About The Meritage Company

The story of The Meritage Company begins in 1996, when Founder and President Kathy Leon was traveling in France and Italy. It was during that tour that she first encountered the Drip Stop Ring. Like many other wine drinkers in the US, she had never seen one, and it seemed like an ideal product to bring home and share with fellow enthusiasts. Shortly thereafter, Kathy recalled having seen beautiful glass wine stoppers on an earlier trip to Italy, and when she was able to track down the artist behind them, The Meritage Company was born. While the Drip Stop Ring and the Murano Glass Stoppers are still proudly featured on the site, the Meritage Company has grown to offer many diverse products for wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike. Kathy is always on the lookout for accessories that meet her rigid standards of quality, uniqueness, and reasonable price.

As unique and fun as these gifts are, The Meritage Company insists that every item on the site always be available to our customers. We import directly from the manufacturer and always stock plenty of inventory. We do not drop ship from around the world - rather, we maintain inventory in our own warehouse. This allows us to quickly fulfill orders, usually shipping these one-of-a-kind items within two business days.

About Kathy Leon

Kathy Leon, the Founder and President of The Meritage Company, has a distinguished career as an entrepreneur. For the eleven years prior to founding The Meritage Company, Kathy was the founder and president of Pet Pals, Inc., a company dedicated to supplying well-made, safe and non-toxic toys for cats and dogs. Shortly after selling Pet Pals in 1996, Kathy's travels to Europe inspired her to start a new company, this one devoted to her enjoyment of wine and fascination with fun and exciting wine accessories. Kathy admits being partial to the travel required by her position - she says that her work with The Meritage Company is "a good reason to travel to great places, like France, Italy, Napa Valley, and wine festivals around the world." We hope you enjoy the results of Kathy's travels as much as we do.