OUR MISSION
Wine. It's what we do. It's what we love. Our passion for it fuels our endless quest to learn more about it and share everything we've experienced on the way.
At Manhattan Wine Company, we believe that a bottle of wine or spirits is the start of an adventure. It's a vessel to discover a region. To understand a culture. And to learn the history of a place. Every bottle in our store has been vetted and tasted, and everyone on our staff knows its story. Our shop and tasting events are designed for wine lovers of all levels to broaden their knowledge and increase their appreciation of wine. Through our wine services, we want to make your life-long journey of collecting wines a safe and hassle-free experience.
When you become a customer with us, you're becoming a part of our journey, and we're joining you on yours. Our shop and wide array of wine services are meant to be with you every step of the way.
OUR JOURNEY
Manhattan Wine Company was founded in 2006 after our co-owner Matt Tornabene recognized a lack of customer-first, full-service storage providers. So, he partnered with like-minded angel investor James Polsky to fill the void. Since then, we've continued to invest in our temperature-controlled storage facility, expanded our selection of wine services, and grown our staff of dedicated wine professionals. As one of the country's preeminent storage providers, we've redefined "full-service" storage for private collectors and trade participants.
In 2015, we opened our flagship shop in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The modern, yet rustic space is the perfect venue to showcase our favorite wines and spirits and host informative tasting events. We select wines and spirits that span styles and regions and provide value at every level. And while we're rooted in the classics, we're also excited by wines from unexpected places.
Honesty, transparency and exceptional customer service were our founding principles and they still serve as the foundation to every interaction with our clients today. We believe that our unwavering commitment to these principles coupled with our desire to share our passion, expertise and knowledge are what have fueled our journey thus far and will propel us into the future.
OUR TEAM
Matt Tornabene, President, Founder & Co-Owner 
Billy Tornabene, CFO and Co-Owner 
Marc Hanes, Director of Client Services 
Chris Seely, Warehouse Manager 
Kerrie Tornabene, Education & Events Coordinator
Matt Tornabene, President, Founder & Co-Owner
Matt co-founded MWC in 2006. With over 14 years of wine industry experience, he's spent his entire professional career following his passion. Prior to MWC, Matt worked in the wine auction business, which trained him in tasting the classics. During that time, he realized NYC storage providers weren't genuinely trying to solve a common wine collector dilemma - safely storing and transporting collections in a cost efficient way.
Throughout his career, Matt has managed cellars, curated countless collections, conducted formal and informal tastings and dinners, and travelled to the world's most important wine regions. These real-world experiences have led him to be a leading expert on fine, rare, and unique wines. He hates seeing anyone drinking bad wine, insists that MWC carry the most compelling wines at all price points, and agrees with the famous Winston Churchill quote, "I am easily satisfied with the best." Matt is a proud 1998 graduate of Woodberry Forest School and earned his B.A. in Economics and Spanish from the University of Vermont in 2002. He is driven by his passions (and his brother - our CFO!) and is grounded by his family and friends. Matt lives in Chatham, NJ, is the father of two sons and a daughter and is married to his best friend and colleague, Kerrie Tornabene.
Billy Tornabene, CFO and Co-Owner
When Billy finished graduate school in 2004, Matt was just beginning to dream about starting a collector-oriented wine storage company. With business school lessons fresh on the brain, Billy and Matt locked themselves in Matt's NYC apartment to commit the idea to paper. After many wine-induced strategy sessions, their initial business plan emerged.
Shortly afterwards, Billy began working for a middle market investment bank in Richmond, VA, while Matt procured funding to turn the dream into a reality. After five years of banking, Billy joined MWC in 2009 as the Chief Financial Officer, overseeing investor reporting, financial statement preparation, and contract negotiations. Billy is also an integral part of human resources, operations, and strategy for the shop as well as storage and logistics operations. He earned his B.A. in Managerial Economics from Hampden-Sydney College in 1999 and his MBA from Vanderbilt University concentrating in Finance and Strategy in 2004. Billy resides in Richmond, VA with his wife Mandy and their three beautiful children. Although he has no formal wine training, Billy has had a crash course through his work and travels with MWC. But, the most important lesson he's learned? Never say no when Matt is pouring.
Marc Hanes, Director of Client Services
Marc joined MWC's Wine Services team in the summer of 2016. He has extensive wine industry experience, including managing Chelsea Wine Storage in NYC. Most recently, Marc managed warehousing and logistics for Wally's NYC Auctions. He's very passionate about wine and considers himself an enthusiastic collector. With over 15 years of experience in the fine and rare wine industry, Marc has the unique skill set required to oversee our storage and logistics, as well as to implement and manage quality control of our wine collector services. He earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and holds a Master's Degree in philosophy from Fordham University. Marc reports daily to our wine storage facility in New Jersey where he and Chris Seely, our Warehouse Manager, co-manage the warehouse and logistics staff. Marc resides in Maplewood, NJ with his wife and two children.
Chris Seely, Warehouse Manager
Chris joined MWC in 2010 as an entry level wine steward. He began his wine journey in 2005, working as a shipping coordinator for a prominent New Jersey wine and spirits retailer. Over the past six years, Chris has dedicated himself to working his way up to his current role, Warehouse Manager. Currently, he oversees facilities and equipment, coordinates daily warehouse activity and special projects, and co-manages warehouse and logistics staff with Marc Hanes, our Director of Client Services. Chris graduated from Montclair State University with a BA in Accounting in 2010. He resides in Clifton, NJ, and like the Tornabene brothers, is an avid Steelers fan.
Kerrie Tornabene, Education & Events Coordinator
Kerrie started working for MWC in 2013 after a long career in the restaurant business. Prior to MWC, she was the Beverage Director for Daniel Boulud's DBGB, curating their unique beer and wine list. Kerrie also served as a wine intern at Thomas Keller's 3 Michelin Star restaurant, French Laundry. No stranger to the hard work of the vineyard, she has worked harvests in the Jura, Tuscany, and Mt. Etna. Additionally, Kerrie is a Certified Sommelier through the Sommelier Society of America and the Court of Master Sommeliers. Leveraging her past work experience, Kerrie is responsible for organizing our in-store events and wine dinners, as well as our internal education initiatives. Her passion for wine is unwavering, although her second beverage of choice is always a sour beer. Kerrie resides with her husband, Matt Tornabene and their 2 children in Chatham, NJ.
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