DIONYSUS WINES & SPIRITS LTD was established in 1990 by current President Alex Patinios. Dionysus was originally started to fill a niche in the Canadian market by importing premium Greek wines. We are now the largest agent of Greek Wines & Spirits in Canada.

In 1994 our experience in the Greek category was extended to other regions and products in the world. Dionysus is now a well diversified agency, representing top producers from around the world. We have a well balanced portfolio of leading producers in their category.

We have been careful to build a portfolio where there are no conflicts or overlaps in order to be able to focus on the products of one producer. It is very important for us to represent only one quality supplier in any category to ensure that we provide the best service possible on behalf of that supplier.

We are a young dynamic company that believes in promoting brands with a view towards the long term. We have developed excellent relationships with all the key decision-makers at the LCBO. We also have a strong involvement in the industry as a member and director of DRINKS Ontario, the provincial trade association representing the interests of manufacturers, agents, importers, marketing groups, trade offices and distributors of beverage alcohol products in Ontario.

Food & Wines of Portugal's aim is to bring Portuguese wines of the utmost quality to the wine lovers of Toronto in a professional and expert manner. We embrace the challenges that such an ambitious project brings. We represent both still and fortified wines that have been selected on the basis of consistent quality and the adaptability of the Ontario consumer's palate.

FWP represents and acts on behalf of a small, but sound, group of Portuguese growers who have been selected for their skill, passion, quality and consistency as well as possessing a sensitivity towards the singularities of the wine trade in Ontario. It has never been our aim to carry a vast portfolio of wines: our "small is beautiful" attitude is something that makes our company very unique. We much prefer to concentrate on the small number of growers that we feel produce wines of remarkable quality, rather than spread ourselves too thinly with many producers

From a small rented apartment, to cities across Canada, what began over 10 years ago with 2 guys creating a ‘Caesar Garnish’ has turned into a lot of ‘tasty products’ served throughout Canada and select cities in the U.S. As for the 2 guys who started it all, their story starts way before that:

Matt Larochelle and Steve McVicker both grew up in similar small towns they both happened to move to the Greater Toronto area and met while bartending in their early 20’s, where they struck up a lasting friendship.

They soon realized how many Caesars they were serving over the ‘wood’ and realized there has to be a better garnish than a celery stick for Caesars. So they decide to create something on their own.

Neither of them knew a lot about starting a business. But they knew a lot about ‘cocktails’ – especially Bloody Caesars – so it made sense (to them, anyway) to make a product that could be unique and different, something ‘tasty, topical, social and fun’ (the brand pillars that still resonate today)

Soooo, after coming up with the idea to make a spicy pickled bean, they found a unique bean that grows longer, sweeter and crunchier than your normal everyday green bean at a local grocery store it was a stroke of luck. The Kentucky flat bean as they are called were prefect and immediately went back to their apartment. Using “how to pickle” instructions from Matt’s mother, they began hand packing Beans into Jars and experimenting with spice combinations and soon after the Extreme bean was born....yes, in their apartment over a small ring burner stove and hand me down pots.

Soon there were increased demand and friends, family, customers and more folks clamored for a taste of ‘The Extreme Bean’. The Extreme bean was such a hit; it wasn’t long before they began selling them to local restaurants, then specialty grocery and supermarkets and beyond. Way beyond.

The production and consumption of wine in Argentina dates back to over four hundred years ago when the first specimens of Vitis vinifera were brought to the Americas by the Spanish colonizers in the early 16th century.

In 1551, the first vines were planted in Argentina, spreading rapidly in the central, western and northeastern areas of the country. Favored by the optimum soil and weather conditions of the Andean region, the winemaking industry experienced rapid, extensive growth.

The Catholic priests who came to these lands planted vineyards near their monasteries to ensure the provision of wine for the celebration of Holy Mass.

During the XIX century, European immigrants introduced new vinegrowing techniques and grape varieties, which found an ideal environment for their development in the Andes and the Río Colorado Valley.

Between 1850 and 1880, Argentina eventually got to join the international economic networks. Two factors made this possible: the expansion of the railway, which contributed to the development of communications among the provinces; and the incorporation of Patagonia to the national territory after the Conquest of the Desert, which forced the indigenous peoples of the region to retreat. The incorporation of lands that were well-suited to agricultural and livestock production and the arrival of immigrants laid the foundations for the development of the wine industry as a national industry.