In 2000, Sam Catechis and his wife, Stella, founded Stellar Importing Company with the goal of introducing and promoting the premium and ultra-premium wines of Greece to the American market. Even though the company was named after Stella, the couple wanted the company's name to reflect their commitment to import and market a stellar collection of Greek wines, hence, the name. With the evolution of the modern Greek wine makers adopting the latest vinification techniques from France and with improved viticultural methods, Stellar is confident that its portfolio is one of the best that Greece has to offer. Today, Stellar has a distribution network covering 45 states.

Sam is in charge of sales and marketing at Stellar. He pursued studies in Political Science and Economics at Hunter College - City University of New York with a minor in Archaeology. Sam has over twenty-five years of experience in the Greek wine business. He was the manager and sommelier for Periyali Restaurant in New York City, and has worked for Blair Importers, Todhunter Importers, and David Sherman Corporation as the national brand manager for their Greek portfolio and other world wines. He was responsible for developing marketing and sales strategies, pricing, programming and managing the distribution network. He is the recipient of numerous sales awards.

Stella is in charge of the administrative aspects of the business, including licensing and compliance. Stella holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The American University in Washington, D.C. and a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Public Administration from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She has over ten years of experience on Capitol Hill serving as a Legislative Assistant and Legislative Director and as a Budget Associate on the House Committee on the Budget. Stella's interest in importing Greek wine developed at a seminar given by Sam at a Greek trade show where the couple met. The rest is history. Since then, Stella has earned a Higher Certificate in Wine from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London, England and hopes her appreciation of Greek wine, like Sam's, is shared by the American public.

Sam and Stella invite you to taste the wonderful grape varieties that are indigenous to Greece, such as Agiorgitiko, Assyritiko, Roditis, Alepou Roditis, Savatiano, Malagouzia, Mavrodaphne, Moschofilero, Muscat, Aidani, Athiri, as well as the French stem varieties that Greece has also cultivated. Stellar invites you to taste modern wines from an ancient world. Enjoy!