Don graduated in 1976 and went home to Florence to take over the family's construction business. Whirl went to work for the Budweiser distributor thirty-miles away in Greenville. They always managed to stay in touch with each other, and even got together occasionally for a friendly wager on a game of darts or pool.

The 80s brought many changes - different relationships, different business opportunities, different world. By 1987, the two of them were independent business owners, and, as luck would have it, they got back together in a joint furniture venture with two other partners. It was during the birth of that enterprise that the wine "rivalry" began.

As with most new businesses, start-up meetings were frequently held. Occasionally, at the conclusion of the meetings, Don and Whirl would retreat to enjoy a cold beverage, as was their nature. It was during these post-meeting rendezvous that Whirl told Don about his newfound love of wine. Don, who had been raised by wine-appreciative parents, was intrigued by the prospect of having a friend with whom he could taste and discuss the intricacies of wine. From that point forward, every time Don, his wife, Hayden, and Whirl got together, they all brought special bottles of wine from their personal cellars. Discussions of wine led to blind tastings, which led to some of the most "spirited" debates ever between the two friends. Let the games begin…again! Curiously though, a common denominator slowly arose between these two old rivals - they discovered that they both favored the classic French wines over everything else they tried.

Early one morning in October 1990, Don called Whirl and excitedly asked him if he had received Robert Parker's newsletter, The Wine Advocate. Don began to read the reviews of several highly rated French wines and said, "Listen to this - they have 'No known American Importer!'" The seed was planted.

The next few weeks were filled with several "what-if" meetings. Don's brother and Hayden's sister, along with their spouses, became extremely interested in the project and were invited to become investors. In February 1991 the seven original stockholders of the yet-to-be-named company found themselves in Chateauneuf du Pape, in the southern Rhone valley of France. Meetings had been pre-arranged with several of the producers mentioned in Parker's newsletter, along with a few more appointments with some of the other vigneron from the area. The winemakers were skeptical; after all, every American that came there claimed to be an importer, but they were usually just looking for free samples or a better price. It was not an easy task to convince any of the winemakers of the American's sincerity. Letters of credit had to be produced before any discussion of quantities or price could begin. The group from South Carolina prevailed though, leaving France with authorization to sell the best seventeen-wines they had tasted, all of which came from eight different producers.

After returning home, the group decided it was time to give the company a name. Because of their experience in Chateauneuf du Pape, the name "New Castle Imports" became the consensus choice. The name "Chateauneuf du Pape" translates to "New Castle of the Pope." It just seemed appropriate.

Like most new business ventures, New Castle Imports started out working hard to establish itself and, most importantly, make money. Throughout the history of the company though, one facet of the business has never been rushed; that being wine selection. In the second year, wines from the northern Rhone were added. The year after that came Burgundies. Along the way, Champagne and sparkling wine from the Loire valley became part of the portfolio. Some Bordeaux slowly found their way in, as did some wines from the Coteaux du Languedoc. It was a full ten-years before a wine from Alsace was deemed good enough to carry the New Castle Imports name.

Don and Whirl always agreed on one thing - if it is going to have the New Castle Imports label on the back of the bottle, it must be the best wine available from that particular region, and preferably made by a smaller, "artisan" style producer. All wines are chosen in blind tastings against similar available products, as well as their competition. The "winners" are chosen on a quality basis only, with price being of little or no importance. All wine is shipped to the United States in refrigerated cargo containers to ensure cellar integrity. Equally important, all New Castle Import wines are stored in a temperature and humidity controlled warehouse, reducing the possibility of "cooked" wines to almost zero.

Today, New Castle Imports represents over two hundred-wines from over twenty-different producers. The wines are sold in every major wine market in the United States. Up-and-coming stars, along with some of the most respected names in the French wine industry, now contact Don to ask if New Castle Imports would be interested in representing their wines. Don has also attracted some of the top wine-selling professionals from around the country to ensure continued growth. This determined young group shares one thing in common - an unbridled passion for great French wine.

For New Castle Imports, the future looks very bright; very bright indeed!