Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/8594
HONORS Rewarding Relationships TOP PERFORMING DISTRIBUTORS AND IMPORTERS ARE HONORED AT THE SECOND ANNUAl WENTE FAMILY ESTATES LEGACY AWARDS photos by Peter Griffith wonder that the Wente’s have created the name “Legacy Award” to recognize distributor and importer partners who help to continue the winery’s success story on an international scale. In its second year, the Wente Family Estates Legacy Awards united the finalists from around the U.S. and abroad: distributor houses from nine states and an importer from Dubai. The winners were announced on March 1 at The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards during a four-course meal from Executive Chef Eric Berg, paired with Wente Vineyards wines, including the small-production and exceptionally exquisite Nth Degree. W Divided into three categories, or tiers, depending on the size of the distribution house’s market size, the competition was fairly matched for consistently high execution on marketing programs across all of Wente’s brands, including Wente Vineyards, Tamás Estates and Murrieta’s Well. TIER ONE WINNER: Capitol-Husting of Wisconsin TIER TWO WINNER: Paustis Wine Company of Minnesota TIER THREE WINNER: Glazer’s Wholesale Distributing Company of Texas SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: Thom Rowan of Glazer’s of Iowa 78 / the tasting panel / april 2010 Bill Paustis of Paustis Wine Company accepts the three-liter Wente bottle for the Tier Two Legacy Award. “We were the first wine-only wholesaler in Minnesota,” says Paustis, who points to Wente’s VP of Sales, Bridget Epp (also pictured), as helping him with the “hand-to- hand combat” involved in achieving sales success. “I tell my sales staff it’s all about building relationships. This award is for them.” ente Family Estates is the country’s oldest continuously operating family-owned winery. With 127 years of history, it’s no