![[South Africa] Third Leaf Wines acquires Mulderbosch](Images/2019/04/Mulderbosch.jpg)
[South Africa] Third Leaf Wines acquires Mulderbosch
Mulderbosch winery, widely considered one of South Africa's most iconic wineries has moved its US distribution to Third Leaf Wines.
An investment group led by Third Leaf Partners acquired Mulderbosch at the end of 2018. "Third Leaf's investment has been a catalyst for the globally recognized winery to continue its expansion into a broader set of sophisticated markets across the US. We see great opportunities with this winery and property on a global scale," says Alex Pagon, Managing Partner for Third Leaf. "It is truly an iconic brand from the region, and we look to enhance its profile and image."
With this acquisition, Third Leaf Wines has hired Bob Guinn as Vice President of Sales to run and build the wine sales organization that represents the wineries and brands in which Third Leaf Partners has an ownership stake.
With over 30 years of experience and most recently the Senior Vice President of Sales for Wilson Daniels, "Bob brings a skill set of building brands and companies that perfectly aligns with the vision of our company," notes Pagon.
"This is an exciting time and opportunity for Third Leaf Wines," explains Bob. "As Third Leaf Partners has an ownership interest in our properties, we have more than just the import rights. This gives us the ability to think longer term, and fully commits us to a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy."
Chriantó Oosthuizen, CEO of Mulderbosch, states, "We are excited to take this next step with Third Leaf Wines in the US. They have proven to be great partners and this move will finally cement our place in the market."
Mulderbosch was established in 1989 with its first vintage in 1992. Since then, it has paved the way for South African wine in the US, reaching sales figures consistently over 40,000 cases annually.
Producing Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and a red Bordeaux Blend named Faithful Hound, Mulderbosch has consistently been known for producing high quality wines that overdeliver for the price with an iconic package.
Third Leaf Wines is part of Third Leaf Partners, an investment and advisory company run by Managing Partners Alex Pagon, Aaron Faust and John Micek.
Third Leaf Partners invests in, manages, advises and operates global beverage and luxury hospitality businesses. Current investments include Mulderbosch (South Africa), Empire Estate and VINNY(New York), ENTER.Sake (Japan), WineBid (Napa and Seattle), and Chatterbox (Napa). Third Leaf Partners currently advises wineries based in California, Oregon, Washington, New Zealand, France, and Italy.
Third Leaf Partners' current hospitality investments include interests in Blackberry Farm (Tennessee), Blackberry Mountain (Tennessee) and Twin Farms(Vermont).
