Whyte will oversee all national sales, promotion, and marketing efforts for the acclaimed Yarden, Golan, Hermon, and Galil Mountain wines
June 7th, 2023 (New York, NY) – Yarden Inc., the wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Golan Heights Winery and Galil Mountain Winery from Israel, has appointed Walter Whyte as their new Vice-President of Sales. Effective as of April 2023, Whyte is the lead executive for the Yarden Wines team in the U.S. and will oversee all sales, promotion, and marketing efforts as a key liaison with the company’s national distributor and retail network. Among the most acclaimed wine brands worldwide, Yarden’s award-winning portfolio includes four labels with a range of varieties and styles from the Galilee in northern Israel: Yarden, Hermon, Golan, and Galil Mountain.
“This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Golan Heights Winery and we are delighted to welcome Walter Whyte to head up our U.S. business operations during this exciting chapter of our history,” said Assaf Ben Dov, CEO of the Golan Heights Winery. “Walter brings profound experience in all aspects of distributor management, personnel development and brand building to support our team. We’re deeply impressed by Walter’s commitment to introduce new trade and consumer audiences to the depth and quality of our portfolio and overall, to broaden awareness of the top wines of Israel.”
Whyte brings over 20 years of wine and spirits industry experience to Yarden Inc. A New Jersey native who studied Business at the University of Maryland, Whyte served in the United State Air Force in Germany and discovered a passion for wine through extensive travel to the top European regions. Highly experienced in distributor relations, Whyte spent his early years at Allied Beverage Group overseeing the Diageo portfolio, setting a track record for achievement, leadership and teamwork. Whyte has also worked extensively on the supplier side developing domestic brands such as Peachy Canyon Winery (Paso Robles, CA), Gordon Estate Winery (Pasco, WA) and Whistlepig Whiskey (Shoreham, VT). In the international realm, Whyte is a former Regional Sales Director for Vino del Sol, a family-owned importer of South American wines, and Broken Shed Imports from New Zealand, responsible for exponential growth in volume, distribution and brand visibility. Prior to his appointment at Yarden Wines, Whyte ran a successful independent consulting practice assisting high-end, international wineries with all aspects of operations, sales and marketing activity, distributor management and key account relationships.
About Yarden Inc.
Yarden Inc. encompasses Golan Heights Winery and Galil Mountain Winery, located in the Golan Heights and Galilee regions of Israel. Golan Heights Winery is considered Israel’s leading winery in quality, technological innovation, and new variety development. Its portfolio includes the leading brands of Yarden, Gilgal, and Mount Hermon. Founded in 1983, Golan Heights Winery has played a significant role in developing and nurturing Israel’s current wine culture, altering the way Israeli wines are perceived worldwide, and firmly placing Israel on the world wine stage. Established as a joint venture in 2000 by Golan Heights Winery and Kibbutz Yiron, Galil Mountain Winery unites the best of tradition and technology. Located in the Upper Galilee Mountain range, one of Israel’s best winegrowing areas, the winery is revitalizing a rich winemaking history that extends over 2,000 years, currently focused on sustainability.
