“Our family is privileged to represent and produce some of the most celebrated wines from around the world. We want wine lovers to be confident they will experience an extraordinary and original wine when they see the Terlato name on a label.”

Now in his 14th year as President and Chief Executive Officer of Terlato Wine Group (TWG) and Terlato Wines International (TWI), William A. “Bill” Terlato continues to blaze new trails through innovation, reaffirming his family’s position as the premier importer, marketer and producer of luxury wine in the United States. Today, in large part due to his vision and dynamic leadership, more than one out of eight bottles of wine over $14 sold in America is a Terlato wine. 

Building on a tradition of excellence his father and grandfathers established more than 50 years ago, Bill Terlato has thoughtfully expanded the company’s luxury portfolio far beyond its original core business of importing fine Italian wines. Today, Terlato is one of the country’s most respected sales and marketing organizations, representing renowned, family-owned premium wine and spirits brands from Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Switzerland, Greece; and domestically in Oregon and California.

Terlato first joined the family business after graduating from Loyola University Chicago in 1981.  His first position was Depletion Coordinator for his family’s wine importing and marketing business, then known as Paterno Imports. In this role, he developed a formal reporting system timeline, which allowed the company to efficiently track customer sales, orders and inventory.

Next, Terlato advanced through a series of sales positions, beginning as Sales Representative for the family’s distribution business, Pacific Wine Company, in a territory along the Illinois-Wisconsin border. After a year, he rejoined the family’s import and marketing group, then known as Paterno Imports, as Sales Representative in New York. He soon became Eastern Division Sales Manager. These experiences helped Terlato discover the value of establishing and maintaining direct relationships with key retailers and restaurants.

Through his own career path, Terlato was inspired to create a district sales force to maintain relationships with key accounts. Today, the company’s 100+-person U.S. sales force influences more than 9,000 fine wine restaurants and retailers, complementing and enhancing the efforts of its distributor partners. It remains one of the country’s largest premium wine sales forces in the United States.

Next, as Marketing Brand Manager, Terlato was responsible for what was then the company’s newest supplier: Italy’s Santa Margherita. When Terlato’s father, Anthony, discovered Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and brought it to American tables nearly 30 years ago, it was an unknown varietal.  The younger Terlato created a novel introductory brand launch. The program was called the Diamond Sales Incentive Program, and it focused on restaurant placements. This initiative worked: Santa Margherita’s Pinot Grigio became a diamond in the Terlato portfolio. For the last 14 consecutive years, in annual surveys of America’s best restaurants, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio remains the #1 imported wine in the United States.

Terlato became National Sales Manager in 1985, Vice President in 1988 and in 1994, he was named President at age 35.  In the last 14 years, Terlato has keenly focused on crafting the company’s portfolio to read like a fine wine list. TWI now represents more than 50 global brands, covering the world’s finest regions, varietals and styles. To help bring stronger sales focus across the expanding portfolio, Terlato instituted three divisions within the organization, Premier Selections, which represent the company’s larger, consumer-oriented wine brands; a second division, Estate Selections, comprised of smaller, more boutique producers which are more trade-oriented brands; and a third division, Paterno Spirits, representing the company’s growing luxury spirits brands.

As President, Terlato also made the strategic decision to move into wine production and vineyard management. In 2002, he led the family’s decision to sell its five Illinois liquor distributorships, and focus all of their resources on further building TWG, and investing in fine wine production around the world. His family, over three generations, had entered and mastered every other aspect of the wine business — as retailer, importer, marketer and distributor. In 1996, with the purchase of Napa Valley’s Rutherford Hill Winery, the family completed the circle, becoming producers. Founded in 1976, Rutherford Hill pioneered the development of California Merlot, which remains its signature varietal.

Under Terlato’s leadership, more investments in winemaking and vineyards have followed. Today, along with Rutherford Hill, TWG also owns Alderbrook Vineyards (Sonoma County); Chimney Rock Winery (Stags Leap District, Napa Valley); Terlato Family Vineyards (Napa and Sonoma); EPISODE (Napa Valley); Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier (Victoria, Australia); and holds majority interest in Sanford Winery (Santa Barbara County), and sole ownership of the iconic Sanford and Benedict Vineyard, the first vineyard in Santa Barbara to be planted to Pinot Noir. The company also holds interests in M. Chapoutier (Rhône Valley, France) and joint ventures in Australia, Italy, Spain and California. Also in 2002, Terlato created an international sales team to support Terlato Wines International’s budding export business. 

Terlato is active in many organizations dedicated to the knowledge and propagation of fine wine. His current memberships include Commanderie de Bordeaux, Confrerie des Tastevin and The Renaissance Club. He was Honorary Chair for the 2003 Detroit Wine Auction, and in 2007, was the Honorary Chair of the Tres Bonne Année auction in Pennsylvania. Outside of the wine industry, Terlato is a Trustee of the William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation, which conducts pediatric oncology research.

Terlato is currently a member of the Steering Committee for the Lake Forest Country Day School Capital Campaign, along with his wife, Debbie, who is co-chair for the Capital Campaign and was a trustee from 1996 to 2002. Additionally, Terlato is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and is on the Parents’ Committee at Duke University.

Terlato served as president of the Lake Forest Library Board from 1991 to 1997. He was a trustee of Loyola Academy preparatory school from 1999 to 2002, and has served as an officer of the Chicago Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

<< back