Meet our founder
Federico Fanelli
Founder & wine buyer, Swirl
Federico has served more than 500 restaurants across Japan, including luxury hotels and Michelin-starred establishments, and has shipped to over 10,000 individual customers through online sales. Every wine in our cellar is one he chose himself, visiting family makers around the world.
Read his full profile →
Our mission
Our mission
Our name comes from the swirl of a wine glass, the small motion that releases every aroma. We chose it because wine, like that motion, opens up endless layers when you take the time.
For us, wine is more than a drink. It's a way to slow down, to connect, to make ordinary evenings memorable. One bottle leads to a new conversation, a new friendship, a new chapter.
Our mission is to widen that world: to share the stories behind the wines, and to use wine as a bridge between people and places.
How Swirl started
Swirl was founded by Federico Fanelli, who grew up in Italy.
As a boy, Federico was taken to wineries in Piedmont by his father, who bought wine in bulk straight from the producers and bottled it at home. Growing up with wine always close at hand, it was simply part of everyday life.
His dream was a place where wine lovers could gather: somewhere flat and welcoming, where beginners and connoisseurs enjoy good wine together, whatever they know. Swirl began from the wish to let wine connect people and share good, happy times with people all over the world.
That is why Swirl is more than a shop. The Wine Quiz, the Wine Club and our events all exist to make wine easier to enjoy, easier to talk about, and a door to something new. We want to bring wine closer to everyday life and build a new world of wine where many people connect.
What only Swirl can do
Every wine on Swirl has passed our own tasting bar. We import directly from family wineries around the world, and we work hard to build relationships, not just transactions. Every bottle comes with the story of where it came from and why we picked it.
Beyond strict quality control, we work as your personal sommelier: matching wines to your taste with breadth and care. For individuals: the online shop, the Wine Quiz, the taste-matched monthly Wine Club, pairing events, and an active community. For trade clients: hand-selected suggestions, regional and food pairing notes, and full after-sales support. The same care reaches everyone, from a first-time taster to Tokyo's top hotels and restaurants.
Wine lovers are friends in waiting
Swirl started from a simple wish: a place where wine lovers, from seasoned drinkers to people just getting started, could all gather.
We host tastings and food-pairing events at restaurants and hotels, and share wine and winery stories on social media, building a place where wine lovers can find each other.
New wines, new friends. Come and share a glass with us.