Alyssa's Candid Conversation with the Wine Concierge Earlier this week Alyssa spoke with Leslie Frelow, The Wine Concierge, about tariffs, challenges small business owners face in the current climate, and her subscription wine club, Importer's Corner. "What does it really take to bring exceptional wines from small, family-owned vineyards around the world to your table?" We sat down with Alyssa Wolf, owner of Red Wolf Importer, for an in-depth conversation about the challenges

We recently connected with Alyssa Wolf and have shared our conversation below. Alyssa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues? As an importer of wine and spirits, the tariffs the administration has placed on imports have been a massive “unexpected” problem. While it was widely anticipated that trade policy could shift fo

The item on the invoice was not unexpected, but it was frustrating enough for Alyssa Wolf to vent on social media. Dave McIntyre, Aug 20, 2025 "Received my first tariff invoice,” Wolf, founder and co-owner with her husband, Ian, of Red Wolf Imports in Washington, D.C., wrote. “Customs costs are more than DOUBLE what they would have been with no tariffs. Tariffs are listed as a TAX on my invoice.” She then added, “Tariffs are BAD FOR BUSINESS” and signed off with three letters