Frescobaldi, Antinori, Santa Margherita and Zonin 1821: Italians investing in the USA

Investing in wine, in spite of all the challenges related to climate change and the more and more complicated and competitive consumer market, is still a very good idea. The proof comes from, first of all, the more or less consistent flow of investments from abroad, which over the last few years has seen a great many changes of hand in the leading Italian wine territories, from Tuscany to the Langhe. Two excellent examples, for instance, are, in 2016, when the historic Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino brand was purchased by the French Group EPI, and also when the American tycoon, Kyle Kraus, purchased two companies that have written the history of Piedmont wine: Vietti and Serafino. Contemporarily, practically all the main Italian wine groups have grown, in size and in turnover, due to mergers and new acquisitions, which in many cases have led them to become International level players.
This state of affairs is due to creating and strengthening commercial networks owned by large Groups between the USA and China. It is, however, also the ability of these same Groups to look overseas not only in search of new markets or new partners, but also as buyers themselves. The most recent case, just a few days ago, was that of the historic Tuscan wine family, Frescobaldi that decided to invest in the Willamette Valley, in the heart of Oregon, land of great Pinot Noirs, where it concluded the acquisition of the Domaine Roy & fils brand, which counts just over 16 hectares, cultivated organically, divided between the Iron Filbert and Quartz Acorn vineyards.
The Frescobaldi investment followed only a few weeks after another historic Tuscan and Italian wine family, Antinori, in May, purchased and secured full ownership of the legendary Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, in Napa Valley, after having collaborated for 16 years with the prestigious American company Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Considered one of the most important wineries in the prestigious California wine region, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars owes its enormous popularity to the legendary “Judgment of Paris” in 1976, when, in a blind tasting, Stag's Leap S.L.V. 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon prevailed over the great wines of Bordeaux and Napa Valley, and marked a fundamental turning point in recent world wine history.
Another important acquisition dates back to the beginning of 2022. The Santa Margherita Group, one of the most prestigious wine hubs in Italy, led by the Marzotto family, through its operating branch in America, Santa Margherita USA, purchased Roco Winery, one of the most prestigious wineries in Oregon, founded in 2001 by Rollin & Corby Stonebraker-Soles, also in the Willamette Valley, not far from Domaine Roy & fils. The investment turned out to be twofold, because on the one hand it increased the number of brands in the Group, while on the other, it proved to be a strategic acquisition on a fundamental market such as the USA. And now, thanks to owning Roco Winery, Santa Margherita can sell its wines directly to the final consumer in 17 different American States.
However, the first page of the history that narrates the big Italian wine companies’ investments in the USA was written many years ago, in 1976, by Gianni Zonin. At that time, Gianni was at the helm of Zonin 1821, and he was the one who gave shape to and made the dream of Thomas Jefferson, the third US president, who two centuries earlier had tried to produce wine in his homeland, Virginia, actually come true. There, in the surrounding areas of the Palladio inspired villa, dating back to 1821, Gianni Zonin founded Barboursville Vineyards, a 500-hectare company, 70 of which are vineyards, including International and Italian varieties, such as Vermentino and Nebbiolo. This was the first and fundamental step towards viticulture, in Virginia, which over the years has taken a stronger and stronger hold, so much so that now in the East Coast State there are more than 300 wine producing companies.