Wines of Illyria
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Bosnia Croatia Wine Trip
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Our Founder

Founder of Wines of Illyria, Indira Bayer, in a suit jacket and blue top wearing a lapis necklace.

Indira Bayer, originally from the Former Yugoslavia, immigrated to the United States in 1996. Since becoming a US citizen, she worked as an Assistant Vice President of Bank of America's Small Business Banking, as an Assistance Coordinator and other roles with the US Department of State in the Balkans, and as an Adjunct Lecturer of Accounting and Finance courses at the American University in Bosnia and Hercegovina.


In 2016, Indira founded Wines of Illyria, a wine import company, dedicated to bringing wines from the Balkan peninsula to American consumers. Her goal was to create demand for Balkan wines in the U.S. which would in turn create jobs for unemployed youth in  Bosnia-Herzegovina and other Balkan countries and stop the brain drain, one of the biggest issues these countries were facing at that time. In addition, Indira wanted to create a positive image of  Bosnia-Herzegovina and the region plus add it to the list of worlds’ well-known wine producing counties as the long history of wine making warrants it. 


Indira continues to work with both large and small wineries throughout the Balkan Peninsula sourcing and bringing to consumers premium quality wines made of native varieties: Vranac, Blatina, Plavac Mali, Zilavka, Malvazija, Posip, Tamjanika, Trnjak and others. Indira wholesales in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and works with her partner distributors in New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oregon and soon Ohio.

   

As the Founder and Brand Ambassador of Wines of Illyria, Indira holds educational seminars, online and in person, participates in wine shows  and organizes wines tastings and staff trainings to support her wholesale and retail partners. Indira is using website and social media for marketing. Please follow us, check out web page, shop on our online store and become a member of our Wine Club to receive 4 bottles of our fine wines once a quarter: 

 www.WinesofIllyria.com; WinesofIllyriaFace Book; Wines of Illyria Instagram;


Press:

True Hollywood Talk

Vinter Project

Podcast ADdaAtude

Palatepress Online Wine Magazine

The Day , New London, CT 

LadiesIn-Bosnian Magazine

The Beverage Journal

BalkanBred Podcast 

Founder, Indira Bayer, taking a selfie in the vineyards where Wines of Illyria grows.

 


Indira Bayer and restaurant owner tasting Wines of Illyria at a restaurant bar, featuring five wines

In an effort, to get wines from the Balkans as recognized as those from Italy, Argentina or California and become household names, Indira provides phonetic spelling on all of her wine labels of Zilavka, Vranac, Blatina, Plavac Mali, Trnjak and others.  So, let’s begin - repeat after us: Zhi-luv-kah, Vra-natz, Blah-tee-nah, Plah-vatz Mah-lee, Ter-nyak! Give our wine a try and you will be pleasantly suprised.



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