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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois offer our sincere congratulations to Anthony
4 Terlato, the recipient of the 2006 Horatio Alger Award; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Anthony J. Terlato is a true visionary who has
6 made a lifetime commitment to fine wine and has been at the
7 forefront of the evolution of the fine wine industry for the
8 last half-century; and
 
9     WHEREAS, From retailer to distributor, importer, marketer,
10 winery owner, and vineyard owner, Mr. Terlato is the only
11 individual to make his mark in every sector of the wine
12 industry; and
 
13     WHEREAS, He serves as Chairman of the Terlato Wine Group
14 (TWG), the parent company of several independent businesses
15 specializing in the marketing and production of exceptional
16 wines; and
 
17     WHEREAS, In 1955, he began his career at his father's
18 Chicago retail wine and spirits store; and
 
19     WHEREAS, He married Josephine Paterno in 1956 and joined
20 his father-in-law's wine bottling firm, Pacific Wine Company;
21 and
 
22     WHEREAS, He was instrumental in transitioning the bottling
23 company to a solid distributor of fine wines; and
 
24     WHEREAS, By the age of 29, Mr. Terlato was named President
25 of Pacific Wine Company, which is now a prominent name in the
26 wine industry; and
 
27     WHEREAS, In the late 1960s, using the family's Paterno

 

 

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1 Imports (Olive Oil Importing), Mr. Terlato embarked on the
2 journey of searching for exceptional wines on the Italian
3 peninsula and assembled a collection of some of the finest
4 producers of Italian wines; and
 
5     WHEREAS, By the mid-1980s, Paterno Imports was considered
6 the premier importer of Italian wines in the United States due
7 to Mr. Terlato's efforts and talent; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Mr. Terlato earned the title of "Father of Pinot
9 Grigio" when he introduced Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio to
10 America in 1979, and today, pinot grigio is the most popular
11 imported varietal, and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is the
12 most popular luxury wine in U.S. history; and
 
13     WHEREAS, For his leadership in introducing fine Italian
14 wines to America, Mr. Terlato was conferred the decoration of
15 Cavaliere Ufficiale, Motu Proprio, in 1984, by the President of
16 the Italian Republic, Sandro Pertini, and was the first
17 American in the wine industry to receive this decoration; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Today, Paterno Wines International, the flagship
19 company of the Terlato Wine Group, is run by Mr. Terlato, with
20 his sons, William and John, and has become the leading marketer
21 of luxury wines in the United States; and
 
22     WHEREAS, One out of every eight bottles of wine over $14
23 sold in America comes from the Paterno portfolio; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Mr. Terlato's influence on the wine industry was
25 immediate due to the family's core philosophy of always placing
26 quality first, and today Terlato Wine Group includes the
27 family's investments in vineyards, wine production joint
28 ventures, and wineries in some of the world's most esteemed
29 wine regions, including: Napa Valley; Sonoma County; Santa
30 Barbara County; Victoria, Australia; and the Rhone Valley; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Mr. Terlato was honored as Wine Enthusiast
2 Magazine's "Man of the Year" in 2003, its most prestigious
3 award, and the Wine Enthusiast editorial staff credited him
4 with "changing the way Americans drink" by bringing quality
5 Italian wines to the United States; and
 
6     WHEREAS, In July 2003, he was recognized as the Honored
7 Guest of l'Ete du Vin, one of the top five wine auctions in
8 America, and at the event he was awarded the Norman M. Lipman
9 Award for his efforts in promoting fine quality wines in
10 America; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Mr. Terlato received the Distinguished Service
12 Award from Wine Spectator Magazine in 2004; and
 
13     WHEREAS, He is an active participant in many organizations
14 dedicated to the knowledge and propagation of fine wine; he
15 founded The Renaissance Club, dedicated to the celebration and
16 exploration of the classic foods and fine wines of Italy; and
 
17     WHEREAS, He is also a member of the French wine societies
18 Commanderie de Bordeaux and Confrerie du Tastevin; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Mr. Terlato was selected as Man of the Year for
20 the City of Hope, and in 2002 he was elected to the Board of
21 Trustees of COPIA, the American Center for Food, Wine, and the
22 Arts; and
 
23     WHEREAS, He is a longtime Board member of Chicago's Lyric
24 Opera and a Governing Member of the Orchestral Association of
25 the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Anthony and Josephine have two sons, William and
27 John, and five grandchildren Jojo, Tony, Elise, Jack, and
28 Cutler; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Anthony Terlatos' dedication to the wine industry
2 has led to the evolution of wine in America; therefore, be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5 we do hereby offer our congratulations to Anthony Terlato on
6 receiving the 2006 Horatio Alger Award; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8 presented to Anthony Terlato and his family.