Beringer Wine Estates has acquired premium Italian winery Castello di Gabbiano, which has become the number two selling wine in the strong Chianti category in US grocery stores since Beringer began importing it in 1995. ‘It is our preference to own brands outright to ensure that we maximise the benefits of our unrivalled international distribution and brand management capability in the high-growth, high-return wine sector’, said Terry Davis, Managing Director of the Foster’s wine division, which combines Beringer and Mildara Blass Limited. ‘Our strategy is to span the range of our customers’ international requirements in top quality wines, rather than limit them to the market for home country wines,’ he said. The sale encompasses the property’s 12th century castle and surrounding lands, guest cottages, ancient wine cellar, a modern winery, and 106 ha of land. In the deal worth $A35 million Beringer also purchased Cerbaiola, a 24 ha property also located in Chianti Classico, about 16 km from Castello di Gabbiano.
