Who wouldn’t want to be top dog of Screaming Eagle, one of the world’s most prestigious wineries? And once that position is secured, who would want to give it up?
Charles Banks, that’s who.
Banks, 44, spent 18 years as an investment banker and president of CSI Capital Management prior to jumping into the wine business in 2000. He purchased 600 acres in Santa Barbara, Calif., to start Jonata, a winery focusing on a wide range of varieties, mostly reds.
The University of Georgia graduate co-owned and operated Screaming Eagle from 2006 to 2009. He and his business partner, billionaire Stan Kroenke, bought the property from founder Jean Phillips.
Banks pulled out of Screaming Eagle when Kroenke wanted more say-so in the winery’s operation. “I think a great winery needs one boss,” Banks said.
Hardly lost in the woods, Banks has been busy the past three years. He launched two wine groups, purchased several wineries and started a high-tech wine bar in Hong Kong. One of his companies, Terroir Selections, owns Sandhi, Fable and Leviathan wineries. It recently acquired Mulderbosch, the iconic South African winery.
With his wife, Ali, an Atlanta native, he also created an innovative charity called the Give. The Bankses subscribe to a philosophy called connected capitalism. The Give is the tangible result of the belief that for-profit companies with a socially responsible mission can shake the foundations of the world.
The Give generates its funds from Cultivate Wines, essentially a global wine negociant owned by the Bankses. Cultivate donates 10 percent of its gross revenue to the Give.
The Give in turn has donated more than $150,000 since November to an array of causes -- from building shelters for orphans in Kenya to blindness prevention programs in Atlanta. The Give will fork over another $100,000 at the end of June.
Selection of what organizations receive funds is left to the general public. By logging into the Cultivate website (www.cultivatewines.com) or Facebook page, you can choose from dozens of charities to vote for. The charity with the most votes receives $50,000; five runners-up get $10,000 apiece.
The charity "was all my wife Ali’s idea,” Banks said. “Our favorite thing about Screaming Eagle was the impact we could have helping charities raise money. This is an extension of that feeling. We just wanted to be able to do it every day and let everyone participate, not just a few rich folks.”
Banks' physical connection to Screaming Eagle (dozens of bottles of the cult cabernet) has dwindled to a few. He sold the majority of them to launch Cultivate. Don’t cry for him, however. He’s happy.
“It felt great to sell these old and rare wines sitting in my cellar to fund a dynamic new business that gives back,” he said.
With so many Screaming Eagles (retail value more than $4,000 each) at his disposal, I had to ask if he’s enjoyed a bottle with more pedestrian dishes like a hamburger. His reply? “Many, many times. What’s better than a cabernet and a burger?”
Gil Kulers is a certified wine educator and a consultant for a metro Atlanta wine shop. You can reach him at gil.kulers@winekulers.com.
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