Foley Family Wines Becomes Exclusive Importer of Piccini Wines

Innovative Family Owned producer of Italian wines is Tuscany's Fifth Largest

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Jan 14, 2015, 05:00 ET

HEALDSBURG, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Foley and Mario Piccini announced today that they have entered into a partnership to market and distribute Piccini's portfolio of wines in the United States.

Bill Foley, Founder, Foley Family Wines and Mario Piccini, Managing Director, Piccini Wines.

Founded by Angiolo Piccini in 1882 and starting with 17 acres of land in the Chianti region, the Piccini family has been crafting wines in the heart of the Tuscan countryside for over 130 years. Now with the fourth generation, the family tradition continues with the brother and sister team of Mario and Martina, who are creating a range of classic wines from five estates, and almost 1,000 acres, scattered throughout Italy.

The legacy wine of the family is Piccini Chianti, which boasts a distinctively orange label that brought fame to the name. Within a decade of the Orange Label introduction, Piccini became one of the top-noted Chianti producers worldwide. "Orange is a color that transmits energy, youth and a positive can-do approach," says Mario Piccini, Managing Director. "We've taken that orange and have applied it to everything else we do."

In addition to the Chianti Orange Label, Memoro wines, which include a red, white and rose, consist of grapes from 'all four corners of Italy' and developed rapidly worldwide as a truly unique Italian wine experience. "We give as much importance to innovation as we do tradition. Piccini will always be Chianti, but we dare to experiment and incorporate new techniques. We dare to pioneer," says Mario.

"Our partnership with Foley Family Wines shows our desire to significantly increase focus on the United States. We are very passionate about the wines we produce and are excited to build awareness among American consumers," stated Mario Piccini. "Piccini is our first foray into Italian wines," said Bill Foley, "I've always felt that Italian wines would be a great addition to our portfolio but it was very important to find the right partner. Piccini wines are of excellent quality and the Piccini family is as innovative and as passionate about the wine business as we are."

About Piccini Wines
Piccini was founded in 1882 by Angiolo Piccini and over four generations later, remains family owned and managed. Their number of estates has expanded to five; including: Piccini - Located in Castellina in Chianti, this brand represents the foundation of the company that was started in 1882. It is 100 percent family owned and has been passed down to four generations of the Piccini family. Antonella Conti is the winemaker. Fattoria di Valiano - Named after the Latin term for "valor," this property is located in Castelnuovo Berardenga on the southern side of the Chianti Classico area, minutes away from Siena. It includes 570 acres of land, of which 170 acres are planted to Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot dedicated to premium Chianti Classico wines. Villa al Cortile - At the heart of the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino zone, Villa al Cortile has 20 acres of vineyards dedicated to the production of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and its Riserva. Santo Gozzo is the winemaker. Tenuta Moraia - Purchased in 2000, Tenuta Moraia is located in the Maremma region of coastal Tuscany, today considered Italy's newest wine frontier. It has 320 acres of land of which 75 acres are planted to Sangiovese Grosso, Merlot, Vermentino, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. Paolo Vagaggini is the winemaker. Regio Cantina –Located in the heart of Basilicata among the volcanic hills of Monte Vulture, there are 37 acres of vineyards dedicated to production of Aglianico del Vulture DOC. Piccini relies on a team of young professionals in Italy and strong partners abroad for its growing distribution network that already spans an impressive 72 countries.

About Foley Family Wines
Foley Family Wines was established by Bill Foley in 1996 with the acquisition Lincourt Vineyards in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Since then, Foley Family Wines has grown to become a major producer, marketer and distributor of highly-acclaimed, handmade wines from some of the world's greatest vineyards. Every brand in the company's portfolio is distinct and autonomous with its own identity, style, techniques and personnel. Foley Family Wines owns the following properties: Foley Estates (Santa Rita Hills, CA), Lincourt Vineyards (Solvang, CA), Merus (Napa Valley, CA), Foley Johnson (Napa Valley, CA), Kuleto (Napa Valley, CA), Chalk Hill (Sonoma County, CA), Sebastiani (Sonoma County, CA), Lancaster Estate (Sonoma County, CA), Roth Estate (Sonoma County, CA), The Four Graces (Dundee, OR), Three Rivers Winery (Walla Walla, WA), Firestone Vineyard (Santa Ynez Valley, CA), Eos (Paso Robles, CA), Vavasour (Marlborough, New Zealand), Clifford Bay (Marlborough, New Zealand), and Te Kairanga (Martinborough, NZ). Bill Foley is Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Inc. and Executive Chairman of Fidelity National Information Services. Both are Fortune 500 companies.