Karakterre Podcast with: Phil Sareil

Low-key yet a seminal figure in the world of low-intervention wine, Phil Sareil began his career working at pioneering US importer Kermit Lynch's Berkeley wine shop. In 1988, while visiting his uncle in France, he tasted a wine by Marcel Lapierre. After introducing it to Kermit, the company began importing Lapierre. Phil later worked for Winebow and Polaner Selections before returning to Kermit Lynch as a regional sales manager.

We at Karakterre first met Phil as a member of the Jenny & Francois Selections team. In that role, he was among the first wine professionals to promote the wines of Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia internationally. Over the following decade, and in no small part thanks to those early efforts, these countries emerged as some of the most respected and loved wine regions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Ahead of our Karakterre 19: New York event on October 24, 2026, we spoke with Phil on ideas close to us.