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Banfi branches into Bourbon with Ian Somerhalder whiskey
By Eloise FeildenItalian wine producer Banfi Vintners has announced a strategic sales partnership with Brother’s Bond Bourbon, making its first venture into the whiskey category.
Wine producer and importer Banfi Vintners has announced its first portfolio extension in over a decade with its new Brother’s Bond partnership.
The American whiskey is co-owned by Hollywood actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who both starred in The Vampire Diaries series. Its portfolio includes a range of small-batch, ultra-premium Bourbon and rye whiskeys including Bottled in Bond.
Banfi will serve as Brother’s Bond’s sales agency in the US to build the Bourbon’s presence in the market.
The partnership comes less than a year after the appointment of Jenn Engel as chief commercial and strategy officer, who has been tasked with growing the business through strategic portfolio diversification.
Cristina Mariani-May, third-generation family proprietor and CEO of Banfi, told db that the shift into whiskey did not translate into a move away from wine.
“Welcoming Brother’s Bond into the Banfi portfolio is a move that’s more about the brand opportunity and less about the category specifically,” she said.
Wine consumption worldwide is suffering as a result of weakening consumer demand. However, Banfi’s position remains strong.
“From a global perspective, Banfi remains optimistic about the wine category and we continue to see avid consumer interest in experiencing our prestigious portfolio and the world-class hospitality at our Montalcino estate,” Mariani-May said.
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She remains confident about trading in the US, a market in which the producer’s Castello Banfi Brunello and Super Tuscans are witnessing growth.
“Consumer trends indicate a significant opportunity for our Banfi Brut Metodo Classico and our estate white wines including San Angelo Pinot Grigio and La Pettegola Vermentino,” she said.
Banfi’s partnership with Brother’s Bond marks its first portfolio extension in more than 10 years, and offers “an exciting avenue”, the company CEO said.
“We recognise that this partnership will collectively open doors for our combined portfolio as well as allow us to offer more value to our customers and consumers alike,” she said.
The partnership is the latest step in the company’s “strategic growth” plan. Mariani-May said further expansion with non-competing brands was “a distinct possibility”.
“We will prioritise selecting brands with the right fit for Banfi’s current family of brands,” she said. “For now, our team’s efforts are focused on being in the marketplace, hosting luxury events, distributor trainings and telling our brands’ stories.”
Founded 1919 in New York City, Banfi continues to be solely owned by the Mariani family with Cristina Mariani-May as proprietor and CEO. The portfolio includes Banfi’s most prestigious winery, the Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany. Its wine portfolio sits alongside the Castello Banfi Il Borgo luxury hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant.
The Mariani family is also owner of US Pacific Northwest based Pacific Rim & Company with projects from AVAs across Washington state and Willamette Valley, Oregon. The Banfi portfolio also includes ownership interest in organic brand Natura wines, produced by Emiliana Organic Vineyards in Chile.
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