The Tuscan company, which is one of the main ambassadors of the wine made in Italy in the world, wins the important award of Veronafiere, paired with its sister company from Piedmont.
Castello Banfi, the leading producer of Brunello di Montalcino, wins the "Special Vinitaly Award Region 2011"for Tuscany. The award goes to the producer from each Italian region that achieved the best result at the Vinitaly International Wine Competition. Identical recognition went to sister company Vigne Regali, for the Piedmont region.
In September 1984, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Castello Banfi winery in Montalcino, John F. Mariani declared: 'Our deepest wish is that this project will be good for the people of Montalcino, good for Italy, good for America and good for all those who love quality wines.
The estate is located on the south-western slope of the municipality of Montalcino, which has always been considered an ideal habitat for the cultivation of the local vines, Sangiovese and Moscadello, and occupies a total surface area of 2,830 hectares, 850 of which are cultivated with specialised vineyards, bearing witness to a unique heritage and experience.
The same property also owned Vigne Regali in Piedmont, acquired by the Mariani family in 1979, just over a year after the establishment of Banfi in Montalcino. Here they took over the Bruzzone winery, a historic winery, active since 1860 and specialised in the production of sparkling wines, to make it the group's Piedmontese brand. Bringing together Piedmont's centuries-old winemaking and sparkling wine tradition and Montalcino's winemaking experience, Vigne Regali crowns a project aimed at enhancing the most prized appellations of lower Piedmont. The company's vocation for the highest quality, and its strong bond with the territory, are best expressed in its extensive production, a varied and complete range that boasts a selection of labels expressing the main Piedmontese grape varieties.
Regali Vineyards and Banfi Castlewhose wines are present in more than eighty countries around the world, together achieve an annual production of about 12,500,000 bottles.
Castello Banfi also played an important role in theenotourism, a fundamental key to wine culture education, opening the cellar to more than 80,000 visitors a year and making the 14th-century castle the centre of welcome and hospitality activities: here, in addition to high-level catering, wine-bars, events and tastings, visitors can also admire the prestigious objects collected in the Glass and Bottle Museum.
