BRUNELLO’S NOTEWORTHY YEAR ON U.S. MARKET: MONTALCINO WINE EXPORTS INCREASE IN 2005, ALONG WITH OTHER ITALIAN WINES THAT HAVE NOW CORNERED 30% OF THE AMERICAN MARKET. A SIGNIFICANT 10% INCREASE IN RECENT MONTHS

This has been a noteworthy year for Brunello di Montalcino in the U.S. In fact, 2005 has marked significant growth on the American market, which is considered a reference point for the Italian wine export sector. The announcement was made by Jacopo Biondi Santi (from the family that invented Brunello di Montalcino in the 1800’s), of the Il Greppo estate and president of the Italian Wine & Food Institute, upon his return from a mission to the U.S.

”The Italian wine sector - explained Jacopo Biondi Santi - is going very well overseas, in particular Brunello di Montalcino. In 2005, Italian wine, as a whole, made up 30% of the American market, a figure that had never before been reached until now, with a 10% increase in sales registered in 2005. We have surpassed the French on the U.S. market since 2000, in both quantity and value”.

According to Biondi Santi, “In 2005 Brunello di Montalcino registered a positive trend in America and signaled growth in both volume and value”. A sign of the continued appreciation of the famous Tuscan wine by U.S. consumers, who have steadily consumed 25% of total Brunello production for years now.

And it is precisely this emblematic wine from Montalcino that Jacopo Biondi Santi intends to bet success on, notwithstanding the recent decision to leave his role as president of Biondi Santi Spa (the commercial division of the family). “Despite the fact that I am leaving my post, this does not mean that I intend to renounce Brunello di Montalcino. On the contrary - continued the producer - I have decided to further reinforce my presence and interest in this extraordinary wine”.