Marchesi De’ Frescobaldi wines now available in Sri Lanka

700 years of history, 1,500 hectares of vineyards and 10 estates – the Frescobaldi Family has been narrating the history of Tuscany for over 1,000 years.

In fact, the family’s start in wine production is documented at the beginning of the year 1300 at the historic estate of Tenuta di Castiglioni in Val di Pesa, southwest of Florence, Italy.

Passion, commitment and perseverance are just some of the qualities treasured and handed down along the thirty generations of the Frescobaldi Family

From the beginning, the family has demanded that their wines be of quality and that they reflect the uniqueness of their terroirs.  By the beginning of the 1400s, great Renaissance artists such as Donatello and Michelozzo Michelozzi had become faithful clients – a century later, the Frescobaldi wines were served at the tables of the Papal Court and the English Court of Henry the Eighth.

The Frescobaldi estates are situated in some of the best DOC and DOCG appellations and the most renowned estates are Castello di Pomino situated north-east of Florence along the slopes of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, Castello di Nipozzano in the heart of Chianti Rufina, Tenuta di Castelgiocondo and Luce della Vite in Montalcino, and Tenuta di Castiglioni in Montespertoli.

Frescobaldi wines were recently launched in Sri Lanka at a glittering event at the Hilton Residence, Colombo, graced by the Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Fabrizio Pio Arpea and Deputy Head of Mission Dr. Giandomenico Milano who expressed their delight that these exceptional wines from an iconic Italian wine family are now available in Sri Lanka. Dr. Milano also discussed the role that wine and food play in the culture and social life of Italy.

Erika Ribaldi, head of sales Asia Pacific for Frescobaldi, welcoming the guests, stated: “Frescobaldi wines have a recognised record of accomplishment in South Asia among professionals, hoteliers and consumers alike and are the benchmark for quality Italian and Tuscan wine at all price points.” She went on to say that, “of course, price always define ones expectation; therefore a bottle of Remole or Pater shall please those who wish to drink a glass of wine for casual enjoyment, whilst a Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo and Mormoreto Frescobaldi, represent status, maturity, elegance and fine taste.”

Ribaldi believes that Sri Lanka has immense potential for growth. “On this visit, I see improvement, investments, real estate expansion and new hotel openings and I have the feeling that Sri Lanka will become the hot new tourist destination both regionally and worldwide.  It is now a best kept secret but soon will be the most wanted destination for travellers.”

Prakash Mirchandani, the Managing Director and CEO of Favourite International, commenting on their new partnership with this prestigious family owned company said in his remarks at the launch that he was “proud and privileged” that Frescobaldi had chosen his company to represent their iconic wines in  Sri Lanka.

Asked for his comments on this new agency for Favourite, he stated: “As Frescobaldi wines are all produced with grapes coming from 4,000 acres of vineyards owned by the family, they are, and have been, in perfect control of the quality of their wine for many centuries. Therefore, choosing the right distributor for their wine is very important for them.”

He went on to say that Favourite International has been in the business of importing premium wine into Sri Lanka for over a decade and that they only marketed wine of the finest quality and always did so with passion and pride – a fact well known to many discerning individuals as well as owners and managers of the country’s top hotels and restaurants.

“Right from the first meeting one of our directors had in Florence with a member of the Frescobaldi family last year, they recognised that as a family owned company ourselves, we had the right attitude and approach and we began the process of bringing these wines into our market. “That has now come to pass and it is indeed a great honour for us to be the exclusive distributor for Frescobaldi wines for Sri Lanka – indeed we are certain  that  this perfect partnership between the Frescobaldi family and Favourite International will take the premium wine consumer in Sri Lanka to another dimension of the wine experience.”