b'Your Unknown Source forQuality WineA South Orange business works to elevate the local wine gameBY HANK ZONAAngela DeLuca and Eva Zorad sharing wine and conversation at the recent CHS Cougar Boosters fund-raiser at The Woodland in Maplewood. M anyofuspayatten- wood,NeighborsinSouthOrange,oratpastBlu on the Hudson.wines? The wines and tiontowhereourwine dinner collaborations at Bistro dAzur, PortaWhat are Bonhomie foodcomesfromRossa or Luna Stella. Living here, working here,spirits in the portfolio come from more than 40 andhowitisgrownhaving employees and friends here, we do try todifferent producers from the United States, France, andmade.Wesup- be visible in the community, with local businessesItaly, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, portsmallgrowersand supporting local entities, says DeLuca. Chile, and most recently Canada. Many of these and craft artisans. WeBonhomie was founded in 2008 by another lo- relationships go back to Woods founding of the seek out the delicious. Do we extend that samecal resident, Charlie Woods. It is located out ofcompany, although DeLuca and Zorad have made approach to what we drink? Two local women,plain sight in a walk-up office on Vose Avenue.significant additions to the roster of wineries. friends and now business partners, are doing whatWith the entirety of his wine experience in theMaintaining and growing relationships with they can to bring this level of mindfulness to moreNew York City market, most of Woods early ac- producersistheeasypart,saysDeLuca.Itis wine drinkers. counts were based there. Bonhomie still enjoys awhat makes us who we are. The typical winery is Some of the best wine available is coming fromstrong presence there today. Award-winning res- small, specializing in craft-level production, often Bonhomie Wine Imports, a female-owned Southtaurants such as Estella and Blue Hill and famedfamily owned and multi-generational. The winer-Orange-based business. Angela DeLuca and EvaTribeca wine bar Terroir are among its clients.ies rely on having a personal and professional re-Zorad, both West Orange residents, are the co- Itisrestaurants,oronpremiseaccounts,lationship with a similarly sized and like-minded owners of this boutique wine and spirits importthat have always jumped for the small productionwholesaler such as Bonhomie. and wholesale company. wines in its portfolio. On this side of the Hud- Wineispersonal.MembersoftheJaboulet As wholesalers, they do not have a storefront.son, Bonhomie wines can be found on the listsfamily in Frances Rhone region, and Lang & Reed You may have crossed paths with them at tastingsat perennially top-rated Jersey restaurants such asin Napa Valley, have moved from bigger players, in Village Wine Shop or Lums Cellars in Maple- Restaurant Serenade, Summit House, Byrd, andspecifically seeking out DeLuca and Zorad. 30/ matters magazine / hearth + home 2025'