Larkspur, Calif. – September 14, 2022 – O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, a certified B Corporation, is pleased to announce Founder and CEO, Jeff O’Neill, has been nominated for Wine Enthusiast’s “Person of the Year” Wine Star Award. The annual Wine Star Award ceremony celebrates top alcohol industry professionals and businesses.
Founded in 2004, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers has grown to become the 10th largest winery in the United States, specializing in national brands, exclusive label wines, and premium wine and spirits production. Over the past decade, Jeff O’Neill has acquired leading national brands including Line 39 Wines, Rabble Wine and Robert Hall Winery, and has launched Harken Chardonnay and Charles Woodson’s Intercept, increasing total production to over 1.5 million 9-liter cases, delivering wines in categories consumers are demanding at great quality and value. In addition, O’Neill produces exclusive label wine and spirits at scale.
“I am honored to be nominated by Wine Enthusiast for this Wine Star Award,” says O’Neill. “This ‘Person of the Year’ recognition really goes out to all the people at O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, including over 350 employees and more than 200 long term California grape growers, and everyone else who contributes to our company’s success. This nomination is as much a tribute to them.”
Jeff O’Neill has been a leading force in the industry for four decades, running a successful publicly traded wine company for almost 20 years before selling it and starting O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. His commitments to bettering the environmental footprint of the wine industry and social responsibility of supporting communities also span well beyond his own company. O’Neill has previously served as Chairman of The Presidents’ Forum of the Distilled Spirits Industry, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Woolf Farms in California’s Central Valley and Chairman of the California Wine Institute. He is a longtime supporter of education and served many years on the Board of Directors of Summer Search, a national leadership development program for low-income high school students, providing support and funding beginning in high school through college. He currently serves on the University of California, Davis Viticulture & Enology Executive Leadership Board. In 2020, O’Neill developed the Charles Woodson & O’Neill Family Wine Scholarships, two four-year college scholarships with California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and Sonoma State University. In partnership with Charles Woodson, these scholarships empower BIPOC students to enter and succeed in the wine industry.
In addition to O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, Jeff O’Neill is part-owner of Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma, California, and the founder of Velocity Invitational, a luxury motorsports festival featuring over 200 elite, historic race cars over a three-day event in Monterey.
About O’Neill Vintners & Distillers
O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, a certified B Corporation, was founded in 2004 by industry leader and entrepreneur Jeff O’Neill. The vertically integrated winery is one of the fastest-growing premium wine and spirits companies in California (overall 10th largest winery in the U.S.) with a reputation for producing consumer-focused brands and being a leader in sustainable operations. O’Neill received the Green Medal Leader Award in 2021 by the Wine Institute and achieved B Corp Certification in 2022. The company’s national brands portfolio includes Line 39, Harken Chardonnay, Rabble Wines, Charles Woodson’s Intercept, Robert Hall Winery, Game Box, Allegro Cellars, BrandyLab and Javelin Vodka. For more information, please visit www.ONeillWine.com.
