Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards 2022
October 20, 2022–Pacific Highway Wines is proud to announce that it has won the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award for ‘Wine Importer of the Year’. The annual Wine Star Awards recognizes the individuals and companies that make outstanding contributions to the wine and alcohol beverage industry. Pacific Highway Wines will receive the honor at Wine Enthusiast’s 23rd annual Wine Star Awards gala in San Francisco this coming January 2023.
Pacific Highway Wines President, Mark Giordano commented, “We are incredibly honored to be recognized by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. This award is a shared recognition of the hard work of every member of our sales, operations, finance and marketing teams. It also would not be possible without the excellent wines and nimble go-to-market approach of our domestic and international winery partners.”
Established as Robert Oatley Imports in 2008, the company expanded its import portfolio and renamed to Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits in 2013. The Giesen family joined the Oatley family as 50-50 partners in 2016, allowing the company to fast track its growth. The business tripled the size of its wine portfolio over the past five years through both organic sales and the addition of new wineries to the portfolio.
Today, headquartered in Greensboro, NC, the business is led by President, Mark Giordano and reported branded case sales up 20% by volume for FY22, with bullish projections in place for FY23. Having grown past its 2021 company goal of 500,000 cases, Pacific Highway Wines is on a trajectory to double the business and reach the 1 million case milestone within the next five years. Awarded a ‘Fast 50 Company’ in both 2021 and again in 2022 by the Triad Business Journal of NC, Pacific Highway Wines continues to expand its portfolio and team.
The Portfolio
The Pacific Highway portfolio showcases family-owned and independent brands from coveted wine regions across the globe, with offerings from premium brands spanning Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, Oregon, Spain and Uruguay. The portfolio offers category leadership in innovative Non-Alcohol wine offerings, Alternative Formats, and Certified Organic and Sustainable offerings.
Giesen leads the portfolio with its estate wines from Marlborough and its introduction in 2020 of a premium non-alcohol range, Giesen 0%. The import brands collection includes both multi-generational family wineries, Bodega Faustino, Luigi Bosca and Santa Ema, as well as first-generation offering from Uruguay’s luxury Bodega Garzon, Bodega Argento Organic and Minimalista from Argentina, Le Grand Courtage sparkling wines from France and the Chateau Suau organic offering from Cotes de Bordeaux. California brands include Napa Valley’s historic Merryvale Winery and the Profile Collection, Starmont, Hogwash,’75 Wine Co, and Gaslighter Wines by Gundlach Bundschu Winery and The Chicks. Dobbes Family Estate and Wine by Joe showcase the best of Oregon and Willamette Valley.
Giordano added, “At the beginning of our fiscal year, we gathered our Executive Team and rewrote the business plan for the next five to ten years. ‘Level Up!’ is our company motto for this growth and preparing all aspects of our business for scalability. The Wine Star Award for Wine Importer of the Year is a tremendous recognition of where we are today and a celebration of our exciting journey ahead.”
