The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2013

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PHOTO: ANNE WATSON Jon Newlon (left) with his SoCal "A" Team, Brian Rogers and Ray Sodeika. PHOTO: JOHN CURLEY running up and down the Sonoma and Napa Valleys to pitch and recruit regional wines to fill this niche. The large distributorship was bursting at the seams with brands. "There were a handful of salespeople, including me," recounts Jon Newlon, now VP/General Manager of American, who began his career in the restaurant industry and was recruited by Allen to work for American Wine & Spirits as one of its first salespeople. The small, tight-knit start-up group included Craig Schisler, Michael Lampson, Michael Levine, Michael Coleman and Mark Bernstein. "This team represented an early application of Southern's 'fine-wine-expert' approach that Mel was infusing across Southern's state divisions at the time—dedicating and focusing professionals on supplementing our traditional Southern selling division resources," added Newlon. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place at the eight-year mark when the Schieffelin & Somerset (S&S) line-up of brands came into the fray and AWS' sales staff began to increase. "We added S&S' spirit brands and practically became a miniature version of the Southern selling division," admits Newlon, who goes on to explain how that soon changed when, in 2001, the newly formed Pacific Wine & Spirits division took control of the former S&S brands under the umbrella of the Diageo–Moët Hennessy portfolio. "We stopped what we were doing to Jim Allen, SVP, Fine Wine, SWS/American Wine & Spirits. start over… again," Newlon confesses. "The newer American Wine & Spirits had a sales force of wine geeks." There were more ups and then a down—the recession of 2008. "Fine wine portfolios took a beating everywhere," he says. Newlon was called to duty back at Southern, where he ran the on-premise division in Southern California. "It was sad to leave American after all the hard work, but I 'learned to dance' on-premise. The good news is that I was able to implement new systems and programming that are still in place today." The hiatus lasted three years. The Big Return and a New Era In 2011, Newlon was asked to come back to American to run the entire state as VP/General Manager. "The objective—my vision—was to run the division as one company, uniting California. Combining the efforts of north and south released the combined capabilities and resources of divisions across the state. "We took our sales force to an incentive-based approach, increasing goals and programs; we went into acquisition mode." With exciting portfolios coming into American, the outlook looked more promising than ever. Wines and spirits are edgy and trend-setting, coming from such companies as Domaine Select, Eric Solomon and more recently, Maisons, Marques & Domaines, a large supplier alignment for AWS. "As acquisitions and business grew, so did our recognition of the talent needed to win in the marketplace," Newlon recounts. "Statewide, we are prospering and suppliers are stew- arded by one cohesive, capable team." Best and Baddest All roads to American Wine & Spirits' many successes begin with education. Jon Newlon mapped out a short list that puts this company ahead of the curve: *Training – Director of Education Ira Norof (who also happens to be the President of the Society of Wine Educators) personally continues his own exploration and knowledge so he can pass the information on to the sales teams. Monthly seminars empower, with topics germain to selling the brands represented, along with the regions' culture, food and history. Norof also oversees certification processes; at this time, 43 employees have accreditation as either Certified Wine Specialists, Master Sommeliers (various levels), and certified WSET graduates. Norof's weekly newsletter, Grapes & Grains, has been a regular commitment since 1996, keeping the sales teams apprised on new vintages, selling-opportunity dates and brand anniversaries. His featurette, "What's in a Name," showcases the story behind the bottle. * Story Time: Every Friday, Newlon and his SoCal managers, Ray Sodeika (VP Sales and Marketing) and Brian Rogers (VP Sales Manager) gather the American division managers and sales force for school day classroom-style seminars called "Story Time," featuring winemakers and brand owners. Newlon explains: "The brand's principals tell their stories with the passion and content that they expect the sales associates to relay on the street." june 2013  /  the tasting panel  /  53 TP0613_042-79.indd 53 5/23/13 4:33 PM

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