The Tasting Panel magazine

May 2018

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RECOGNITIONS 92  /  the tasting panel  /  may 2018 "All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine," Carolyn Wente, Wente Family Estates CEO and Fourth-Generation Winegrower, told attendees of the Wente Legacy Awards. Originally a quote by motivational speaker Jim Rohn, it was a befitting opener for the tenth annual event at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California. Before the ceremony, Carolyn stood among a group of high-performing international and U.S.-based distribu- tors at a reception in Wente's historic sandstone caves. After hors d'oeuvres and introductions, the lot would make the short trek to The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, where they would be recognized within three different tiers for their excellence in sales across the Wente Family Estates portfolio. A three-course Wente wine–paired dinner awaited them, just as it has annually for the past decade. This year, however, was a tad different. Immediately apparent was the passing of the moderator baton from Carolyn to President Amy Hoopes and Executive Vice President of Global Sales Tyson Overton, as well as to members of Wente's fifth generation, Jordan and Niki Wente. But the Wentes weren't the only family showing up to the party with multiple generations represented: A less apparent but equally impressive distinction was the attendance of Michael Miller, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Heidelberg Distributing Company in Ohio, representing the next generation of the Miller family; and Joey Cekola, Portfolio Director at Michigan-based Imperial Beverage. Cekola was not the first of his family to attend the Legacy Awards and likely won't be the last. In her final hurrah as moderator, Carolyn offered one last quote from author O.A. Battista: "'The best inheri- tance parents can give their children is a few minutes of their time each day.' So let's give each other some time to enjoy some special friends, great wine, and wonderful food!" WENTE FAMILY ESTATES HONORS A DECADE OF SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS AT THE TENTH ANNUAL WENTE LEGACY AWARDS by Jessie Birschbach / photos by Alexander Rubin X Generation Phil Wente, Fourth-Generation Winegrower and Co-Founder of Murrieta's Well; Jordan Wente, Fifth-Generation Winegrower; Eric Wente, Fourth-Generation Winegrower and Chairman of the Board at Wente Family Estates; Niki Wente, Fifth-Generation Winegrower and Viticulturalist; Christine Wente, Fifth-Generation Winegrower and President of the Wente Foundation for Arts Education; Carolyn Wente, Fourth-Generation Winegrower and CEO of Wente Family Estates; and Karl Wente, Fifth- Generation Winemaker and COO of Wente Family Estates, celebrate their partners and 135 years of Wente winemaking at the 2018 Legacy Awards.

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