SANTA ROSA, Calif. (September 21, 2022) — Wine Enthusiast magazine has recognized William (Bill) Foley, founder and owner of Foley Family Wines (FFW), as its 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award winner. He will receive the honor at Wine Enthusiast’s 23rd Annual Wine Star Awards gala in January 2023.
Known as an adventurous and visionary vintner, Foley spent the last 26 years acquiring prime winery and vineyard properties throughout California, the Pacific Northwest, and New Zealand. Through Foley’s passion for wine and business savvy, FFW has grown into one of the world’s largest luxury wine producers with a portfolio that includes some of the most celebrated and recognized names in wine. This includes Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg—which marks its 50th anniversary in 2022—as well as Chalone Vineyard in Monterey County, Silverado Vineyards in Napa, and Sonoma’s Ferrari-Carano.
Foley launched FFW in 1996 when he and his wife Carol purchased 1,000 acres in the Sta. Rita Hills region of Santa Barbara County—still relatively unknown at the time—and founded Lincourt Vineyards. In the years to follow, Foley purchased several luxury winery estates and set about restoring them to greatness through investment in vineyards and infrastructure. After acquiring Sonoma County’s Chateau St. Jean in 2021, for example, he moved winemaking back to the winery’s Kenwood estate as part of a strategy to elevate legendary Chateau St. Jean wines, and the on-site consumer experience, back to their former glory.
In addition to launching and revamping acclaimed wine estates around the world, Foley owns Vegas Golden Knights NHL hockey team and has achieved success in a variety of other business sectors, including finance, boutique hotels, residential communities, private golf clubs and a ski resort. Foley combines three of his greatest passions, world class wine, exquisite cuisine and experiences through the Foley Food & Wine Society, a membership-based luxury lifestyle community.
Foley is also a dedicated philanthropist. He and his family support a number of nonprofit organizations and founded Folded Flag Foundation, which provides educational scholarships and support grants to the families of fallen U.S. military and government personnel. The Foley Family Charitable Foundation has donated over $5.3 million dollars in wine country communities across California, Oregon and Washington over the past five years for education, farmworkers, wildfire relief, and many other charitable programs. Foley was also Honorary Chair of the 2022 Sonoma County Wine Auction, hosted at his Chalk Hill property this month.
About Foley Family Wines
Established by Bill Foley in 1996, Foley Family Wines is a portfolio of highly acclaimed wines from some of the world’s greatest vineyards. The company owns more than two dozen wineries across the globe, each with its own distinct wine style, legacy, and approach to hospitality. In addition, the Foley Food & Wine Society offers members a luxury lifestyle community that celebrates culinary experiences, entertainment, and travel in the United States, New Zealand, France, and Argentina.
See the FFW website for more information about Bill Foley and Foley Family Wines.
