About

Ionia Atlantic Imports was founded in 2003 by Nathan Woodhouse and Kallie Smith. Our vision is simple: deliver Italy to the American consumer in the form of one of its most precious gifts. Italian wine captures the land, culture, history and people of Italy, and our producers share our belief that wine should evoke the beauty of its terroir. Ionia Atlantic Imports, along with its distribution partners throughout the United States, shares that vision with wine lovers across America. While Italy is our focus, we also collaborate with domestic wineries and other importers to distribute wines from the most incredible appellations from around the world.

Team

Salute

Kallie Barry

Founder and Managing Partner

Kallie Barry was raised to love travel, food and experiencing new cultures. She discovered her love of wine, particularly Italian wine, while beginning research for Ionia Atlantic with her friend and business partner, Nathan Woodhouse. Kallie travels whenever she can and enjoys cooking and wine pairing at her home in St. Louis with her husband children.

Nathan Woodhouse

Founder and Managing Partner

Nathan Woodhouse fell in love with Italy while stationed at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily in the late 1990s. After graduating with a degree in Finance from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2003, he started Ionia Atlantic Imports with his friend and colleague, Kallie Smith. His passion for Italy and its wine is surpassed only by his devotion to his family. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Bryn, and children, Henry and Sybil, who frequently accompany him in his favorite activity: travel.

Eric Reed, IWS, CSW

Sales Manager, Import Regional Manager

Eric has been with Ionia since 2009, starting as a Saint Louis sales representative, then moving on to sales management and Import Regional Sales Manager. He travels regularly to Italy and other wine regions throughout the world to select wines truly representative of their origin and place. Eric continually works toward the wine education of others through classes and tastings.

Lindsey Murrell
Kansas City Sales Dynamo

Lindsey is the sales representative for the Kansas City market and has been a part of Ionia Atlantic since June 2022. She joined the team shortly after moving back to Kansas City from Los Angeles and has a 20-year background in the entertainment industry, representing touring musicians and fashion models. Born in Napa, making her love of wine inevitable. While on a quest to find a new career path she completed the Court of Masters Introductory level as well as Levels 2 & 3 in the WSET program. She is also a recent graduate from the University of Kansas with a degree in communication and a minor in psychology.

Bill Schermer
Missouri Fulfillment Master

Bill is our timeless, steadfast master of Missouri deliveries. He has been with us since 2010. Bill is beloved by all, and has always gone out of his way to provide exceptional service to our Saint Louis clients.

Luciano Racca

Office & Warehouse Manager

Partner at Raineri Winery

Luciano joins us as a new citizen of the United States, having married a local girl in Saint Louis. Luciano has extensive experience in wine, including ownership in Raineri, one of our Piemonte producers. He has managed wine programs at prestigious Michelin rated restaurants in Europe, and is an unmatched source of knowledge in Italian wine, especially Piemontese wine. Luciano also manages events and education at Ionia Atlantic Imports.