About NAWSI

North American Wine & Spirit Importers, founded by Sam Jaoude and Constance McDerby, is pleased to introduce these unique grape varieties and winemakers to Texas and their shared love of wine. Discover an extensive, expertly curated collection of unique, award-winning varietals from Lebanon’s vineyards—vineyards with deep roots in one of the world’s oldest, most geographically-ideal wine growing regions. Each with a great story to tell.

Wine from Lebanon will highlight innovative new winemakers from Lebanon with a focus on several native varietals–Obaideh, Merwah, Meksassi and Sobbaghieh…unique, native grapes never tasted before.

Constance McDerby

Constance has been in marketing and advertising since college graduation starting in the college development office learning the skills and finesse of fundraising before joining network television news where she worked with reporters and anchors developing daily news stories, moving through several departments, and finding her niche in Sales and Revenue Development.

In New Orleans she enjoyed 14 years in media, winning countless accolades before launching VIA Growth, Inc. marketing agency working with clients to develop successful campaigns.  She was recruited to Houston, Texas in the management of a nationally-recognized heritage radio powerhouse.

Wine was and continues to be Constance’s passion and through 20+ years of oenophile study traveling to countries and immersing in learning all things wine, she has an expansive base of strong relations with retailers, distributors, and the wine industry connections.

In 2002 Constance founded and launched Food & Vine Time Productions, Houston’s largest culinary, wine, craft beverage lifestyle event company, focusing on consumer events and wine industry trade tastings.

Sam Jaoude

MadeNLebanon is a consulting firm specializing in marketing, branding, and distribution of Lebanese-made products in the USA and the western world.

Sam created an innovative program, LMMP USA, a nonprofit organization, and LMMP Lebanon, an NGO (non-governmental organization) with FDA Consultants to help the western world understand Lebanese systems, to build trust and transparency, and to provide confidence needed in Lebanese manufacturing.

As a Lebanese American, Sam understands the corporate culture of North America while still relating to Lebanese culture. Having worked for corporate America in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 25 years has given Sam the business acumen to open doors to both ethnic and mainstream America.

As an accomplished FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) international food agent, consultant, and internationally-recognized speaker, Sam’s vast expertise is widely sought in marketing, branding, and distribution in the FMCG retail industries.

Sam’s clients are owners and operators from small family-run businesses to big-name brands, working with many of the top brands in Lebanon as their consultant and agent.