“Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards”, competing Banville (Lia Tolaini), De Biasi (San Felice), Ferrari

Banville, a New York-based distribution company co-founded by Italian producer Lia Tolaini-Banville, in the “Importer of the Year” category; Carlo De Biasi, manager of the Tuscan winery San Felice, for the “Wine Executive of the Year” category; the liquor company Meletti in the “Spirit Brand of the Year” category; Ferrari Trento, a brand of excellence in made-in-Italy bubbles, and Col d’Orcia, a historic Brunello di Montalcino winery, for the “European Winery of the Year” category: these are the five prestigious nominations obtained by Italy for the “Wine Star Awards” of the American magazine “Wine Enthusiast”, edition no. 25, one of the most prestigious wine awards in the world, which will be awarded in January 2025.
Lia Tolaini Banville is a producer with the Tolaini winery, in Chianti Classico, and an exporter and distributor in the U.S. with Banville Wine Merchants, named in the “Importer of the Year” category. Among the distributed brands, in addition to prestigious names from Champagne and Burgundy, there are also several Italian wineries, from Cesarini Sforza to Parusso, from Donatella Cinelli Colombini to Terlano, from Majolini to Tenimenti Leone, from Pala to Lunae, passing through San Salvatore 1988, Ca’ Viola and Bianca Vigna. According to “Wine Enthusiast”, “family-owned Banville is committed to representing brands that show their commitment to integrity, authenticity and family”.
He is considered one of Italy’s most talented wine managers Carlo De Biasi, born in 1968, general manager of Tuscany-based San Felice (owned by the Allianz Group): “After winning the Green Personality of the Year award given by The Drinks Business, his commitment to the environment has intensified”, writes “Wine Enthusiast” in the nomination’s rationale. “In 2021, he launched the European Union-funded Climate Impetus program, which conducts key research to help Europe achieve its carbon neutrality goal by 2050. And in summer 2023, under De Biasi’s leadership as general manager, San Felice became the first Italian winery to join the Regenerative Viticulture Association. He has been a pioneer in environmental initiatives and continues to lead the industry toward a more sustainable future”.
Meletti, synonymous with a family-owned, artisanal business, has been making liqueurs in the Marche region for five generations. “More than a century later,” writes “Wine Enthusiast”, Meletti continues to produce aperitifs, digestifs, cordials and its exclusive amaro with the same care and attention to detail. The brand continues to carefully source ingredients and continues to innovate, recently adding a coffee liqueur to its line”.
As many as two wineries from Italy are competing, along with the others in the nominations (among France, Spain and Hungary), for the title of “European Winery of the Year”: Col d’Orcia and Ferrari. The former, among the most prestigious brands of Brunello di Montalcino, under the current management of Count Francesco Marone Cinzano and his son Santiago Cinzano, has converted to biodynamics, as well as “having established a partnership with the University of Florence, where they take part in fundamental research and development efforts on clonal selection, cover crop experimentation, erosion control and carbon footprint reduction”, writes “Wine Enthusiast” in the citation. Ferrari Trento, which represents Italian sparkling wine excellence (and which, in 2015, had won the award in the same category, ed.), is “synonymous with celebrations and good times. Ferrari Trento became the official sparkling wine of Formula 1 in 2021. Founder Giulio Ferrari began in 1902 with the goal of producing a sparkling wine that could compete with the French market and show the world what Italian Trentino bubbles could be”, says ”Wine Enthusiast”.