Bonterra, Treasury Wine Estates win Wine Star Awards
Two North Coast wine businesses made this year’s list of Wine Star Awards-winners from Wine Enthusiast magazine.
Hopland-based Bonterra Organic Vineyardswas named American Winery of the Year. Also, Michael Clarke, managing director and CEO of Australia-based Treasury Wine Estates, was named Winery Executive of the Year. In Treasury’s global portfolio are North Coast brands Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyard, Acacia, Stags’ Leap, Sterling Vineyard and Chateau St. Jean.
The Valhalla, N.Y.-based publication started the awards 17 years ago and picks winners based on “energy, courage, groundbreaking vision and business acumen.” The 23-year-old Bonterra brand was noted for sales that “went from tepid to boiling over in five years.” Argentina-based Vina Concha y Toro acquired Fetzer Vineyards and its companion brand Bonterra from Brown-Forman in 2011. Giancarlo Bianchetti came in to lead the Fetzer group of U.S. brands and sales. Clarke was congratulated for his turnaround of Treasury.
Bonterra (bonterra.com) was introduced in 1993 as one of the first organically farmed wines in the U.S. Bonterra crafts three single-vineyard wines from estate Biodynamic and certified-organic Mendocino County vineyards. The brand is sold throughout the U.S. and in 23 countries. U.S. sales grew 19.1 percent in the 26-week period ending Oct. 8 and has grown at an annual average of 15.4 percent 2012–2015, according to Nielsen.
Clarke had two decades of experience guiding major consumer goods companies such as Reebok, Coca-Cola, Kraft and Premier Foods but none in the wine business when he joined Treasury (tweglobal.com) in 2014, Wine Enthusiast noted. The wine company had been teetering financially and was rumored to be an active target for acquisition.
Since coming on board, Clarke has been investing in premium and luxury brands while selling off lower-priced wines, cutting costs and introducing fast-moving consumer goods principles to the wine business, the publication said. About a year ago, Treasury spent $660 million buying the premium brands in the Diageo Chateau & Estates portfolio, led by Napa Valley’s B.V. and Sterling. The company’s share price and profit have about doubled during Clarke’s tenure. The U.S. business now is 44 percent of sales and 36 percent of earnings.
North Coast nominees for awards included: Navarro Vineyards and Winery in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley and Wayfarer Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast (American Winery of the Year nominees); David Ramey (Winemaker of the Year nominee). He helped launch Dominus Estate in Napa Valley in 1996 and launched his own brand, Ramey Wine Cellars (rameywine.com) the same year.
