Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Names David Andrews Vice President – Antinori USA

Woodinville, Wash (September 9, 2019) – Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has named sales veteran David Andrews to the new role of Vice President – Antinori USA. In this national role, Andrews will be responsible for leading a dedicated Antinori sales team across the country to meet strategic sales goals for the Antinori wine portfolio and other strategic luxury wines in the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates portfolio. Marchesi Antinori is a historical wine producer from Tuscany which has been making wine since 1385.

“I’m excited to take on this national role to oversee the Marchesi Antinori portfolio and our luxury wines,” said David Andrews. “I’ll be focused on leading our luxury teams to reach our distribution goals for these incredible estates and wines across the country.”

Earlier this year, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Marchesi Antinori signed a new five-year distribution agreement, renewing their exclusive collaboration for the U.S. market. The partnership between the two first started in 2006.

“With the renewal of our Antinori partnership, David is taking on this new role at an exciting time,” said Dan Heller, Executive Vice President of Sales for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. “David will bring the strategic thinking and leadership needed to meet – and hopefully exceed – our goals for Antinori and our luxury brands.”

“We see a huge potential for Antinori in the U.S.,” said Stefano Leone, Sales Director for Marchesi Antinori. “Together with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates we have decided to set an increasing and dedicated sales division for the Antinori wine portfolio. I’m sure that David will lead successfully the execution and will bring great results.”

Since 1999, Andrews has held numerous marketing and wine leadership roles across Asia and the South Pacific. His international experience spans the hospitality segment, wine marketing, sales and executive management. In 2014, Andrews joined Ste. Michelle Wine Estates as a Division Manager for Asia/Pacific. He was responsible for managing more than 40 distributors in over 20 countries and grew the business significantly in the past 5 years

Prior to working with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Andrews was the Chief Executive Officer of Macro Wines and Spirits in Hong Kong, where he developed a successful B2B distribution and Ecommerce platform for greater China. Andrews also worked in China for ASC Fine Wines as Vice President of Supplier Relations and Brand Management as well as General Manager of their Hong Kong/Macau operation. Prior to ASC, he was Partner and Marketing Manager for Red and White International in Asia.

Andrews is based in New York.

About Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE) is the third-largest premium wine company in the U.S. Located outside of Seattle, Washington, the company has a distinguished history that dates back to 1934. The company pioneered vinifera grape growing in Washington State while wines under the Ste. Michelle label were first introduced in 1967. Today, SMWE owns more than 3,900 vineyard acres across

Washington, Oregon and California with key sites certified with the LIVE, Salmon Safe or Napa Green designations. SMWE’s ‘String of Pearls’ wine portfolio represents owned or imported brands, all demonstrating the producers’ unwavering commitment to creating distinctive, high quality wines from authentic estate vineyards. Chateau Ste. Michelle, its cornerstone winery, enjoys winemaking partnerships with some of the world’s most distinguished vintners. Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori, Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen and Tenet is a collaboration with Michel Gassier and Philippe Cambie of France. SMWE’s charitable giving program, which supports some 400 non-profit organizations annually, has provided more than $3 million for scholarships for high-achieving, low-income students at Washington universities. The company also was the principal fundraiser for Washington State University’s viticulture and enology institution, the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Wine Science Center.

Ste. Michelle’s Washington portfolio includes: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, 14 Hands, Col Solare, Northstar, Spring Valley Vineyard, MERF, INTRINSIC, Seven Falls and Michelle sparkling wines. In California, the company owns Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (with Italy’s Antinori family), Conn Creek (Napa Valley) and Patz & Hall (Sonoma). Ste. Michelle also owns Erath Winery, in Dundee, Oregon. The company became the exclusive U.S. importer in 2006 for the renowned Marchesi Antinori wines of Italy and Chile’s Haras de Pirque wines, for Nicolas Feuillatte of France in 2009, and for New Zealand’s Villa Maria Estate in 2010. For more information, please visit www.smwe.com.

About Marchesi Antinori
The Antinori Family has been making wine for over 630 years, since Giovanni di Piero Antinori became part of the “Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri” or “Vintner’s Guild” in 1385. Throughout its long history, spanning 26 generations, the family has always personally managed the business making innovative, sometimes courageous choices, always with unwavering respect for tradition and the land. Today, the company is helmed by president Albiera Antinori and her two sisters, Alessia and Allegra, as vice presidents— exhibiting female leadership for the first time in the company’s history. The collaboration between Marchesi Antinori and Ste. Michelle first started in 1995 when they joined forces to establish Col Solare – an estate winery producing exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon on Red Mountain in Washington State. Ste. Michelle then became the exclusive U.S. importer of the Marchesi Antinori portfolio in 2006. In 2007 Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori again partnered to acquire the celebrated Napa Valley estate Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, which famously catapulted American wine to international prominence by besting the top Bordeaux chateaux in the Judgment of Paris in 1976.
For more information visit www.antinori.it.

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For further information:
Jennifer Scott, Director of Communications
Jennifer.j.scott@smwe.com