The wine legend associated with introducing Bordeaux to American wine lovers, David Milligan passed away on February 15, 2021, at age 81, comfortable and at peace.
“My family is heartbroken by this loss. We will miss my father dearly, and my wife Julie and I will carry on the legacy of David Milligan for generations to come,” says Alex Milligan, president of DMS Wine.
“My father will forever be present in our hearts and in our home, through photographs and the stories we tell our son, Pierce David. DMS Wine will continue to uphold the strongly held family-business values built into our DNA: Authentic relationships, stewardship, hard work, impeccable integrity, and philanthropy.”
David Milligan was born in Dorset, England and attended Eton in Windsor. His first job was inserting corks on the bottling line in England. He loved Bordeaux most of all, but appreciated wines from all over the world.
While still in England, David helped create the first wine brand to sell 1 million cases. After moving across the pond to New Orleans to develop a wine division for the Goldring family, David was appointed the first southern division manager of the newly created Chateau & Estate (the wine division of Seagram) and spent a year setting up distribution in the South.
In 1977, David moved to New York with steadily increasing responsibilities. This was a period of great development for such brands as Champagne Perrier Jouet and Sandeman, as well as the core Bordeaux Château business. In 1987, David was appointed president of Château & Estate at Seagram.
After a career spent building brands at the largest wine company of the era, David started his own French wine import company, David Milligan Selections, in 1995, hoping to uncover and share incredible French wines that could be enjoyed by everyone. David succeeded once again, building DMS Wine into a national company that now shares delicious French wines across 33 states, Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands.
In 2010, he was honored by the French Government with appointment as Officier de L’Ordre de Merite Agricole for services to the French wine industry. He is the author of The All Color Book of Wine and several newspaper and magazine articles.
David brought his son, Alex Milligan, into the business 14 years ago. The two worked closely to continue to grow DMS Wine. Alex was named president of the company in July 2018. “David was a warm, generous man,” says Alex. “One of the most charming men you could ever meet. A loving husband, father and grandfather. A passionate and dedicated businessman, and always a true gentleman.”
Alex and his wife Julie intend to forge ahead with a strong, dynamic vision for the company. David was married for 42 years, and a silver lining of the difficult covid time was that he spent every day of the last year with his wife, Louise. “This was a special gift,” says Alex. David loved interacting with people and sharing stories. When anyone spoke of him, they always smiled and mentioned his endearing charm. “We will miss him dearly but know that David Milligan will live on in the memory of so many,” says Alex.
