Michael David Winery has named Michael Stein Vice President of National Sales, effective immediately, as the Lodi, California, family winery accelerates its push to deepen wholesaler coverage and expand brand reach across both on-premise and off-premise channels nationwide.
Stein arrives with more than two decades of wine industry sales leadership, including senior roles at Robert Mondavi, Icon Estates (a Constellation Brands subsidiary), Terlato Wine Group, and King Estate Winery. That résumé spans supplier-side strategy at every tier of the three-tier system, from building distributor partnerships to executing depletions programs across major retail and on-premise accounts. In his new role, Stein will own national sales strategy and oversee the winery's U.S. distributor network, coordinating closely with executive leadership on brand positioning and channel expansion.
Portfolio & Market Position
Michael David operates more than 900 acres of estate vineyards in the Lodi Appellation and produces a portfolio of bold, varietal-driven SKUs anchored by high-recognition brands including Freakshow, Earthquake, Inkblot, and Misfits & Mavens. The winery has operated as a bonded winery for more than four decades, selling its first commercial vintage in 1984 after multiple generations of family farming in the region. Lodi's warm, inland growing conditions support the high-extraction style that has driven consumer recognition for the winery's flagship labels—a positioning that differentiates Michael David in a crowded California wine set at retail and on-premise.
For a supplier with that kind of SKU footprint and estate-grown scale, national distributor alignment is critical. Fragmented wholesaler relationships or inconsistent depletion support can erode shelf presence and compromise planogram position at key off-premise accounts. Stein's track record building multi-state distributor programs at volume-driven suppliers makes him a strategically logical hire for a winery looking to tighten those relationships heading into an increasingly competitive off-premise environment.
Why the Hire Matters
The appointment comes as the broader California wine segment faces headwinds from shifting consumer preferences toward ready-to-drink formats and spirits-based alternatives, putting renewed pressure on traditional wine suppliers to sharpen their route-to-market execution. For a family-owned producer without the distribution infrastructure of a large beverage conglomerate, a seasoned VP of National Sales with institutional knowledge of major wholesaler networks can meaningfully accelerate depletions velocity and improve sell-through at chain and independent retailers alike.
Melissa Phillips Stroud, Vice President of Michael David Winery, called Stein "a tremendous addition as we continue to build on the momentum of Michael David Winery," citing his experience leading distributor partnerships and scaling brands across the country. Stein framed the move as an opportunity to grow the winery's iconic brands and extend the Phillips family's six-generation legacy to a broader national audience.
For distributors currently carrying Michael David's portfolio—or evaluating its brands for placement—Stein's hire signals a more active and experienced commercial counterpart at the supplier level, which typically translates to stronger programming support, more consistent field execution, and sharper wine distribution strategy at the regional level.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
