Ste. Michelle Wine Estates appoints Treasury Wine veteran as new supply officer

US wine company Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has appointed a global wine veteran as its new chief supply officer.

Industry veteran Stuart McNab is relocating to Washington from Australia to take up the new role

The Washington-state based wine company has named former Treasury Wine chief supply officer Stuart McNab in the newly-created role, which will see him oversee all winemaking, vineyard and operation functions, reporting directly to CEO David Dearie.

Dearie, who was CEO at Treasury between 2011-2013 but only joined the US wine producer in October, said he was delighted to have secured someone of McNab’s skill and experience to join the leadership team.

“Having previously worked with Stuart, I know first-hand that his extensive experience in leading wine operations will assist in delivering our long-term sustainable growth agenda,” he said.

McNab, who holds a doctorate in agricultural science at the University of Melbourne, has had a 25-year wine career. He held leadership roles at Southcorp Wines prior to its acquisition by Fosters Group in 2005, when he became was director wine production Australia and New Zealand. When the wine division was split out from the Fosters Group in 2011 to form Treasury Wine Estates, McNab was soon named chief supply office global wine production, under Dearie as CEO, a position he held until January 2015. He has also worked in leadership roles with several wine associations including the Winemakers Federation of Australia, the Australian Wine Research Institute and the South Australian Wine Industry Association.

McNab said he was thrilled to be joining a company with a rich heritage and “a well-deserved reputation for producing extraordinary wines across diverse regions”.

“I am particularly looking forward to joining the Washington and Oregon wine industries, as I believe there remains tremendous potential for both regions, and to reconnecting with the California wine industry, as well,” he said.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is the third-largest premium winery in the United States with more than 30,000 acres across Washington, Oregon, and California. Founded n 1934, the company helped establish the Washington State University viticulture and enology program and the university’s research and teaching winery, now named the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center. It distributes its wines, whose brands include Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14 Hands, Columbia Crest, Intrinsic, Erath, Patz & Hall, Borne of Fire, Northstar, and Spring Valley Vineyard, in over 100 countries. It also has partnerships with Marchesi Antinori (Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Col Solare), Dr. Loosen (Eroica), and Michel Gassier and Philippe Cambie (Tenet).