A move to turn a new audience on to its brand was just one motivation behind Riboli Family Wines’ decision to create a new portfolio of imported wines under a new label.
Finding global partners committed to sustainability was another, said Paul Roberts, Senior VP of Sales for Riboli, who spoke with Vintner Magazine about the company’s new Avanti division, which includes wines ranging $15-$100 from New Zealand and three countries in Europe.
“As a distributor in California, we have had years of experience working with family-owned international producers,” Roberts said. “This experience has truly helped us evaluate and select partners that have a long-term vision with sustainable growth.”
Roberts said the Avanti Division was intended to help Riboli drive its move to premiumization, as it is also expanding its premium-tier offerings in its Riboli Estates Group portfolio, which features wines from the Napa, Monterrey and Paso Robles regions of California.
“This is truly about bringing on the right brands and working with the proper partners that have many of the same values as the Riboli family,” Roberts said. “We certainly recognized that we had an opportunity at the premium/ultra-premium levels, and we wanted to align with the proper families to drive this opportunity.”
The Avanti wines include:
- Champagne Nominé-Renard – a Grower Champagne portfolio of Brut, Brut Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, and Vintage
- The Loire Collection – representing Chinon and Sancerre
- Urlar – a Whole Foods exclusive (organic, vegan, biodynamic) imported from New Zealand
- The Champion – Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
- Santo – a collection of Moscato d’Asti and Rosé from Piedmont, Italy
Rebecca Powelson, the Vice President of the Avanti Division, will lead the way. Her position was created in 2021 when the company acquired Santo from Atlas Imports.
“Rebecca’s experience working with global family producers has helped us build our strategy across the country,” Roberts said.
The Avanti strategy is just one way Riboli Family Wines is looking to expand its customer base this year.
“With restrictions loosening up in 2022, we developed strategic events across the country with the Riboli family,” Roberts said. ”Our “Riboli Road Show” has been targeted at showcasing the depth of our portfolio across our Napa, Monterrey, and Paso Robles properties with the trade and consumers.
“In the back half of 2022, we will be launching our “Discovery Tour” which will highlight the expansion of our premium/ultra-premium offerings across the Riboli Estates Group and Avanti Division portfolio.”
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