Founder and C.E.O.

Alex Guarachi founded TGIC in order to introduce the American market to the exotic flavors of his heritage: South American and New World wine.

Alex hails from Santiago, Chile. As one of eight children, he enjoyed wine — some of the best from his homeland — as a staple on the dinner table. When Alex made the pilgrimage from Chile to the U.S., those wines were nowhere to be found. The entrepreneur vowed to change this and TGIC (Thank God It’s Chilean) was born.

America had not been formally introduced to Chilean wines, and Alex seized the opportunity of this untapped market. Through resources of his own, he managed to purchase his first container of Chilean wine. TGIC Importers, Inc. was officially open for business in 1985. What began as a one-man show operating out of his dimly lit garage has grown into a multimillion dollar company boasting a portfolio of some of the finest wines from not only Chile, but also Argentina, Australia, France, Italy, California and New Zealand.

TGIC has enjoyed success both importing and wholesaling premium wines, beginning with Chile’s best-known producers. Chilean wine has grown in popularity as Americans have discovered the quality and diversity of its vintages. Today, TGIC proudly represents South America’s finest wineries, such as Montes, Santa Ema, Achaval Ferrer, Bodega Norton, Pascual Toso and Kaiken.

Known as an authority on the wines of South America, Alex is also a wine collector and has judged both national and international wine competitions. He has served as the Chilean editor and contributing writer for “American Wine,” featured on the web. Alex is a recognized authority on the Malbec varietal and serves on the board of the Chilean Wine Council. Alex lives in Los Angeles with his two children.