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William P. Foley II ~ Proprietor
Vintner, William P. (Bill) Foley II, established the Foley Wine Group in 1996, with the acquisition of Lincourt Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley appellation of Santa Barbara County. Taking its name from Bill and Carol’s two daughters, Lindsay and Courtney, Lincourt Vineyards quickly established itself as a viable, dynamic brand.
From there, Bill founded Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery, a premiere Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house located in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County. Highly regarded by leading wine critics and sommeliers, this Burgundian-influenced portfolio has become a flagship property in the South Central Coast.
The acquisition of Las Hermanas Vineyard, formerly known as the iconic Ashley’s Vineyard, followed thereafter. Also located in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, this esteemed vineyard has provided fruit not only to the Lincourt Vineyards program, but also to critically successful wineries such as Brewer-Clifton, Samsara and Tantara.
Merus, in the Napa Valley, is Bill’s nod to his love of benchmark California Cabernet Sauvignons of merit and elegance. Considered by many to be one of the most coveted “cult Cabernets” in the United States, Merus has added breadth and depth to the FWG portfolio.
The Foley Wine Group is headquartered at Firestone Vineyard, which Bill acquired in 2007. Long considered a destination for visitors to Santa Barbara County’s wine country, Firestone produces an array of Bordeaux-influenced wines in competitively-priced categories.
By adding Three Rivers Winery to the FWG, Bill has now expanded his thoughtfully composed wine portfolio into the Pacific Northwest. Located in Walla Walla, Washington, Three Rivers Winery is recognized for producing Rieslings and Bordeaux-influenced wines.
In addition to being a passionate,
adventurous vintner, Bill Foley
is Chairman of the Board of Directors
for Fidelity National Inc. (NYSE:
FNF), number 435 on the Fortune
500 roster, and a leading provider
of title insurance, specialty insurance
and claims management services.
FNF’s three primary operating segments include Fidelity National Title Group, one of the nation’s largest and most respected title insurance companies; Fidelity National Property and Casualty Insurance Group, a nationwide provider of specialty insurance products; and Sedgwick CMS, the leading North American provider of innovative claims and productivity management solutions.
Bill also serves as Executive Chairman
of Fidelity
National Information Services
(NYSE: FIS), number 481 on the Fortune
500 roster, and a global provider
of core processing for financial
institutions; card issuer and transaction
processing services; mortgage loan
processing, as well as mortgage-related
information products and outsourcing
services.
Under Bill’s leadership, FNF was selected in 2004 by Forbes as one of the 26 Best Managed Companies in the U.S. The company has repeatedly been named to Fortune’s list of America’s Most Admired Companies, Forbes’ list of America’s Best Big Companies and selected for Barron’s list of Best Companies for Investors.
An avid and accomplished golfer (Golf Digest’s Top 20 Executive Golfers in the World, 2006), Bill received his B.S. degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Bill served in the U.S. Air Force, where he attained the rank of Captain. He received an M.B.A. degree from Seattle University and earned his J.D. degree in 1974 from The University of Washington School of Law.
By turns hard-nosed and soft-hearted, Bill is committed to achieving an enological and viticultural portfolio that resonates not only with wine professionals’ world wide, but also with the average American consumer, who enjoys a memorable bottle of wine at the end of a long work day.
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