Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/19027
PORTUGAL Heir Apparent ESPORÃO’S JOÃO ROQUETTE LEADS THE COMPANY INTO THE FUTURE story and photos by Lana Bortolot Esporão’s history reads something like an epic novel. Chapter 1: Important Portuguese banker invests in underdog winery project against better advisement. Succeeds, only to have property seized during the 1974 revolution. Banker’s family goes into exile in Spain, London and Brazil. Family returns to Portugal in 1979 and reclaims winery in 1984, rebuilding it with a business partner. Local municipality calls project “enormous and crazy,” but approves it anyway. Chapter 2: Meanwhile, youngest son, a serious jazz pianist, goes to busi- ness school, works for Merrill Lynch in London for three years. Leaves business to start record label in Barcelona. Eventually sets up studio at winery in Alentejo, but is distracted by wine business. After stint on the board, three records and trial period in the business, son becomes CEO in 2006 at age 32. Esporão now exports about 35 percent of its production. Since assuming the mantle of his father’s winery, João Roquette, has traded in jazz for juice, making Esporão the largest privately held Portuguese company special- izing in premium wines and olive oils. In Portugal, its signature brand, Monte Velho, leads with 4.5 percent of the red wine market. Roquette has moved the needle in a number of ways. He’s nearly doubled the company investment from 3 million euros in 2007 to 5.8 million in 2009. Under his watch, Esporão built a new 4,200-square-meter bottling plant, revamped its corporate identity and increased olive oil distribution (including 26 U.S. markets) and upped revenue by 20 percent. As part of its diversification strategy, Esporão increased its shares in PrimeDrinks, a distribution company, to 50 percent and also acquired Quinta dos Murças, an estate in the Douro with vines (yes, they still stomp grapes by foot here), olive and orange groves. Murças will launch two red wines and two ports in 2011. Additionally, the young CEO introduced corporate values, a com- mitment to sustainability and joined Countdown 2010, a global bio- João Roquette, CEO of Portugal’s Esporão. 72 / the tasting panel / november 2010