4th Generation Winegrower Chairman Emeritus of the Board
Eric was responsible for Wente Vineyards’ dynamic expansion into worldwide export markets beginning in the early 1980s. Today Wente Vineyards exports to more than 75 countries worldwide and is considered a leader in exporting ultra-premium wines.
During his tenure as CEO, Eric, with the support of the winery’s staff, updated Wente Vineyard’s winemaking practices by implementing innovative techniques and constructing state-of-the-art facilities. Under Eric’s leadership, night harvesting; wine presses situated in the vineyards; sophisticated, gentle de juicing methods; and increased use of oak barrels for aging were all improvements incorporated into a winemaking system that combines the best of the traditional and the modern.
From 2005 to 2006, Eric served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Wine Institute, the California wineries’ public policy advocacy association. Eric also served as Chairman of the Wine Institute’s International Policy Committee, which he held for many years. He is also past Chairman of the Research and Education Committee.
Raised at the winery, Eric learned the art of winemaking from his father and grandfather. His interest in modern winemaking methods developed during his studies at Stanford University, where he majored in chemistry, and at the University of California at Davis, where he received a Master of Science degree in food science, specializing in enology.
Eric and his wife, Arel, have two children, Christine and Karl, both of whom are actively involved in the family business as Fifth Generation Winegrowers.
