ABOUTUS
Dreadnought Wines' has been providing Pittsburgh with some of the most amazing wine and spirit selections from around the globe for over 35 years. Located in the Lawrenceville area of beautiful Pittsburgh, PA, we provide hand-selected, boutique wines and spirits that can't be found on any state store shelves.
WEDELIVER
Follow these four simple steps for instant wine satisfaction:
Place your order via phone or online.
Our drivers pack your order...
...and deliver it right to your door.
You enjoy amazing wines hassle-free!
Expand your palate and impres your friends with incredible wines
from all around the world - without even leaving your house.
WINECLUB
Give the gift that truly keeps on giving!
Every other month, you'll receive a collection of four fabulous boutique wines from Dreadnought's portfolio along with accompanying tasting notes, glassware suggestions and food pairing ideas! Choose to have your wines shipped to selected states, or drop by our store in Lawrenceville to pick up.
PARTNERSHIP
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progess, and working together is success"
-Henry Ford
Dreadnought Wines provides limited production wines to Pennsylvania’s premier restaurants, hotels, clubs and catering companies. We are proud to represent product from a diverse cross section of the world in wine, spirits and Sake
THECLASSES
Want to unveil more in the wonderful world of Wine, Spirits, & more? Check out our sister company, Palate Partners to expand your knowledge; perfect for enthusiasts of all levels. At Palate Partners a fantastic range of educational courses are offered to cater to all. Wine, Spirits, Beer, Cocktails, Olive Oil...
You name it, they offer it!
Our History
1980
1986
1992
1995
2009
2015
Today
Mike Gonze, the current President, purchased Dreadnought Wines, continuing its mission of selling boutique, interesting wines from around the world to the public.
Mike Gonze and Deb Mortillaro created Palate Partners to fill a need in the wine accessory and table top market. Over the years the company has grown and evolved into so much more. Now a major wine and spirit school for both the general public as well as beverage industry professionals, Palate Partners is educating palates in Pittsburgh (and beyond).
Mike and Deb completed a goal that they’d been working on for over five years. They bought an amazing building in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh to house their three companies.
Dreadnought Wines was created by two wild and crazy guys from Alaska, who thought privatization of wine sales would happen at any moment. They brought in boutique wines not available in the PLCB stores. This gave Pittsburgh wine enthusiasts a way to buy new and interesting wines from an informed retailer in a funky space.
Mike Gonze partnered with Deb Mortillaro creating The Butler’s Secret, a retail store, to expand the non-wine component of the business by adding wine accessories and Riedel stemware.
Mike and Deb started Soiree Partners delivery service so that Dreadnought Wine’s sought after wines could be legally transported to weddings, corporate events, and restaurants in Pittsburgh and in Philadelphia.
As Mike and Deb travel visiting new wineries, Dreadnought Wine’s selection continues to expand with wines from around the world, which are appreciated by wine connoisseurs both locally and throughout the United States. To this day, Dreadnought Wines continues its mission of selling boutique wines while uniting with its sister company, Palate Partners to enlighten, excite and educate palates through Wine, Spirits & more.
Meat the Team
Deb Mortillaro
Queen of Quaffing
Mike Gonze
Connoisseur in Chief
After 15 years as one of Pittsburgh’s private chefs, Deb decided to dive into the wine business partnering with Mike Gonze of Dreadnought Wines. Her professional drive within not only Dreadnought, but also its two sister businesses Palate Partners and Soiree Partners, ensures customers an amazing experience.
Traveling the world as both a distributor and wine educator, Deb has a truly unique insight into the industry. Her hands-on approach shows through in her teaching, giving students and event-goers a real glimpse into the fun and fabulous world of wines.
Deb’s exceptional wine knowledge, coupled with her culinary prowess brings an expertise to Palate Partners that allows us to give our customers experiences they truly can’t get anywhere else. Want to really see our Queen of Quaffing in her element? Check out one of our Wine & Grilling events. (You can thank us later)
Deb’s Certifications:
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Graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America
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WSET Level 3 in Wine
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WSET Level 2 in Spirits
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WSET Level 3 in Sake
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Certified Sake Sommelier
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RAMP Certified
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Completed WSET Educator Training Programme.
Connoisseur and Chief... The Grand Poobah of Wine... Our fearless leader, Mike Gonze, is a man who wears many hats. As President of Dreadnought Imports, LTD, the successful 43+ year old wine and spirit importing company, he brings an amazing representation of boutique wines and spirits from all over the globe to establishments and consumers here in Pennsylvania.
In 1995 he created Pittsburgh’s premier wine school with his partner Deb Mortillaro helping to educate and expand palates. Mike’s key relationships with winerys and winemakers alike allows Palate Partners to showcase some of the most amazing wine and spirits collections Dreadnought has to offer.
Mike’s extensive knowledge of wine and spirits comes from years and years of studying and traveling to some of the most renowned vineyards and wineries in the world. For a truly fantastic experience, join Deb and Mike for one of their annual international wine trips.
Mike’s Certifications:
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Certified by the Wine Academy of Spain
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Certified by French Wine Academy
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WSET Level 3 in Wine
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WSET Level 1 in Spirits
John Toler
Philly Connection, Sales
Brent Rykala
Warehouse Coordinator & Driver
Carrie Robertson
Office Orchestrator
After attending Davidson College and a career in advertising, John Toler chose to follow his dream of owning a restaurant and graduated from Philadelphia’s The Restaurant School (now Walnut Hill College). During that process, he realized his passion for wine and learned that he had a keen palate.
He managed a few restaurants in Philadelphia before taking a position with Total Wine based in his home state of Delaware. At the time, Total Wine was an emerging retail operation with three large stores but, with Toler as the Senior Wine Manager, it expanded into five states with 13 stores within four years.
He then moved to the distribution side of the industry and accepted a position with New York based Lauber Imports as the person to spearhead their entry into the Pennsylvania market. He has been a Wine Distributor in Pennsylvania and Delaware for seventeen years. When he’s not selling (or drinking) wine, he is an accomplished singer and pianist.
As Event and Logistics Manager at our sister company, Soiree Partners, Carrie is an invaluable asset to our team.
With over 17 years of hospitality experience, our resident events aficionado assists in several areas of coordination, overseeing office management, and offering unique events insight to the Palate Partners team.
Carrie is WSET Level 1 in Wine and Level 1 in Spirits certified. She's another helping hand and educated team member to our customers!
A power house of strength. Brent is a local Pittsburgher full of energy to move mountains in the warehouse. From packing orders and making sure everything is lined up for delivery to our Patron of paperwork in the office.