—  President & Cofounder, Francoli U.S.A.

Nicola Angiuli grew up in Apuglia, Italy, among the vineyards of his grandfather's winery. He still remembers the musty, earthy aromas wafting from the grapes as they fermented and turned into wine. However, while the production of wines delighted Nicola, he always had an eye for sales. His view of winemaking from a marketing perspective would become the foundation of his future business endeavors in the wine industry.

Nicola Arrived in New York at age 15 to finish his education. He majored in Business at Queens College, where he served as president of the Italian Club, running it as if it were a business competing with other student organizations for membership. During his two-year term as president, he built the club into the largest and most profitable organization on campus and through this achievement realized his talent for business.

Nicola began his career in wine sales with Prosperity Distributing Ltd., where he soon was promoted to the position of U.S. Brand Manager of Blair Imports, overseeing the brands of Giovanni Buton, Italy's largest distillery. He traveled the United States, visiting distributors, developing marketing strategies for the brands, and conducting various wine and spirits seminars. He rose quickly in the company, and by age 24 he was the youngest Italian import manager in the business. Nicola then joined Diageo, the world's leading distributor of wines nd spirits.

In 1994, Nicola was offered the chance to develop a start-up wine import and distribution company in the tough market of New York. As general Manager of Five Star, he increased the company's profit margin in two short years, growing the company into a viable industry force. During this time, he was recognized and honorably knighted by the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy for his dedication, effort, and achievement. In 1999, Nicola partnered with Alessandro Francoli, president of Francoli S.p.a., the largest family-owned distillery in Italy (its business, which has thrived for more than 50 years, spans four continents), and established Francoli U.S.A.

Today, Francoli U.S.A. is a successful company headquartered in Orange, California with a secondary office in New York City, and warehouses in California and New Jersey. As purveyors of fine Italian wines and spirits, Francoli U.S.A. boasts a strong portfolio of exquisite Italian wines and a growing assortment of spirits.

Nicola resides in Villa Park, California with his wife Melinda, twin daughters Madeline and Nicole, son Gerard, and Australian Shepherd named Piper.