# Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits

> Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits is a privately held Stamford company that imports, owns, partners with and markets a concentrated portfolio of wine and spirits brands. Founded by Bill Deutsch in 1981, it grew from a two-person French-wine agency into a national supplier with more than $1 billion in 2024 revenue and roughly 14 million nine-liter cases, led by Josh Cellars and [yellow tail]. Its advantage is not vineyards or distilleries alone, but a repeatable system for spotting approachable brands, earning national distribution and building consumer recognition without discarding the family stories behind them.

- **Founded:** 1981
- **Headquarters:** Stamford, United States
- **Founders:** Bill Deutsch (Founder and Chairman)
- **Team size:** About 420 employees listed on LinkedIn; the company website describes well over 340 employees.
- **Products:** Wine portfolio, Spirits portfolio, Brand-building and route-to-market services, Josh Cellars Non-Alcoholic Sparkling, Gray Whale Vodka
- **Notable:** Grew from two employees in 1981 to a top-five U.S. wine company., Finished 2024 above $1 billion in revenue and at roughly 14 million nine-liter cases., Built [yellow tail] into the first imported wine brand to exceed one million U.S. cases in its first 12 months, according to the company timeline.

## Products & services

- **Wine portfolio** — Imports, owns, markets and distributes brands including Josh Cellars, [yellow tail], The Calling, Fleurs de Prairie, Barone Fini, The Crossings and other domestic and international wines.
- **Spirits portfolio** — A premium and craft spirits group spanning Redemption Whiskey, Bib & Tucker, Gray Whale, Cantera Negra Tequila, Luksusowa vodka and Masterson’s Rye.
- **Brand-building and route-to-market services** — National sales, marketing, trade education, distributor management, retail activation, consumer storytelling and media support for owned and partner brands.
- **Josh Cellars Non-Alcoholic Sparkling** — A no-alcohol sparkling extension designed to bring the Josh Cellars brand into additional occasions.
- **Gray Whale Vodka** — Small-batch vodka distilled from California grapes and linked to Gray Whale’s coastal positioning and conservation platform.

## Achievements

- Grew from two employees in 1981 to a top-five U.S. wine company.
- Finished 2024 above $1 billion in revenue and at roughly 14 million nine-liter cases.
- Built [yellow tail] into the first imported wine brand to exceed one million U.S. cases in its first 12 months, according to the company timeline.
- Helped Josh Cellars grow from roughly 130,000 cases in 2012 to more than 6 million annual cases by 2024-2025.
- Josh Cellars was named Wine Enthusiast’s 2021 American Winery of the Year.
- Named a Connecticut Top Workplace in consecutive years through 2025.
- Founder Bill Deutsch received France’s Légion d’Honneur in 2012 and multiple wine-industry honors.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Launched Gray Whale Vodka, a small-batch vodka distilled from California grapes.
- **2026-05** — Redemption Whiskey introduced refreshed packaging and an elevated 92-proof bourbon.
- **2026-01** — Wade Grote succeeded Kelly Soendker as executive vice president of sales following her retirement.
- **2025-08** — Gray Whale Gin was named the official gin of the Boston Red Sox under a multi-year agreement.
- **2025-07** — Bib & Tucker introduced Gold Roast Bourbon, finished with a roasted-coffee treatment.
- **2025-04** — Mike Dee became president, bringing senior sports and media operating experience to the company.
- **2025-01** — Josh Cellars announced a non-alcoholic sparkling extension as the company expanded into fast-growing no-alcohol occasions.

## Links

- Website: https://www.deutschfamily.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deutsch-family-wine-%26-spirits

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Last updated: 2026-08-14