California’s Riboli Family Ramps Up Its Innovation Pipeline
July 16, 2024Los Angeles-based Riboli Family Wine Estates ranks as the 11th-largest wine marketer in the U.S. with volume of 4.5 million cases in 2023, up from 3 million cases in 2019, according to Impact Databank. Riboli Family’s rapid growth has largely been propelled by its Stella Rosa brand from Italy, which grew 5% to 4.1 million cases last year, but lately the company has diversified its offering, unveiling several new innovations along with a separate import division, Avanti. Riboli Family is aligned nationally with RNDC.
One key initiative for this year is to push deeper into the spirits category. The Stella Rosa line already includes several flavored brandies, and they’ve now been joined with a Spritz RTD in the Riboli portfolio. The gin brand Northern Salt Road is slated to follow, and president and CEO Steve Riboli says the company is also working on a Caribbean rum offering.
The Ribolis are jumping on the current popularity of RTDs with the bottled Spritz del Conte brand, described as a modern take on the Aperol Spritz. The 9% abv Classico label ($15 a 750-ml.) recently rolled out, featuring a wine base so that it can reach more retail accounts. It’s joined by a non-alcoholic counterpart in the lineup.
There’s also a vermouth project in the works, and the company is interested in looking further into Port and fortified wines as well as more low- and no-alcohol offerings. “We need to be innovative because today’s consumer loves change,” says Riboli. “We also owe it to the next generation of our company. We have a focus on and directive to build brands and make products the consumer asks for.”
Riboli says the company also plans to continue building on its Avanti division of import brands, which currently includes Italian labels like Riva de la Rosa and Famiglia Rivetti; French wines by Les Glories and Champagne Nomine-Renard; and New Zealand brand The Champion. This spring the company launched a Riva de la Rosa Sauvignon Blanc ($19) from Friuli and Les Glories Sauvignon Blanc ($20) from southern Touraine, Loire Valley, as Sauvignon Blanc continues to steadily outpace the wine market.
In the domestic wine category, Riboli Family continues to see a bright future for California’s Paso Robles region, where it holds 1,000 acres of vineyards. Among the Riboli brands sourced from Paso are Highlands 41, Maddalena, Opaque, San Simeon, and Jada. Earlier this year, Opaque debuted a revamped Earth Elements series, including a Darkness Red Blend, a new Tannat offering, Petit Verdot, Zinfandel, and Malbec, all retailing at $40 a 750-ml.
“Our vision is to be one of the premier brands people talk about in Paso and Monterey,” says Riboli. We have quite a bit of land in Paso Robles. It’s a definite place where we’ve planted our flag for the future. We see it as an opportunity for great wine at great prices.”—Daniel Marsteller
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