Meet Cristina Doria, a Woman Wine Importer of Doria Wines

Cristina Doria is an importer of artisan Italian wines made only with Italy's native grape varieties. They are only available in Maryland and DC, including our special shop! Her story started in 2020 with her brother, Marco, and her living in both Italy and US for decades and wanting to showcase their favorites of Italian wines. Inspired by the memories of growing up in Italy surrounded by family, food, friends, and wine, they want to share their experiences with others through the wines they import to the US.

We will be tasting her wines this weekend (March 22&23) with her being at the shop for the tasting on Sunday between 12-4! Get to learn a little more about Cristina below:

DCANTER: If your personality were a wine, what would it be and why?

Doria: I’d be a Nebbiolo—bold, complex, and sometimes a little stubborn. Just like a great Nebbiolo, I only get better with time!

DCANTER: Which wine region stole your heart, and why?

Doria: Piemonte, without a doubt! The irony? I left Italy when I was young—right before I had the good sense to appreciate where I grew up. It took years in the U.S. (and way too many bottles of California wine) to realize what I was missing. 

DCANTER: What’s your go-to bottle when you need to impress someone?

Doria: One of our good table wines, effortless to enjoy—no overthinking, no complicated pairings. Discovering a comforting, everyday wine that’s both affordable and delicious can completely transform drinking habits. We always say a producer’s true talent is judged by their “base” wine. Crafting a top-tier wine is one thing, but making an exceptional everyday wine takes real skill, dedication, and passion.

DCANTER: What is one of the most rewarding things about your job?

Doria: The best part is seeing customers light up when they try something completely new and fall in love with it. Especially when they insist they don’t like a certain type of wine—until they take a sip and suddenly say, “…but this is good!” 

DCANTER: What’s a common misconception people have about imported wines?

Doria: Not all wine on the U.S. market is the same as what you’d drink locally in Italy. Many consumers believe they’re tasting authentic Italian wines when, in reality, they’re drinking versions tailored for the American market. We take great pride in importing the exact same bottles you’d find if you were sipping wine in Italy.

DCANTER: What’s the biggest challenge in bringing great wines to market?

Doria: Definitely the logistics! Working with micro-producers who handle everything themselves means they have to juggle vineyard and cellar work while making time to prepare wine for export. Add in the fact that some don’t speak English, and things get even more interesting! 

DCANTER: How do you decide which wines are worth importing?

Doria: It’s a long and challenging process because meeting winemakers personally creates a strong personal connection, making it tough to turn down their wines. We taste incredible wines, but we also must consider their marketability in the U.S. Since it’s still a business, we can’t import everything we love—we have to focus on what will actually sell. That said, sometimes we take bold risks, knowing that worst case, we’ll have some excellent additions to our personal cellar!

DCANTER: Chocolate or cheese?

Doria: Cheese, obviously. Because why settle for sweet chocolate when you can have a delicious, aged, slightly stinky piece of cheese that happens to pair perfectly with wine?