Frederick Wildman

Following the repeal of Prohibition, Frederick S. Wildman, a Connecticut-born wine connoisseur, bought the century old Bellows and Co., a wine importer and fine-food emporium. That same year Wildman traveled to Europe’s finest vineyards to pursue suppliers and to grow his importing business. Within a short time, Wildman signed on some of France’s finest wine producers, many still in Frederick Wildman’s portfolio today.

With Wildman in charge, the company grew and prospered. Wildman himself wrote the newsletters and wine notes, always reflecting his personal commitment to the highest quality products for his discriminating clientele. The Colonel, as he was called, continued to travel to Europe to develop contacts and establish partnerships. When National Distillers decided to leave the premium wine business in 1952, the Colonel was able to create his own company, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd. Champagne Pol Roger, Domaine Armand Rousseau and Château Fuissé were mainstays of the portfolio then and remained when Colonel Wildman retired in 1971, and his company became a subsidiary of Hiram Walker. With Hiram Walker, Frederick Wildman and Sons continued to grow, and the Rhône wines of Paul Jaboulet Aîné, and several Bordeaux properties were soon added to the rich and prestigious portfolio.

1989 was a boom year for the company. Frederick Wildman and Sons added the very popular and influential wines of Italian producer, Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV), to its range including Melini, Santi, and Folonari These additions added large volume of popular wines and propelled Wildman into the ranks of the largest importers in the United States. At that time, Richard Cacciato had just become president of the company and he began to restructure the company to allow the new growth. The national sales force doubled in size and, in turn, volume increased for all brands.

In 1993, Cacciato, along with an investment group that included six of the company’s top suppliers purchased Wildman from Hiram Walker. This was a strong vote of confidence on the part of the suppliers in Cacciato’s leadership as well as Wildman’s stability and promise for the years to come.

Over the next two and a half decades, Wildman added an assortment of legendary properties such as Chartreuse, Trapiche, Nino Negri, Seña, Christian Moreau Pere et Fils, La Scolca, Egon Müller, as well as dynamic rising stars around the world such as Nicolas Potel, Pascal Jolivet, Domaine Jacques Prieur, El Coto de Rioja, Backsberg and Churchill’s Port. The portfolio now includes over 50 brands under its umbrella, each one unique and each one prominent in its region of production.

Along with the growth, the familiar Wildman Oval — created by the Colonel and present on every bottle that the company imports — has remained constant and is still consistently recognized world-wide as a symbol of quality. Now in the 21st century, the company has become what Cacciato calls “the biggest little wine company in America” committed to maintain quality in its offerings, its service and its relationships.