Ornellaia appoints MMD in the UK

Italian Super Tuscan Ornellaia has appointed Maisons Marques et Domaines as its new distributor in the UK.

MMD takes over from Armit Wines, which has been the UK agent for many years, with immediate effect.

Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, CEO of Ornellaia, said: “Before COVID-19 added itself to the long list of challenges facing the UK trade, Ornellaia had already decided to make changes to its UK distribution strategy.

“Armit Wines has accompanied Ornellaia for many years and the brand’s notoriety in the UK has certainly grown during their tenure. The decision to entrust MMD UK with the distribution of its wines to UK trade, while the Ornellaia management team develops the B2C channels, demonstrates an evolution in Ornellaia’s vision for the longer-term.”

Ornellaia will sit alongside several other Italian producers in MMD’s portfolio, notably Pio Cesare and Marchesi Mazzi, as well as Champagne Louis Roederer, Domaines Ott, Château Pichon Comtesse and Ramos Pinto.

Richard Billett, managing director of MMD, said: “We are delighted and tremendously excited to be entering into partnership with Ornellaia, one of the great properties of Italy. We look forward to a close collaboration in our aim to strengthen and continue to develop the distribution, positioning and impressive reputation of this prestigious estate in the UK market”.

Da Filicaja, added: “We are especially happy to join the MMD portfolio given the close ties we already enjoy with Frédéric Rouzaud, president and CEO, of Louis Roederer Champagne. We look forward to ensuring that Ornellaia becomes available to an ever wider audience of fine wine lovers and seeing its reputation among the UK Trade grow ever further under MMD UK.”