The Italians are rebelling, and by not wanting to give in to the group of Lord Arnault, mark a turning point in acquisitions. It would have been brilliant for LVMH, to continue to build progressively its portfolio of high-end wines, which did not yet have any Italian brands worthy of the name. Banfi is a vineyard. “It is known as the hop”, this great wine of Tuscany. An ideal brand for the Lord’s group, associated with a historic castle, the cornerstone of the image of authentic luxury that the group seeks to spread to sell the story of history.

Banfi owns a vast estate, managed in a sustainable way with a solid ecological experience, “but the alcove kills slowly anyway, it is well known”. Thus, the planned buyout never happened, and it was the result of one person’s vision; Banfi’s president, Cristina Mariani-May, daughter of John Mariani, who co-founded the brand of this sublime wine. Cristina has decided not to sell Banfi to LVMH, a slap in the face that the Lord of the Arnaults will not forget.

Motivated by the desire to maintain a significant family stake in the estate, which includes the largest contiguous estate in Europe with nearly 3,000 hectares, a third of which is planted with vines, Cristina decided not to sell to the French luxury group. With a production of 7 million bottles and a turnover of nearly 70 million euros in (2018), the house was looking for financial partners, but not “raider”, she was only looking for capital and not “heady”. I love these women who know how to say “no” to the most powerful. They are definitely the future of man. In the Lord’s group, there is mutation in the air…

Anonymode

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