifying business processes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Corney & Barrow: UK-based fine wine importer and merchant serving restaurants and private clients with a wide international portfolio; relevant incumbent peer given its on-trade focus and restaurant supply model overlapping with Verkerk's.
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Historic UK fine wine merchant with broad global portfolio and on-trade/private client base; comparable as a sommelier-led premium wine supplier to restaurants but operates at much larger scale and across many regions, not just Italy.
• Bibendum Wine: UK premium wine distributor serving restaurants and independent retailers with a broad portfolio including Italian producers; similar B2B hospitality focus to Verkerk but at significantly larger scale and across multiple origins.

Direct peers

• Armit Wines: London-based fine wine importer with a strong Italian portfolio (including Barolo/Barbaresco specialists) selling primarily to restaurants and private clients; very similar specialist-on-trade model and producer-curation philosophy to Verkerk Wijnimport.
• De Gouden Ton: Dutch wine importer with a long-standing reputation in the on-trade; comparable to Verkerk as a Netherlands-based specialist serving restaurants with a curated portfolio, though broader in geographic scope than Italian-only.
• Liberty Wines: UK-based specialist importer focused on Italian and other premium European wines for the on-trade; closely comparable to Verkerk in being a curated, sommelier-led Italian wine portfolio targeting restaurants and independents rather than mass-market retail.
• Wijnimport De Monnik: Dutch beverage importer and distributor serving the hospitality sector across multiple categories including wine; comparable to Verkerk as a Netherlands-based horeca supplier, though broader in scope than Verkerk's Italian-only focus.
• Grandi Vini: Netherlands-based Italian wine specialist importer serving the Dutch restaurant and retail market; closely comparable to Verkerk in geographic focus, Italian-only portfolio, and B2B hospitality customer base.
• Les Caves de Pyrene: Independent European wine importer with a strong focus on artisanal, terroir-driven producers across France, Italy and beyond; comparable niche specialist model and restaurant-focused sales approach to Verkerk.

Emerging players

• Italian Wine Company: Online Italian wine retailer/specialist shipping to multiple European markets; overlaps with Verkerk on Italian wine curation but reaches consumers directly online rather than through a hospitality field-sales model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/verkerkwijnimport
• Facebookfacebook.com/verkerkwijnimport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verkerk-wijnimport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Verkerk Wijnimport