Draft:Robert J. Rosenstein

Liquor Barn

The Rosenstein family's involvement in beverage retail began in the late 1960s, when Robert's father Irving Rosenstein opened Shoppers Village Liquor on Versailles Road in Lexington, Kentucky. The store was notable for its consumer-friendly format, creating a well-lit, spacious environment that was uncommon in the liquor retail industry at the time.^[1] Irving expanded the business to 11 outlets across Lexington, Frankfort, and Winchester, Kentucky.^[1]

Robert joined his father's business in 1978 and modernized the store concept, rebranding it as Liquor Barn, The Ultimate Party Source.^[1] He became CEO in 1986 and grew the chain into Kentucky's largest independent beverage retailer, with stores ranging from 25,000 to 80,000 square feet.^[1][2] Under his leadership, the chain accounted for between 9 and 10 percent of Kentucky's off-premise beverage alcohol business.^[2]

Rosenstein was named Market Watch Retail Leader of the Year in 1987 and received the Market Watch Leaders Alumni Award for Best Merchandising in 2008.^[5] In 2019, the Louisville Liquor Barn location was ranked third in the nation in the Beverage Dynamics Top 100 Retailers list.^[6]

In 2009, Rosenstein sold the business to Liquor Stores N.A. of Canada, with the sale involving stores in Lexington and Louisville.^[7][8] The brand was later acquired by Blue Equity in 2017^[9] and subsequently by Gopuff in 2021.^[3][10][11]

Real estate development

Rosenstein is the managing member of RD Property Group, LLC, a family-owned commercial real estate development company based in Lexington, Kentucky. The firm's portfolio includes retail and mixed-use developments across Kentucky. A major project is Newtown Springs, an 85-acre mixed-use development along Newtown Pike in north Lexington, anchored by a 123,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace that represented a $42 million investment in the community.^{[4][12][13][14]}

Vineyard and wine industry

Rosenstein co-founded Angela Estate, a vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of Oregon's Willamette Valley. The venture began with winemaker Ken Wright, Rosenstein, and Antony Beck.^[15] Rosenstein and Beck purchased land that became the Clawson Creek vineyard on Savannah Ridge in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, with the first 21 acres planted in 2006 and the remaining 13 acres in 2007.^[16] The winery was named "Angela" in honor of Beck's wife and "Clawson Creek Vineyard" in honor of Rosenstein's wife, Kim Clawson Rosenstein. Under winemaker Ken Wright, Angela Estate produces single-vineyard Pinot noir.^[15]