The Negotiators

(From left) Jessica Kogan and Cameron Hughes, owners of Cameron Hughes Wine, an SF-based wine négociant company. Photographed on location at Crushpad in Dogpatch by Keeney + Law.

Don't expect to find Cameron Hughes, 37, and his wife, Jessica Kogan, 35, out touring their vineyard or hosting tastings in a massive faux-château somewhere up in Napa—they don't own either. "We had no money to buy a winery," says Cameron, who got his start working for the Wine Group, a mega distributor based in SF, "so we had to come up with a better business plan."

Better, indeed—since 2003, Hughes has been acting as a wine négociant, buying surplus premium wine from top wineries around the world, then blending and bottling it under his own label, Cameron Hughes. Each blend, assigned its own lot number, is offered in limited release, and lots run the gamut from Australian Syrah to Anderson Valley Pinot.

"We struggled for a long time," says Kogan of the years spent selling wine from the back of their Volvo. "We almost got divorced, and we had $50,000 of credit-card debt. We never doubted our model—offering premium wines for less than $20 a bottle—but we wondered if we could make it work." A lucky break came in 2004, when a wine buyer at Costco tasted a bottle Hughes dropped off, then called the following day and bought all 1,800 cases of Lot 1. They went from selling 500 cases in 2003 (mostly to mom-and-pop stores) to 110,000 cases in 2007, and the company is projected to do $16 million in sales this year. Hughes' advice on finding great wines at discount prices? "If you're at Costco and you see a wine you don't recognize priced between $10 and $20, buy it. They don't stock crap." He should know.

Favorite place to buy wine?
K+L Wines is one of our favorite places to buy wine in the city. They have a great selection and are very knowledgeable. For drinking and eating, we like Bacar, 21st Amendment and Suppenküche.

(On Kogan): Vena Cava dress ($450) at Barneys New York, 415-229-2029. Yves Saint Laurent pumps ($650) at Barneys New York. belt, stockings, jewelry, stylist's own. (On Hughes): John Varvatos blazer ($1,295), Theory button-down shirt ($185), Ralph Lauren jeans ($210), Lanvin bow-tie ($820) and co-op Barneys New York boots ($325) at Barneys New York.

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