MIAMI, November 28, 2022– Andrés Tauber, President of VSPT US, today announced that the company had more than doubled its size since launching earlier this year. With a team of ten now in place across key markets, VSPT US is well-positioned to meet its domestic business goals.
“We decided it was vital to our commercial and marketing strategies to have a stronger presence in the U.S.,” explained Tauber. “Our decision to invest in people demonstrates VSPT’s commitment to and belief in this market, our partners, and our portfolio.”
In addition to Andrés Tauber as President, Roberto Catalani as Vice President Marketing, Marcelo Nacrur as CFO, and John Dougherty as Vice President Commercial Strategist, the team now includes Michael Pecoraro as National Director of Chains, John Mulvey as Regional Director – South Central, Robin Booth as Regional Director – West, Kristen Hays as Regional Director – Northeast, Casey Stephenson as Regional Director – Midwest, and Amanda Foxwell as Regional Director – Mid Atlantic.
VSPT US is the new Miami-based subsidiary of the VSPT Wine Group, a top 20 global producer, the leader in premium wine and sparkling wine sales in Chile, and a top 5 producer in the Argentinian domestic market. In the U.S., the group is known for its diverse portfolio of brands that span the value to luxury categories, including GatoNegro, Graffigna, B-Liv, Viña Leyda, 1865, the icon wine Cabo de Hornos from the Viña San Pedro fine wine collection, and the newly launched Ö-61.
“In America, we have a fantastic collection of brands available, each uniquely highlighting the quality coming out of Chile and Argentina,” said Tauber. “One of our primary goals is to increase distribution and awareness so consumers can easily find and enjoy these wines. Our new national partnership with Southern Glazers, finalized earlier this year, was a big step in that direction.” VSPT is also focusing on strategies and activities that assist in premiumizing the portfolio. “Our team is committed to creating brand opportunities that communicate the quality of this portfolio. From Cabo de Hornos, one of our beloved icon wines, to Viña Leyda, Chile’s most acclaimed cool coastal winery, we are looking at ways to reinforce this message of excellence at every turn.”
VSPT Wine Group continues to win awards and earn recognition for its world-class wines, corporate values, social innovation, and environmental stewardship. Their sustainability model centers on three areas of action — climate change, conscious consumption, and sustainable progress — to provide a framework to achieve their primary goal of complete carbon neutrality by 2050. This goal requires an exemplary production process from vineyard to market. In early 2022, VSPT announced it would establish a new subsidiary in the United States: VSPT US.
MEET THE NEW TEAM
Appointed Director of Chains for VSPT US, Michael Pecoraro is based in Chicago. In this role, he is responsible for strategic planning and the expansion of distribution through national and regional accounts for the VSPT US portfolio. Pecoraro was the Director of National Accounts for Stoller Imports before joining the VSPT US team.
Robin Booth was named Regional Director – West for VSPT US. Based in Sonoma County, CA, she is responsible for business in 13 states: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Before joining VSPT US, Booth was a Regional Manager handling California and Hawaii for Fetzer Vineyards.
As the Regional Director – Mid Atlantic, Amanda Foxwell handles nine states (Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee). She is based in Maryland and came to VSPT from Duckhorn where she was the District Manager.
Kristen Hays was appointed Regional Director – Northeast. She manages the VSPT US distribution network across eight states, including New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Hayes is based in Brooklyn, NY and was a wine broker for The Art of Wine before joining VSPT US.
As the Regional Director – South Central, John Mulvey is responsible for representing the VSPT US portfolio across seven states: Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Mississippi. Mulvey, based in Dallas, TX, came to VSPT US from Imperial Brands.
Casey Stephenson is the Regional Director – Midwest. She is responsible for growing and managing VSPT US business across nine states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Stephenson is based in Detroit, MI, and was the Central Division Sales Manager for Donati Family Vineyards before joining VSPT US.
ABOUT VSPT WINE GROUP
A top 20 global producer, VSPT is the leader in premium wine and sparkling wine sales in Chile and a top 5 producer in the Argentinian domestic market. The group’s business model is based on strategic partnerships and joint visions, one that promotes mutually beneficial human relationships with clients and suppliers that are long-term and comprehensive. VSPT believes its main asset is its exceptional team, who are passionate about wine. A pioneer in sustainability, VSPT made sustainability a strategic objective and corporate value for the group. The company is also a leader in renewable energy generation, focused on responsible design and eco-packaging, passionate about nature and the planet, committed to being carbon neutral across three scopes by 2050 through their membership in IWCA, and a guardian and promoter of biodiversity and conscious alcohol consumption. For more information, visit https://vsptwinegroup.com/en/ and follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
