William P. Foley II, Vintner
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 list, part of
the S&P 500, 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.
