Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/661678
april 2016 / the tasting panel / 95 SILVER TIER BRONZE TIER Southern Wine & Spirits of Hawaii "Hawaii sold so much wine in 2015 that they moved from Bronze to Silver market size tier," cheered Carolyn. "They came in with a whopping 54% increase." Larry DiPietro, Wente Family Estates; Carolyn Wente; Karl Wente; Keith Chinen/SWS; Tyson Overton, Wente Family Estates; Amy Hoopes, Wente Family Estates. Capital Husting, Wisconsin This four-time Legacy Award winner was on hand to cel- ebrate yet another year of Wente Family Estates excellence. Phil Wente; Carolyn Wente; Tyson Overton, Wente Family Estates; Joel Sanfilippo, Capital Husting; Karl Wente; Bridget Epp, Wente Family Estates; Eric Wente; Kyle Luebke; Amy Hoopes, Wente Family Estates. Paustis Wine Co., Minnesota "Paustis is a family-owned distributor that only represents family-owned wines," recalled Carolyn, who told the story of a Wente Family Estates wine dinner she hosted with Cody Olson, Brand Manager for Paustis. "There are quite a few Wentes in Minnesota," she said; "I looked around the room and they were the ones that were 6'9" tall. The Wente clan are wine lovers!" Phil Wente; Tyson Overton, Wente Family Estates; Carolyn Wente; Cody Olson, Paustis Wine Co.; Karl Wente; Bridget Epp, Wente Family Estates; Eric Wente; Amy Hoopes, Wente Family Estates. Young's Market, Utah Carolyn Wente described the winery's relationship with Young's Market Company in Utah with a famous quote from John Steinbeck: "A journey is like a marriage," she says, calling theirs a "good one." With depletions up 51%, we're inclined to agree. Larry DiPietro, Wente Family Estates; Carolyn Wente; Amy Hoopes, Wente Family Estates; Karl Wente; Dan Ewer, Young's Market Co.; Tyson Overton, Wente Family Estates. Southern Wine & Spirits of Oregon "It's a real challenge to sell California wines in Oregon," admitted Carolyn, "but it's apparent to me that Southern Wine & Spirits took things to a new level in Oregon," where deple- tions were up 55% over plan for the first-time Legacy winner. Carolyn Wente; Karl Balzer, SWS; Karl Wente; Larry DiPietro, Wente Family Estates; Tyson Overton, Wente Family Estates; Amy Hoopes, Wente Family Estates. Glazer's Mississippi "Since it's your first time, I can roast you," joked Carolyn Wente, who was all seriousness when she noted that Glazer's of Mississippi had improved sales 35% over previous year. Carolyn Wente; Kevin Laxon, Glazer's; Karl Wente; Amy Hoopes, Wente Family Estates; Heather Alper, Glazer's.