The Wine Importer Who Took On Trump and Won — Bonus Episode 45

When illegal wine tariffs threatened to put his business under, Victor Owen Schwartz did what almost no one else in American commerce was willing to do. He sued the federal government.

As lead plaintiff in VOS Selections v. Donald Trump, this 40-year wine importer took the fight from the Court of International Trade all the way to the Supreme Court — winning at every stop. 3-0. 7-2. 6-3. On the morning this episode was recorded, his IEEPA tariff refunds hit his bank account for the first time.

We cover how a brunch he almost skipped led to a call with the Liberty Justice Center, why Amazon folded while a small wine importer didn't, what it actually costs a business operating on 5% margins to absorb a 15% tariff overnight, the moral weight of the decision to fight, and what it feels like when justice stops being theoretical and shows up in your bank account.

Victor Owen Schwartz is the founder of VOS Selections, a New York-based importer representing producers across 16 countries and five continents. This is his story.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:23 Victor Owen Schwartz — who he is

1:01 Naming his daughter Syrah

2:27 Chloe joins the business

3:13 Where the tariffs stand today

3:56 Three courts, three wins

4:46 What is IEEPA and why was it illegal

8:08 February 20th — they won, and new tariffs dropped same day

10:06 Smoot-Hawley and the history of bad tariff policy

11:22 The refund portal opens

12:18 Phase one refunds hit the account

14:08 The economics — 5% margins explained

17:18 The math — $100 revenue, $5 profit, $15 tariff

21:00 The dollar drops 15% on top of the tariffs

22:39 How Victor found the Liberty Justice Center

26:49 The Saturday morning email — VOS Selections v. Donald Trump

29:20 The risk of going up against this administration

31:33 Liberty Justice Center agrees to cover him

32:08 Why he said yes

35:32 Bezos folded. Victor didn't.

37:36 Court of International Trade — 3-0

42:09 Federal Appeals Court — 7-2

43:17 The Supreme Court — Chloe at 2 AM

46:02 Judge Easton orders the refunds

49:00 What it felt like when the money arrived

52:36 The Mike Pence letter

54:04 How to claim your IEEPA refund

55:27 Closing

🎙️Watch more episodes with winemakers, sommeliers, and wine thought leaders on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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