Napa, California (October 31, 2017) – Acumen Wines, an Atlas Peak vineyard estate, has announced the addition of two veteran sales executives to its growing team. The newest appointments include Carter Prasse-Freeman as Central Regional Sales Manager and Daniel Saavedra as Eastern Regional Sales Manager.
Carter Prasse-Freeman spent six years as District Sales Manager for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, an Acumen partner, in Houston prior to joining the Acumen team. He earned the title of Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) from the Society of Wine Educators in 2012. Prasse-Freeman also worked as Regional Sales Manager for The Chocolate Bar from 2005-2011; eventually, his passion for wine led him to a career in the industry. His team alone currently accounts for over 10% of Acumen’s national wholesale sales.
Daniel Saavedra has spent the past seven years working in the National Sales Division for Ladera Vineyards in St. Helena, most recently as Vice President of Sales. He earned an MBA from the University of New Orleans before relocating to California to pursue a career in the wine industry working for Gallo. He will be moving back to his home state of Florida in order to manage the eastern sales region for Acumen.
“We’re excited to announce the addition of two wine industry veterans to our national sales team,” said Gordon Waggoner, Director of Sales for Acumen. “Carter and Daniel bring years of invaluable experience to the table and we look forward to their role in driving our sales in up-and-coming markets nationwide. Acumen is growing rapidly, expanding from three states to 34 in the past year, and these additions to our will be a great asset in effectively managing our growth.”
Acumen was founded in 2012 when Eric Yuan and his family acquired a prized 32-acre vineyard on Atlas Peak from Dr. Jan Krupp of Stagecoach Vineyard fame. In searching for a vineyard that could produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, they considered a number of top Napa Valley vineyards before settling on Krupp’s property in the rugged Atlas Peak AVA in the Vaca Mountains of eastern Napa Valley. A second, 84-acre vineyard, just a half mile up the road, was acquired in 2014. Both vineyards are now certified organic. Additional information is available at www.acumenwine.com.
