Pilar Wine Brokers encourages all our visitors to savor the journey of wine discovery responsibly and in moderation
Copyright © 2023 Pilar Wine Brokers
About Us
Kirby was an avid wine drinker who had the occasion to visit the Beau Rivage Casino on the gulf coast. On Many occasions, Mark was the sommelier, who served Kirby on regular occasions. A friendship developed. One night, Kirby mentioned to Mark that he wanted to get into the wine distribution business. Mark thought “yea, good luck with that”. In 2016, Kirby acquired Palmetto, a small wine brokerage owned by friends.
Fast forward to 2020. The pandemic was here, Mark was in Washington D.C./Maryland running the wine program for
Chefs such as Jose Andres, Markcus Samuelson, The Voltaggio Brothers,
and other well known, successful restauranters at MGM National Harbour. Needless to say, he was ready to come home to Mississippi. Mark called Kirby and asked about working in the wine industry in Mississippi, and whether Kirby had any contacts. Kirby said “yes, me, let’s talk”. Mark has been the managing partner of Pilar ever since.
About Us
It is good to be home. This was a calming thought as I sat on my porch
pondering what to do next after spending the last fifteen years with MGM
Resorts working in Las Vegas, Biloxi, and for the last five years in
Washington DC.
Before MGM, I was recruited to create an import sales division for a growing distributor in Virginia. I joined The Country Vintner in 2001 as the director of Australian and New Zealand estates. This opportunity allowed me to work as an importer, distributor, and marketing agent creating brand concepts, labels, and sales strategies that are still used today. I am very proud to say I helped grow this business from a small regional company to one the largest wine companies in the country, now known as Winebow.
I feel so lucky to have the experiences that life has given me, and it is funny how unforeseen circumstances impact your future. After college I moved to Maryland to help a friend through a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins, he knew a restaurateur opening a very promising new venture in north Baltimore County and could get me job. That restaurant was the Oregon Grille and it was the preferred venue for The Wine Advocate. The Wine Advocate was the premier wine publication, created by Robert Parker or Bob as we knew him. I took care of him for a year, but he really took care of me.
Because of Bob I tasted every wine of relevance at the time. Every first
growth Bordeaux, DRC, La Las, everything. This was an education that
taught me the classic wine styles and introduced me to legends in the
wine industry. It was an amazing time filled with so many memories and
lessons that gave me a wealth of experience.
At this point I moved to San Francisco and took classes at California Culinary Academy, but realized my favorite times were in wine country and wine was my path. I am honored to have been in the first of those that passed Court of Master Sommelier certifications in Mississippi and the only CMS Advanced Sommelier in the state. While preparing for the Master Sommelier exam, I am committed to building the next class of Mississippi wine professionals and hopefully my path will lead the way for others
success.
When presented with the opportunity to come back to Mississippi
as a partner at Pilar Wine Brokers and lead the business, I thought of
all my experiences and how uniquely prepared I am to excel in this role,
and I felt like I have finally come home. It is so good to be home.
Timeline
October 2015
Kirby Boteler founded Pilar Wine Brokers in 2015 after years of being interested in wine and spirits. One night in a dark back room at a bar, Kirby won then Palmetto Wine Brokers in a game of Texas Holdem’. The cards were clear, the owner of Palmetto has a King and a Queen in the pocket, Kirby had an Ace and a Queen. Two Queens flopped, a King on the turn. Kirby stayed in, always betting on the come. Here comes the river, an Ace! Kirby was so sure of his cards he offered to bet money against the title to Palmetto, and Pilar was born.
Once completed, Kirby quickly changed the name as an homage to his favorite author, Ernest Hemingway. His love for fishing and Hemingway, Kirby took the name from Ernest Hemingway’s Boat and quickly assembled a team to continue Palmetto’s focus on bringing special wines to market in Mississippi Kirby still believes to never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Aug 2020
During the coronavirus pandemic, Mark Warren contacted Kirby looking for opportunities in Mississippi, his home. Mark had spent the last decade buying wines for MGM Casino properties around the United States. Coming home was on the radar for Mark, and working with the brokerage was on the mind of Kirby.
May 2021
Not long after Mark’s joining Pilar, growth was tremendous. Total portfolio growth, sales and revenue growth required Pilar consider hiring full time employees. Pilar made it’s first full time hire in 2021, and more growth continued. Pilar now has sales focus in north, central and south Mississippi covering every major market in the state.
October 2023
Pilar is innovative by nature. It has grown from a distribution focused company to the first distribution led wine club in Mississippi! We are proud to serve a large distribution, retail, restaurant and casino verticals in Mississippi. We are all proud to call Mississippi home and look forward to continuing to serve our neighbors for years to come.
Copyright © 2023 Pilar Wine Brokers