Terlato, pro golfers make perfect pairing with new wines
Like many executives, William A. “Bill” Terlato, CEO of Terlato Wine Group and Terlato Wines International in Lake Bluff, loves to golf. But he's not your typical player who pairs up with colleagues in the industry.
He plays with golf pros Luke Donald, Ernie Els, and Jack Nicklaus as well as longtime pal Mike Ditka.
“I believe I've played with every pro in the top 100,” said Terlato, 55 of Lake Forest. “But I'm smart enough to understand that I'm good, but not good enough to compete with them professionally.”
Their friendships all go back many years. The relationships have fostered trust, he said, where each pro later talked directly with Bill Terlato about developing their own brand of wine. Those brands are now carried by the company.
“We don't just start a line with almost any golfer who enjoys a glass of wine,” said Terlato. “But these lines came out of friendships.”
Bill Terlato carries on the tradition set by his father and grandfather about 60 years ago, and has expanded on various lines of luxury wines, or those costing more than $20 a bottle. The company has partnered with family-owned premium producers in Italy, France, Austria, Spain, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Japan as well as California and Oregon.
But its his labels touting famous golfers that also are close to his heart.
One of those started after he won a country club championship by another home he has in Jupiter, Florida. That's where he met Jack Nicklaus. Terlato had won a championship there and Nicklaus handed him the trophy during the awards ceremony a few years ago.
“That's when I got to know Jack and his family,” Terlato said.
One day, Nicklaus approached Terlato about doing his own brand of wine. Terlato agreed, and proceeds for the sale of those wines help to support children's charities, he said.
He also met Luke Donald about 15 years ago when Donald was a student and Terlato was taking lessons from Donald's coach.
“He was very much a respectful young man,” Terlato said. “I also met his wife, who was his girlfriend at the time, and we became good friends.”
When Donald was interested in building a wine cellar, he sought Terlato's advice on collectible wines.
Terlato also met Mike Ditka about 20 years ago when they were paired up on the links. Their friendship continued into a working relationship with Ditka, who already had a brand of wine on the market, and had asked Terlato to pick it up. The wine from Ditka as well as some from Terlato's are offered at Ditka's restaurants.
When Terlato isn't in a vineyard, he likely could be on the golf course. Terlato said he has a 2 to 4 handicap, so if his score reaches 80, then he probably isn't having a good day. Besides some club championships, he also has played for about eight years at the ProAm (professional and amateur competition) at Alfred Dunhill Links in Britain.
“All these friendships came through golf and we each had keen interests in wine,” Terlato said. “Then one thing led to another.”
A good sign
David Becker, 46, and his father Jerry Becker, 73, are owners of the FastSigns of Arlington Heights, and they recently acquired the FastSigns of Elk Grove Village. David Becker said the Elk Grove store was underperforming and had a number of owners. So he decided to take it over. “We're on the edge of the biggest business park in the United States, so I'm scratching my head on why this store can't do more. It should be doing three or four times what it was doing.” The Beckers first opened the Arlington Heights store in 2004. The Elk Grove business opened in 1998.
FastTracks
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