Antinori Importer Vinattieri 1385 Builds For The Future

It’s been a busy few years in the U.S. market for Italy’s Marchesi Antinori. In 2023, the venerable Tuscany-based winemaker took full control of Napa Valley icon Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars from former partner Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. A year ago, Antinori opened its own U.S. importer, Vinattieri 1385, and later in the year the company brought Washington winery Col Solare fully under its own wing, again buying out former partner Ste. Michelle.

Based in Napa, the Vinattieri 1385 import unit handles Antinori, Prunotto, and Tormaresca Italian wines in the U.S. market, along with Stag’s Leap, Antinori Napa Valley, and Col Solare from the U.S. and Haras de Pirque from Chile. Partnered nationally with Southern Glazer’s, Vinattieri 1385 has approximate U.S. volume of 500,000 cases and a little over $100 million in sales.

“Especially the first couple of months, the logistics of bringing wine from Italy and Chile and managing our own local portfolio proved a lot more challenging than we thought it was going to be, yet we had a great year,” Vinattieri 1385 COO Juan Muñoz-Oca tells SND. “Anything with Antinori on the label did well as expected, which is a great statement for the brand and the weight that the name carries in the U.S.” In particular, Italian whites like Pinot Grigio and Vermentino have been gaining traction in the U.S., he adds.

The domestic side of the portfolio has been more challenging lately, but Muñoz-Oca says a key goal for this year is sharpening focus on Stag’s Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon. “We’re doubling down on putting Artemis in the right accounts at the right price,” he notes. “We want Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars to be top of mind when consumers think about Napa.” The 2021 vintage of Artemis received 92 points from Wine Spectator, retailing at $110, with 87,500 cases made.

Overall, Stag’s Leap produces around 150,000 cases annually, with other wines in the range including a Sauvignon Blanc at $30 and a Chardonnay a $40. Those bottlings are positioned to give consumers an on-ramp to Napa, says Muñoz-Oca. At the top end is a collectible trio of estate-grown Cabernets—S.L.V. ($250), Fay ($200), and Cask 23 ($375)—whose most recent vintages garnered scores of 96, 95, and 97 points respectively from Wine Spectator.

Antinori’s move to bring Stag’s Leap fully in-house added about 180 acres of grapes to the company’s Napa Valley footprint, which already included 550 acres on Atlas Peak, site of the Antinori Napa Valley winery. The Antinori Napa Valley portfolio is aimed mainly at select on-premise and DTC markets. Muñoz-Oca says the goal is for the Napa business to be fully estate grown, perhaps as soon as the end of this year, adding that Stag’s Leap is one of only a few wineries in Napa Valley that are Regenerative Organic Certified.

As to Col Solare, which was fully acquired last summer, Antinori’s vision is to “bring the estate to what we feel is its natural place as one of the iconic wines of Washington state,” says Muñoz-Oca. “It’s in the right place in Red Mountain, and the wine has evolved drastically in style over the last three or four years.” Col Solare produces around 5,000 cases annually,

Moving forward, Muñoz-Oca believes Antinori’s investments in the U.S.—including a 35-member sales team at Vinattieri 1385—position the company well to fulfill its long-term growth ambitions. “We’re excited to be in control of our own destiny,” he says. “The potential for the portfolio, both the Italian and American estates, is unlimited.”—Daniel Marsteller

Tagged : Antinori, Col Solare, Vinattieri 1385

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