A STORY OF THREE MEN
OR A FAMILY AFFAIR
The CEO of Terlato Wine Group and Paterno Wines International is not a man who rests on
his laurels; he is a visionary. He is not a man who speaks of his honors, although he has many.
He is not a man impressed by quantity; he strives for quality. Above all else, Anthony Terlato
is a man of family, developing a legacy for future generations. Walking into his office at
Tangley Oaks in Lake Bluff, a myriad of pictures, plaques, and memorabilia reflect the story
of a family legacy already begun – a legacy born fifty years ago on the North Side of Chicago.
With a picture of himself and the President on one table and a picture of his granddaughter
playing soccer on another, Anthony sits comfortably behind his desk, surrounded by images of
family and friends. He is warm and gracious, even to a stranger, and with the contented smile
of a man with no regrets he begins to share his story. It begins when Anthony’s father, Salvatore,
moved from Brooklyn to open one of the first “self-serve” retail wine and spirits store in Chicago.
In 1955, Anthony joined his father and began working in the family business. “My father used to say, ‘Have respect for your customer’s good taste.’ He would always look for the best and I learned
from him that if you have quality products, you bring in quality people,” Terlato recalled with
admiration. With the philosophy “Quality endures!” the second generation was off and running.
A short time later Anthony eagerly jumped headlong into his father-in-law’s wine bottling and
distributing company, Pacific Wines. His hard work paid off, and eight years later, he was its president.
In the late ’60s, Terlato took over the helm of Paterno Imports, the family-owned company
that imported olive oil and Chianti, and steered its portfolio into the vast territory of the
other Italian wines. Without a hint of bravado, Anthony leaned across the desk. “Back then wine
wasn’t prevalent at the dining table…and restaurants didn’t pay much attention to wine because
their customers didn’t. I offered to print wine lists for the restaurants, and the list didn’t have
to be just my wines. I only asked for one. I knew in most cases I would eventually get others.”
He did, and promptly built Paterno into the premier importer of Italian wines in the United
States. For his achievements in introducing fine Italian wines to America, Anthony was awarded
the decoration of Cavaliere Ufficiale, Motu Proprio by the President of the Italian Republic.
This colorful medal, along with other honors, hangs humbly in the regal halls of Tangley Oaks.
1981 brought the third generation of Terlatos into the business. With an innate love of wine, Anthony’s
older son, Bill, joined the company by taking a position at Paterno Imports. Following in his father’s very
large footsteps, in 1994 Bill was named President of Paterno, now Paterno Wines International. “Bill was
a catalyst in the decision to expand the company portfolio beyond Italian wines,” Anthony related with
pride. “Because of this we were able to take the company in a new direction.” Since then Paterno has expanded
its portfolio to include wines from France, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Greece and California.
Anthony’s younger son, John, put a law degree and a Fortune 500 future on the shelf and cast his
heart, hands and focus with the company in 1989. “I was glad I went to law school, but I felt that I was
missing something. Billy had just figured it out sooner,” John quipped, glancing at his older brother
with affection. With the same gift of vision and creativity that his brother had brought to Paterno, John
was instrumental in creating new areas of opportunity for the distribution company, Pacific Wines. In
recognition of these efforts, he was named its President. John’s intense focus extended the company’s
market beyond premium wines and built the distribution for Samuel Adams beer and Skyy Vodka – the
subsequent sale of which generated significant capital to reinvest in the holding group’s core businesses.
Though he gave his sons responsibility and freedom to make decisions for the company early on, Anthony also tempered the younger generation with
a small plaque on his desk that read, “Take it easy; a
lot happened before you got here!” This soft spoken,
warm patriarch leaned back and rested his hands on
the arms of the dark, leather chair. “I am very proud
of my sons. If they weren’t my sons I would hire them.
There is an old saying, ‘Some kids are born on third
base and think that they hit a triple.’ My kids understand
that they have to make a full commitment to
be successful and they have the right attitude about
that. Their job is to continue to grow and develop
the business, to take what they have and take it to the
next level.” Together, that is exactly what the powerful
yet unassuming men of this family have done.
With innovation and vision the company continued
to move forward. In 1996 the Terlato Wine Group
entered the production side of the industry with the
purchase of Rutherford Hill Winery in Napa Valley.
Just as their wine grows better with age, so did their
company. The Terlato family has continued to expand
their investments into wineries in California, France
and Australia. They have now ventured into every sector
of the wine industry and Anthony has been credited
with “changing the way America drinks.” (Wine
Enthusiast Magazine) In November of this year, the
same man who stood his kids and grandkids on stools
in his kitchen and taught them the flair of cooking will
be honored with Wine Spectator Magazine’s Distinguished
Service Award in recognition of his impact on
the industry. While this honor seemed not to affect
his humble demeanor, Anthony ruminated on the
responsibility it carried. “When my father owned the
store we could influence people a mile in each direction.
Then when we became a distributor we were
able to influence twenty miles. When we became a
national importer we were able to influence people
from California to New York, from Detroit to Florida.
As wine producers, we can influence the world.”
The depth and breadth of the Terlatos’ influence
is clearly evident at Tangley Oaks, the gracious estate
in Lake Bluff that houses their corporate headquarters.
When the Armour Estate was offered for
sale in 1995, Anthony visited the site and felt he was
home. The next two years brought skilled craftsmen
to the three-story, 26,000 square-foot mansion for
the reconstruction of walls, the restoration of historic
wallpapers and paint colors, and the return
and restoration of original furniture and oriental
rugs. “One person wanted to buy the estate and
turn it into a bed & breakfast,” Bill recalled. Another
person wanted to tear it down, sell the pieces,
and develop the six and-a-half acres. Instead we
bought the building. I think it is a good reflection
of how we want our company to be perceived in the
industry but we also preserved something for the community.” A
tragic demolition halted in its tracks, the grand old dame was transformed
to her former beauty. Shortly thereafter this stunning English
manor home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It is a unique experience just to stride through the halls of this magnificent
mansion. Colorful tapestries of burgundies and blues hang
from the ceiling, calling out the names of wines. Framed golf scorecards
hang proudly, giving hints as to the other passion of the occupants.
Numerous photos of family and friends speak to their ties
with loved ones. And then, one interesting sketch in burgundy hues
quickly draws the eye. It is a unique portrait of Anthony, Bill and John
appropriately painted in an unusual medium – Merlot! Stunning!
All the Terlato men and their families live in Lake Forest. Firmly believing
that they should contribute to their community, all are involved
in many charitable and civic organizations from the Lake Forest Library
Board, to the Botanic Gardens, to the Chicago Lyric Opera. Their
strong family ties push them to be involved, to give back some of the
sweetness that life has given to them, to help the world be a better place.
Walking through the halls of Tangley Oaks, everything quietly
speaks to the success of these men. They seem to have discovered
that fine yet sometimes elusive balance of values, beliefs and
commitment. Working side by side throughout the years a tight
bond cements their relationship. “It is fantastic. We are together
all the time. We’re partners, we’re best friends, and we still have
the father-son-brother relationship. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Together. Anthony, Bill and John Terlato continue to look to the
future, to new discoveries, to better wines, to opportunities still unknown.
To walk through the halls of Tangley Oaks is to experience a
world of commitment – a commitment to family, to community, to
an uncompromising pursuit of quality and to making a difference.
By Kimberly Moss
©2004 by Forest & Bluff.
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