New York-based importer and marketer Vintus, known for its luxury wine portfolio totaling around 500,000 cases, made several key additions to its range last year, and as we enter 2025, the company is continuing to target expansion opportunities.

Already the importer of luxury wines from Italy’s Frescobaldi including Ornellaia, Masseto, Tenuta Luce, and Attems, Vintus is now adding the Frescobaldi Toscana portfolio, which totals 50,000 cases in the U.S. and encompasses the estates Castello Nipozzano, Castello Pomino, Tenuta Perano, Tenuta CastelGiocondo, Tenuta Castiglioni, Tenuta Ammiraglia, Tenuta Calimaia, Rèmole, and Gorgona. Retail pricing ranges from $14 for Rèmole to $175 for Tenuta CastelGiocondo Ripe al Convento Brunello Riserva. The Frescobaldi Toscana portfolio was previously handled by Shaw-Ross in the U.S.

“CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino, Perano Chianti Classico, and Nipozzano Riserva are the foundation wines of their portfolio, all with important growth potential,” Vintus founder and CEO Michael Quinttus tells SND. “Italy is the largest import category in the U.S., and Tuscany has the largest share of all Italian regions. The addition of the Frescobaldi Toscana brands positions us perfectly to take advantage of this substantial market demand opportunity.”

Quinttus adds that, “In a challenging overall market, Italian wine has been more stable than most categories, and the value is outpacing volume at retail. On-premise continues to be a success story for Italian wines, especially at by-the-glass pricing, with Tuscany and strong brands in particular showing strength. For instance, with both Lucente from Tenuta Luce and Le Volte from Ornellaia we have seen double-digit growth for the past three years both in retail and as an ultra-premium by-the-glass.”

“The United States represents a critical market for our company,” stated Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the Marchesi Frescobaldi Group. “We dedicate significant attention to it, both in terms of investment and engagement. With Vintus working closely alongside us, we are confident that these goals will translate into remarkable successes.”

The addition of Frescobaldi Toscana follows a year in which Vintus onboarded five French labels, continuing to augment its portfolio. They included Roseblood from Chateau d’Estoublon, Beaujolais estate Chateau de la Chaize, the Sancerre estate Hubert Brochard, Chablis estate William Fevre, and Domaine D’Aussieres in Languedoc.

“While overall wine consumption in the U.S. declined in 2024, Vintus was up single digits,” Quinttus notes. “Market category and price shifts as well as production challenges made for a challenging environment, but we had a number of unqualified successes last year. We expect overall wine consumption to be down similarly in 2025, but see important opportunities for these new brands, as well as many other premium brands in our portfolio.”—Daniel Marsteller