Calabria Family Wines will add Fontanafredda, one of Piedmont’s most historic Barolo producers, to it portfolio with the Italian wines to be distributed in Australia by the group's Vintners & Co Merchants.
Fontanafredda was founded by the first King of Italy more than 160 years ago and its organic vineyards trail across 120 hectares in the hills of Le Langhe. Fontanafredda specialises in Barolo and presses 5 million grapes each years.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming such a prestigious name in Italian wine to the Vintners & Co Merchants portfolio. Fontanafredda is synonymous with producing some of Italy’s finest wines, with further recognition by the world’s top critics for the winery’s Barolos,” third-generation Sales & Marketing Director of the Calabria Family Wine Group, Andrew Calabria said.
“As one of Piedmont’s most recognised wine producers, this new partnership presents an exciting opportunity for our team to tap into new sales channels as the thirst for great international wines grows amongst Australian wine drinkers.”
The Fontanafredda estate was first purchased in 1858 by Vittorio Emanuele II as a gift for “La Bella Rosin” – Rosa, the woman he loved - with the first Barolo vineyard purchased by the King in 1866. The first wines were vinified in Fontanafredda’s cellars in 1870, with the winery innovating its winemaking and viticultural practices ever since. The King and Rosa planted the first vineyard together, which is now named Vigna La Rosa, dedicated to Rosa Vercellana, "La Bella Rosin".
Fontanafredda is located in the northern region of Piedmont, nestled in the foothills of the Alps that form the Italian border with France and Switzerland. The diurnal temperature variation of the region and diverse soils of the Fontanafredda property allows for the production of an extensive array of varietals at the winery, from powerful Barolo to bright Sparklings.
In 2015 the winery began converting all of the estate’s vineyards to organic farming techniques, and in 2018, Fontanafredda’s 160th birthday commenced their first certified organic harvest. Today, the winery has 120 hectares of organically grown vines to source its fruit.
In addition to the winery’s highly rated Barolos, Vintners & Co Merchants has also secured a selection of other well known Italian varietals from the Fontanafredda portfolio, including the Roero Arneis DOCG, Langhe DOC Nebbiolo, Piedmont DOC Dolcetto and Piedmont DOC Barbera.
The Fontanafredda portfolio will be available in Australia from late June.
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