(New York, NY - January 24, 2011) - Castello Banfi family proprietor Cristina Mariani-May was on hand to ring the closing bell of NASDAQ, and joined VinItaly and Veronese winemaker Marisa Allegrini in presenting a $45,000 donation to The American Cancer Society.
Ms. Mariani-May addressed traders on the floor of NASDAQ, the world’s largest exchange company, together with Ms. Allegrini and Giovanni Mantovani, president of VinItaly, the largest wine event in the world.
“Wine is food in Italy,” Ms. Mariani-May informed the traders, “but this ancient part of our culture is serious business and integral to our international trade.” She toasted fellow winemakers including Ms. Allegrini who are “breaking through traditional boundaries in vineyards and communications, charming the globe with value and quality.” She also thanked VinItaly for its efforts to communicate the quality of Italian wine around the world.
The presentation capped a productive day for Ms. Mariani-May, who started the morning on a press conference panel to open “Vino 2011,” a five-day conference dubbed “Italian Wine Week” in New York and organized by the Italian Trade Commission. Journalists and merchants from across the US gathered to discuss and discover various facets of Italian wine.
Mariani-May addressed the future of Italian wine and how growing consumer interest and sophistication in Italy itself has pressured Italian wineries to meet and exceed world standards while placing renewed emphasis on Italy’s unique native grape varieties. She cited Castello Banfi’s decades-long research in clonal selection of Tuscany’s indigenous Sangiovese grape to improve Brunello di Montalcino wine.
Later that evening Castello Banfi wines were featured at a New York City tasting to benefit The American Cancer Society.
