Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/61075
RECOGNITION It was the fourth annual celebration of the Wente Family Estates' Legacy Awards, and this year, the party was staged inside the rustic gravity-flow winery built in the late 19th century by Louis Mel. "Honoring the best distributor and importer partners in 2011, the awards put a spotlight on the men and women whose experi- ence and vision help us understand what makes us a better partner in the market," stated Carolyn Wente. "These awards honor those who drive our success in the right accounts, and deliver profitabil- ity along with brand integrity and pricing. This group is the crème de la crème." The awards are segmented by market size and dependent on volume sales and points of distribution. New awards were created this year for special recognition. 2011 Legacy Awards U.S. WHOLESALE Tiers (broken down by market size) Platinum Tier Southern Wine & Spirits, California Tier 1 Classic Wine Imports, Massachusetts Glazer's Distributors, Texas Lauber Selections, New Jersey Tier 2 New England Wine & Spirits Inc., Connecticut Glazer's Distributing, Missouri Capitol-Husting Company Inc., Wisconsin Tier 3 g. housen, Vermont Olinger Distributing - Glazer's, Indiana Lipman Brothers, Tennessee Southern Wine & Spirits of California reached the Platinum Tier for more than 100,000 cases sold. "We grew up with SWS of California in the 1980s," Carolyn explained to the attendees. With an increase of 14% in sales over the prior year, SWS actually exceeded the 100,000-case level, opening up 2,400 new accounts in California. Meanwhile, SWS of Florida exceeded all expectations with the launch of Wente's new wine brand, entwine, with 100% distribution in 740 Publix stores, making it the number-one wine brand in Florida in its price segment." Pictured left to right: Eric, Karl and Philip Wente; Steve Slater, EVP/ Wine SWS of America; Carolyn Wente, Jack Brennan, EVP/GM SWS of CA; Jean Wente (third generation); and Steve Harden, VP-GM, SWS of Northern CA. The awards ceremony was held at Murrieta's Well Winery in Livermore, California. INTERNATIONAL International Cellars, Canada Ambros Inc., Guam West Indies Corporation, Virgin Islands SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS Southern Wine & Spirits, Maryland – Outstanding New Distributor Glazer's Distributors, Texas – Outstanding Portfolio Performance for Wente Family Estates Southern Wine & Spirits, Florida – Outstanding Brand Launch for entwine Connecticut – Outstanding Sales Performance for Murrieta's Well New England Wine & Spirits Inc., g. housen, Vermont - Outstanding Sales Performance for Hayes Ranch Southern Wine & Spirits, Maryland – Outstanding Sales Performance for Tamás Estates Southern Wine & Spirits, California – Outstanding Sales Performance for Wente Vineyards 74 / the tasting panel / april 2012