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The Mariani family awarded 'Wine Family of the Year' at the Meininger 'Excellence in Wine & Spirit' Award

Less than a year after Cristina Mariani-May was nominated as 'Woman of the Year 2018' by 'The Drinks Business', Germany also honours Banfi, declaring the Mariani family "Wine Family of the Year"at the Meininger Award 'Excellence in Wine & Spirit' in Düsseldorf.

The award ceremony took place yesterday, on the eve of Prowein, one of the most important trade fairs in the wine sector, in the presence of numerous guests from all over the world, and prominent personalities from the international world of oenology. Here Cristina Mariani-May, representative of the third family generation and, since 2018, CEO of Banfi Vintners, accepted the prestigious award from the hands of Christoph and Andrea Meininger, owners of the Meininger Verlag publishing house and creators of the initiative.

The choice of the jury, which was mainly made up of journalists from the group's wine magazines, namely 'Weinwirtschaft', 'Meininger's Wine Business International', 'Sommelier', 'Weinwelt' and 'Getränke Zeitung', for 2019 went to the Mariani family on the following grounds: 'Banfi is one of the world's most renowned wine houses and the Mariani family has made a valuable contribution to Italian wine. Sustainable management, tradition and modernity have enabled Banfi to play a leading role in the international wine market'.

Cristina Mariani-May, thanking Christoph and Andrea Meininger in person and the entire Meininger Verlag publishing house, said: "I am thrilled and honoured to be here today to receive this very prestigious award. My thanks, in addition to those of my father John who unfortunately could not be present at the last moment, go to the Meininger family and the entire jury. I would also like to thank the entire Banfi team who, over these 40 years, have walked alongside my family. My thanks also go to the Sorrentino family and Brand Compendium, our partner in Germany for over 10 years'. 

Since its foundation, Banfi has implemented an environmentally friendly production system by developing its activities in harmony with its surroundings.