CRISTINA MARIANI MAY, BANFI
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From Italy to America and back again, for Cristina Mariani May, co-CEO of Banfi, the wine business is 100% Italian and American. With a 100 year-old grasp on importing Italian goods to America, Banfi has also been producing one of the top Brunellos for nearly five decades.
From Prohibition and Pope Pius XI to pioneering and producing wine in Montalcino, Banfi is an incredible story. In this episode, Erica heads to Montalcino to talk family business and Tuscan heritage with Cristina.
Episode Highlights
- Meet Cristina Mariani May, co-CEO of Banfi
- Storied Family Heritage and Odyssey: Family’s origin story
- Inception of Banfi Wines: The genesis of the Banfi wine enterprise
- Pioneering Wine Production: pioneering the introduction of Brunello di Montalcino to the United States in the 1960s.
Castello Banfi Wine Resort
Castello Banfi is a fairytale for wine lovers. Think stone walls, turrets, courtyards and 2,700 hectares of gorgeous landscape (of which a third are cultivated vineyards producing some of Italy’s most esteemed wines, including the renowned Brunello di Montalcino). The 14 rooms and suites are located in the borgo, the Castles’ stone village and are styled in Tuscan country chic with terracotta floors, wood beam ceilings, antique furnishings, modern amenities and great bathrooms with Banfi touches like a complimentary bottle of Brunello, and toiletries made from the estate’s own Sangiovese grapes.
On site: spa, bikes, cooking classes, pool, views, and three lovely dining areas – the super Banfi enoteca, la Taverna and the Michelin-starred Sala dei Grappoli.
Location: outskirts of Montalcino. Approximately 1.5 hour drive from Florence and 2.5 drive from Rome. Easy, and it should take longer because you will want to spend all of your time enjoying the landscape. The year-round resort is a great escape not just if you love wine, but if you like country and great food. It’s just a stone throw from Moltacino where I have enjoyed some of the best Tuscan dinners of my life.
