Falmouth couple's import business offers traditional Czech Republic wine

FALMOUTH — In 2020, during the pandemic, husband and wife, Deon Wills and Veronika Spevakova Wills started their own company importing and wholesaling a diverse range of wines from the Moravian region of the Czech Republic.

Wills International, which started as a passion project, in collaboration with Spevak Winery in the Czech Republic, is gradually on its way to becoming a statewide distributor of quality Moravian wine.

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Starting its business in Falmouth, Wills International has expanded to other states including New York, Pennsylvania and California.

Wine was the family business

For Veronika, wine has always been a subject of passion. Born and brought up in the Czech Republic, she traveled to the United States at the age of 26. She met her husband Deon in Louisiana and with their two daughters, settled in Cape Cod, nearly 15 years ago.

Veronika spent the first 26 years of her life, learning the ins and outs of viticulture and viniculture at her family's wine estate in Moravia, Czech Republic. Back in 2005, Veronika and Deon wanted to start their own journey as wine distributors, in collaboration with the Spevak family winery. Starting a family and both their professional careers though took priority over business.

During Christmas 2019, Veronika’s father, Frantisek Spevak, founder of Spevak Winery, visited Cape Cod and hosted wine tastings for several friends and their families.

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“He (my father) observed American wine lovers' taste buds, preferences and then back in the Czech Republic, started curating special wine according to that,” Veronika said. “One day, we got a phone call from the Czech Republic and my father was telling us to come to get our wine, so started our business.”

Veronika and Deon decided to establish Wills International, LLC to import and distribute wine in the United States.

“Our first shipment arrived during the summer of 2021 and it was accepted immediately,” Deon said. “We had seven customers right away.”

The first shipment included a customized and special edition of Moravian White, Moravian Rosé and Moravian Red brands by Spevak Winery.

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“We could have been importers, but since the Czech region is not well known for their wine, we needed to create a demand for the product first,” Deon said. “We became distributors ourselves.”

Though Veronika completed WSET (The Wine & Spirit Education) L3 sommelier certification after the start of their company, neither Deon nor Veronika had any idea about running a business.

Introducing the Cape to Czech wines

Despite growing up in the vineyards, Veronika chose science as a career path. After completing her master’s in microbiology and biochemistry, she moved to the United States to pursue her higher education. Currently working as a technical manager for the Associates of Cape Cod, a global biotechnology company, over the years she became a public speaker, an educator and an ambassador for novel technologies.

On the other hand, Deon was born and raised in Louisiana and currently works as a chemical and beverage manager for a major food distributor. According to Veronika, Deon serves as a “one-man army” when it comes to managing logistics.

“I am familiar with working in management and working with teams; but I had no prior experience in logistics and for me, it was like learning a new industry overnight,” Deon said.

While Veronika hosts wine tastings, does promotion and other activities, Deon is responsible for running everything in the background, starting from contacting the suppliers and distributors and expanding their business in other states.

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Since the Czech Republic isn't known for its wines, restaurants on Cape Cod were skeptical at first. According to Veronika, customers are demanding more once they tasted the wine. They are distributing the wine in various local businesses around the Cape including Barnstable Market, Fenway Beer Shop, Craft Beer Cellar, Cotuit Liquors, Urban Grape, and more. This summer, Veronika organized a private tasting for friends and Czech compatriots in Temecula in Southern California.

Wills International works directly with the Czech embassy in Washington D.C., the Czech Consulate in New York and the Czech Consulate in Los Angeles.

“We attend different annual and monthly events; anytime they host Christmas markets, concerts, or other events at the consulate, we attend the events, promoting our wines,” Veronika said.

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Starting a business in the middle of a global pandemic in collaboration with another country was no easy feat.  According to Veronika, “the timing was not great,” but her family, along with her family in the Czech Republic, are “patient and passionate about the work.”

“When you’re doing this for yourself, it doesn’t feel like work anymore,” Deon said.

Collaboration with Spevak Winery

Frantisek Spevak, Veronika’s father, started Spevak Winery in 1993. Frantisek is a fourth-generation winemaker, however, he was the only one from the family to take winemaking to a commercial level. A combined 10 hectares of vineyard fall under the Spevak Winery estate.

“The estate is not a large one, our focus has always been quality; for my father, quality over quantity is the most important aspect,” she said.

Since Spevak Winery also has a customer base in the Czech Republic, there are limits to how much wine they can produce for US customers.

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According to Veronika, bringing in more suppliers and producers for collaboration is now the goal.

“Ensuring the quality is the most important aspect, so we have been talking to other producers, tasting their products to find a potential match with ours,” she said. “We are also thinking about producing low-cost wines as well as specific high-quality wines, catering to the needs of different customers, aiming to offer something for everyone.”

According to Frantisek Spevak, there are many indigenous varieties of wine that are coming from the Czech Republic that have yet to be introduced on the world stage.

Veronika and Deon’s venture of expanding their family business in the United States is a matter of great pride for Frantisek.

“I could not be happier with the fact that my life’s work is now being presented in the United States,” Frantisek said, over a Zoom call from the Czech Republic.

Veronika, the eldest daughter of Frantisek and Marie, was expected to be involved with the family business from the beginning. Despite choosing science, wine has always been her passion and love.

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“I wanted her to be involved with the business but that did not happen then; now, it is all coming together and my dreams are in fruition,” said Frantisek. “The wine is already winning new customers in the States and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Finding the right type of wine to meet the expectations of an American audience remains a challenge for Frantisek.

“We are also interested in getting them excited about trying new and different varieties of wine,” Frantisek said.

Preserving the wine and culture

For Veronika, distributing the wine that “tastes like home” to others and across the state, is a way of holding onto the Czech identity.

“I’m away from home, but working to promote and share Czech wine with others makes me feel like I'm doing something valuable for my country,” she said.

The local community in Falmouth also includes several Czech businesses.

Wills International aims to reach the American communities with the help of Czech customers. For Veronika, it is not just about promoting the wine.

“The Czech Republic has been politically isolated for a long time, our wine gets people interested in the country; customers start asking questions about the culture, the country, and our way of life,” she said.

Veronika wants her daughters, Kristyna and Elisabeth to have a powerful connection with both Deon’s African American heritage and her Czech heritage.

“Being away from home. I still hold onto my Czech identity; I want my daughters to have that as well,” Veronika said. “I don’t want them to be alienated from either of those sides, I expect them to be close to both.”

Deon and Veronika are hopeful about the future, with a clear aim of expanding their business in the coming years.

For more information on Wills International, visit the website: https://www.willsinternational.com/

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Falmouth couple's business imports wine from Czech Republic