Louis Dressner Selections

Louis/Dressner Selections, founded in 1988 by Denyse Louis and Joe Dressner, is a company started by two people who knew absolutely nothing about wine or its commerce. Yet somehow, over 30 years later they are still here. 

Many key players emerged from those early years, but none more important to the company than Kevin McKenna. Kevin was one of Louis/Dressner’s first major customers in New York City. On day he decided to quit and spend the following years studying business in Rome. Louis/Dressner did not know if they could ever stay in business without him.

Somehow Louis/Dressner survived the “Kevin Hump” and was still in business when he moved back to New York City. Inspired by his time in Rome, Kevin was planning on importing Italian wines to the United States. At the same time, Joe and Denyse were hoping to expand their operation beyond the east coast and needed someone with Kevin’s skillset to help navigate the legalities and logistics of becoming a “real” business. After helping out for about a year, Kevin became an equal partner in the company. LDM Wines, Inc. (Louis/Dressner/McKenna) was born in 1995.

As with all things in life, much has changed at Louis/Dressner over the years. The most significant is the passing of Joe Dressner in 2011. The world will never be the same without him, but LDM take great pride in keeping his vision alive. Other major changes include Joe and Denyse’s son Jules joining the company.