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News
Gallo gains US rights to Renato Ratti
California’s E&J Gallo Winery has further strengthened its premium “LUX” portfolio having acquired the exclusive rights to distribute Italy’s Barolo-based Renato Ratti wines in the US.
The Renato Ratti estate in the village of La Morra, a sub-region of Barolo
Renato Ratti purchased his first vineyard in 1965 in the village of La Morra, a sub-region of Barolo, which is known for producing elegant red wines from the Nebbiolo grape variety. Renato Ratti was among the first to produce a single-vineyard Barolo in the 1960’s and created the first detailed map of the region’s historical crus in the 1970’s. Since 1988, the winery has been run by second-generation Pietro Ratti, who oversaw the construction of a new gravity flow cellar in 2005.
“We are very excited to represent Renato Ratti wines in our LUX Wines portfolio in the US,” said Roger Nabedian, Senior Vice President of Gallo’s Premium Wine Division.
“Barolo is one of Italy’s most prestigious red wine regions and Renato Ratti has played a very important role in the region’s history and development.”
Renato Ratti will join Allegrini, Poggio al Tesoro and Pieropan in Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group (LUX Wines), founded by Gallo in 2014 as part of its wider strategy to premiumise its offer in the US. Its aim, according to Gallo, is to “represent iconic wine suppliers from the most noteworthy appellations in the world.”
The Renato Ratti portfolio that LUX Wines will be distributing includes its Barolo Marcenasco, Barolo Conca, Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata, Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera d’Asti.
It is the latest move by the producer to up its premium offer in the US, and follows recent rash of vineyard acquisitions throughout last year in top Californian wine regions. In August of last year Gallo bought Talbott Vineyards in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands as part of a conscious shift toward premium wines.
Earlier, in March 2015, Gallo snapped up sparkling wine specialist J Vineyards & Winery in a deal that included the Healdsburg winery and 121 hectares of vineyards in Sonoma and the Russian River Valley. Two months later Gallo bought two vineyard sites in the Napa Valley – Cypress Ranch and part of the Palisades Vineyard near Calistoga – further strengthening its premium portfolio.