Anthony J. Terlato

Chairman
Terlato Wine Group and
Terlato Wines International

"Consider quality a way of life, we do"

A true visionary, Anthony J. Terlato has led the evolution of the fine wine industry for more than half a century.

Whether the role has been retailer, distributor, importer, marketer or winery and vineyard owner, Terlato has achieved success at every level of the wine industry. Throughout this legacy, he has remained true to a simple principle: Put quality first, because only quality endures. As Chairman of Terlato Wine Group (TWG), the parent company of several businesses specializing in the marketing and production of exceptional wines, Terlato’s passion for quality is evident in every bottle of wine the company markets and produces.

His career — and passion for wine — began in 1955 at his father’s retail wine and spirits store on Chicago’s north side. Known as Leading Liquor Marts, it was one of city’s first self-service stores. What set it apart was its selection of fine imported products, attracting well-to-do professionals, doctors, professors and businessmen. Terlato noted the tastes of these affluent customers, and saw an emerging market for the world’s fine wines.

In 1956, he joined his father-in-law’s wine-bottling firm, Pacific Wine Company. In a short time, he transformed the bottling company into a respected distributor of fine wines, becoming the Illinois distributor for the wines of Alexis Lichine and Frank Schoonmaker — the pioneer importers of the time. At the age of 29, Terlato was named President of Pacific Wine Company.

Terlato had already acquired a keen appreciation of matching fine wine with the dining experience. He built a kitchen and dining room on the second floor of the wine warehouse. He also sent a limousine to pick up wine buyers, prepared the menu and introduced his high-quality wines to owners of fine restaurants and retail stores over a well-prepared meal. Tom Mathews, now executive editor of Wine Spectator magazine, commented as early as 1989 that Terlato’s “invitations to lunch are as prized as a table at Taillevent.”

Pacific continued to grow, and in the late 1960s, Terlato chose the family’s Paterno Imports — importing olive oil at the time — to build his wine import business. He noticed that Chianti in a flask was the only Italian wine really known in the U.S. The best wines of Italy had not yet reached American shores; Terlato would change that. He traveled throughout Italy four times a year for weeks at a time. The result: During a 15-year span, Terlato assembled an impressive wine collection from Italy’s finest producers.

His insights proved correct. America embraced his Italian portfolio. By the mid-1980s, Paterno was considered the premier importer of Italian wines in the United States.

It was during this period that Terlato earned the title of “Father of Pinot Grigio” when he introduced Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio to America in 1979. Today, Pinot Grigio is the most popular imported varietal, and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is the most popular luxury wine in U.S. history.

For his leading role in introducing fine Italian wines to America, Terlato was conferred the decoration of Cavaliere Ufficiale, Motu Proprio in 1984 by the President of the Italian Republic, Sandro Pertini. He was the first American in the wine industry to receive this decoration.

In the late 1980s, with both sons Bill and John by his side in the company, Terlato expanded Paterno’s portfolio beyond Italy, adding the wines of prestigious producers from the world’s most renowned winemaking regions. Paterno Imports became Paterno Wines International, and in 2007 it became Terlato Wines International (TWI), paying tribute to Anthony Terlato’s legacy. Today, the company is the leading marketer of luxury wines; its portfolio reads like a fine wine list.

In addition to Santa Margherita, TWI features distinguished producers such as Angelo Gaja, Chapoutier, Argyle, Rochioli, Markham, Bollinger Champagne, Boutari and Two Hands. These producers span the globe, originating from famous regions such as Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County, Oregon, Italy, France, Australia, Greece, Chile, and New Zealand. One out of every eight bottles of wine over $14 sold in America comes from the TWI portfolio.

In 1996, Terlato — with his sons in key leadership roles — brought the family business full circle in the industry: The Terlatos became winery owners with the purchase of Rutherford Hill Winery in Napa Valley.

Terlato immediately set about making changes to reflect the family’s core philosophy of placing quality first. He reduced production and made substantial infrastructure investments. A renaissance in quality emerged — something that continues to drive the company today.

Rutherford Hill represented the first of several significant winemaking ventures. TWG now includes the family’s investments in vineyards, wine production joint ventures and wineries in some of the world’s most esteemed wine regions. Beside Rutherford Hill, TWG fully owns Chimney Rock Winery (Stags Leap, Napa Valley), Terlato Family Vineyards (Napa Valley and Sonoma) and holds a majority interest in Sanford Winery (Santa Barbara) and Alderbrook Vineyards (Sonoma County). The company also has interests in M. Chapoutier (Rhône Valley), plus joint ventures in Australia (Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier).

Becoming winery and vineyard owners was a natural step for the family. Terlato puts it this way:

As a retailer, we were able to influence the drinking habits of people perhaps three miles on each side of the store. When we became distributors in the Chicago area, we were able to influence people 30 miles on each side of our area. When we became a U.S. importer, we were able to influence habits coast to coast.

As wine producers, we can influence what the world drinks.

For his contributions to the advancement of fine wine, Anthony Terlato has received the highest recognition from industry peers.

In January 2003, Wine Enthusiast Magazine honored Terlato as its “Man of the Year.” In presenting him with its most prestigious award, the editors credited him with “changing the way Americans drink” by bringing quality Italian wines to the United States.

In July 2003, he was Guest of Honor at l’Ete du Vin, one of the top five wine auctions in America. At the event, he was awarded the Norman M. Lipman Award for “Innovation and Determination.” Then in June 2004, Terlato received the Distinguished Service Award from Wine Spectator. He joined a prestigious and exclusive list of recipients: Ernest and Julio Gallo (1983), Robert Mondavi (1994), Angelo Gaja (1997), Julia Child (1998), Piero Antinori (1999) and Francis Ford Coppola (2003).

Terlato’s accomplishments in the industry have also been recognized by institutions that identify remarkable American creativeness. In April 2006, he received the Horatio Alger Award and was inducted as a lifetime member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. The award honors achievement in overcoming adversity and humble beginnings. In being so honored, Terlato joins a list of past recipients that include Dwight D. Eisenhower (1961), George Halas (1968), Ronald Reagan (1969), Colin Powell (1991), Justice Clarence Thomas (1992) and Henry Kissinger (1992).

Over the years, Terlato has been involved with many organizations dedicated to the knowledge and appreciation of fine wine. In 1995, he founded The Renaissance Club, which celebrates and explores the gastronomy of Italy and its wines. He is a member of the French wine societies Commanderie de Bordeaux and Confrerie du Tastevin. In 1980, Terlato was named Man of the Year for City of Hope. In 2002, Terlato was elected to the Board of Trustees of COPIA, the American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts.

Terlato is also a passionate advocate of the arts. He is a long-time Board member of Chicago’s Lyric Opera and a Governing Member of the Orchestral Association of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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