The PReston-Layne Team

President & Founder

Van is the owner and president of Preston-Layne and Partners. He manages business and relationships between suppliers and distributors, and travels to spend time with wineries, managers and key personnel.  He also manages business relationships between distributors and key On- and Off-Premises customers across the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Caribbean.

Van graduated from the University Of Kansas in 1986. He worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry for 17 years with Johnson & Johnson, Dow Chemical and Alcon Laboratories. Van then went on to spend 3-½ years as VP of Marketing & Sales with Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery from March 2000 to July 2003. 

In July 2003, Van decided to pursue his dream when he started Preston-Layne and Partners wine brokerage. Within the next 10 years, Van went on to expand his business, adding an importing arm. 

Contact: van@preston-layne.com

Account Specialist - California  

Chris Collins is an independent broker doing business as Collins Vintage Wines in California. Chris represents Champagne Jacquart, an esteemed French Champagne house, a small prestigious Washington State winery by the name of Barnard Griffin and the highly sought after Trentadue Vineyards in Sonoma Valley. He is responsible for marketing and promotion of these portfolios, managing inventories, programming and incentives. He works closely with the distributors and their sales forces to maintain competitive pricing and profile in both on and off premise accounts, as well as calling on accounts to create new distribution broad market and within the extensive California Chain business. 

Chris completed a Federal Swiss Bachelor’s degree in business and a French Linguistics degree in a Swiss University and then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from the renowned Hotel School in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1975. He worked in restaurants and hotels in Europe for several years before returning to the U.S. and settling in Washington D.C. in 1979. After a short stint with an Italian Importer, he became involved with Forman Brothers, Inc., a distributor, where he sold fine wines for many years in the Washington D.C. market. After leaving in 1995, he started his own company to import wines from Tunisia, North Africa and subsequently on to join with a Mid-Atlantic brokerage by the name of Rock Creek Wine Merchants in 1998. He moved to Los Angeles in September of 2001 to start his own brokerage. 

Chris is an avid sailor and has spent many years on the water, including 3-4 years in the Caribbean and 3-4 more in the Mediterranean. He is fluent in French, Spanish and Greek and has lived almost 25 years of his life overseas and spends as much time as possible traveling in many different places around the world when time permits. He also enjoys playing golf, softball, racquetball and squash as well as sailing and skiing. He maintains a tremendous interest in the culinary arts and spends a lot of time cooking and enjoying gourmet food and great wine with friends and family.  

With more than 35 years in the wine business, Chris has built a reputation over the years and has been through many industry changes. He has long-standing relationships with many people in the trade and hopes to continue them for many years to come. 

Contact: collvin1@verizon.net