WISE Academy, Aged Cabernet Trust, Wine Industry Technology Symposium, Ambrosia Wine Catalogue, Winetasting Network - Lesley Berglund

Lesley Berglund, an accomplished wine industry entrepreneur & CEO, is also a third generation Napa Valley native from a grape growing family.

Lesley is an accomplished wine industry entrepreneur, CEO and board member with a focus on driving industry change. Over the past 18 years in the wine industry she has started up the equivalent of seven new businesses, acquired and integrated four companies and led during periods of dramatic change. As co-founder and former CEO of the Ambrosia Wine Catalogue/the Winetasting Network (which she sold to 1-800 Flowers in 2004) she has deep experience in consumer direct marketing of fine wines.

Lesley has served on the board of nine wine-related companies and trade associations. In 2006, she co-founded the Specialty Wine Retailers Association. In 2008, she co-founded the WISE ACADEMY. This is awinery sales executive education business -- the only wine industry education, training and certification program dedicated solely to direct-to-consumer sales and marketing-- go to (WISE Academy) for more information.

Lesley serves as Co-Chair of both the Wine Industry Technology Symposium and the Green Wine Summit.

She also owns and operates the Aged Cabernet Trust, an aged Cabernet investment company that has provided successful returns to investors for the past 25 vintages.

Lesley has an MBA from Harvard Business School (Class of 1991)and a BA in Economics from Wesleyan University. She is a member of both the Young Presidents Organization and the Entrepreneurs Organization and has completed the Kellogg Woman’s Director Development program. Lesley is a third generation Napa Valley native from a grape growing family.

More about Aged Cabernet Trust: (from the website)

"For more than two decades, Aged Cabernet Trust has been engaged in the purchasing, aging and marketing of Cabernet Sauvignon. Each year, we raise money from investors to buy current release wines and store the wine until it is ready to be consumed. We then re-release the wines back into the market, selling them to a select group of wine enthusiasts, specialty wine retailers and exceptional restaurants.

Wines chosen to become part of our portfolio are all beautifully constructed, age-worthy wines, and have solid brand recognition that will guarantee interest in the years to come. Until re-released, when the aged wines are ready to be enjoyed, proper cellaring in a Napa-based bonded and temperature-controlled warehouse is insured.

To compare fine aged Cabernet Sauvignon with its youthful counterpart is nearly like comparing two different varietals. Colors evolve from purple and violet tints to progressively more brick red and eventually tawny colors. The fruit-forward aromas fade and a more complex nose develops. The taste changes, as stringent tannins fade and are replaced by a smoother and rounder mouth feel. In great aged Cabernet Sauvignon, these various taste and aroma components integrate, yielding more richness and complexity."