Family Ties Keep Terlato Wines Running Strong for 50-Plus Years

Anthony Terlato has been retired for more than 50 years.

Ever since he joined his father in the family business in 1955, Anthony has never felt like he was actually working.

“People often ask me when I intend to retire,” said Anthony Terlato. “I tell them that I am retired, that when you retire, you start doing what you want to do, not what you have to do. And I want to go to work each morning, I look forward to it, I love it. I love what I do, and I consider myself one of the luckiest men in the world.”

In 1955, Anthony's father, Salvatore Terlato, opened a small liquor store at 5965 N. Clark St., Chicago. They named the store Leading Liquor Marts, and they began to stock it with a variety of imported wines and spirits.

“We were deeply interested in quality,” said Anthony Terlato. “We knew that, as a small, family store, we couldn't carry as many brands as our competitors, so we chose to focus on quality rather than quantity, and it served us well.”

Move to Lake Bluff

Before long, Leading Liquor Marts outgrew its name and its Clark Street location, and began to expand rapidly. The company changed its name to Terlato Wines International (TWI), and moved from Chicago to Lake Bluff, where it set up shop in a sprawling country manor — affectionately known as Tangley Oaks — near Anthony Terlato's home.

Despite the change in address, the Terlato family remained committed to quality wine, and the business has remained a family-run enterprise.

Anthony Terlato manages the company with the help of his sons, Bill and John. He recently chose to employ two of his grandchildren, too.

“It's said that some families in Italy have been in the wine-making business for 25 generations,” Anthony said. “We've only been in it for four, at this point, but we certainly hope to keep going.”

Family Atmosphere

The family influence not only creates a familiarity with consumers, but is also responsible for success in the marketplace, according to Anthony's son, John.

“People like knowing that we're a family-owned business,” he said. “They like it that we're personally involved in what we do.”

Family ties, however, don't get in the way of representing more than 50 brands of wine. One out of eight bottles of wine over $14 sold in America comes from TWI, according to its website.

The bond creates a chemistry that allows the trio to take advantage of each of their strengths.

“I see my father and my brother almost every day,” John said. “We have different responsibilities within the company, but we work closely together, and we get along well. We have a great time together, and we get a lot of work done — people really respond well to that, to the family-friendly atmosphere we've created.”

Anthony, John, and Bill are often the first to arrive at Tangley Oaks each morning and the last to leave each night. Employee Susan Holmer noted, “No one works harder than Anthony and his sons. They're genuinely passionate about what they do.”