Bobby Koch

Robert P. "Bobby" Koch (b. 1960) is the President and CEO of the Wine Institute, acting as its chief lobbyist in Washington D.C. and Sacramento, California.

Life and career

In 1992, Koch married Dorothy Bush, the only living daughter of George H. W. Bush, at a private ceremony held at Camp David—the only couple to ever be married there in the nation's history. They have two children plus the two children from her first marriage.

Koch started his career in politics working for Tony Coelho and was part of his campaign to become House Majority Whip. He would later become staff director for House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt before joining the Wine Institute. Since becoming President and CEO in June 2003, membership has grown 70% to over 1,000 Californian wineries and affiliated businesses which are predominantly family owned and operated.

He has a substantial equity interest in the Central European Distribution Corporation, a company that manufactures and distributes vodka in Poland.