Louis Latour Agencies

Cristina Mariani-May awarded Woman of the Year 2018 by The Drinks Business Awards

06 June 2018

Cristina Mariani-May received the Woman of the Year 2018 award, the prestigious prize of the renowned The Drinks Business magazine.

Cristina, with her cousin James Mariani, represents the third generation of the family at New York based importer Banfi Vintners. Established in 1919, the family have been importing and distributing ever since. Earlier this year she became President and CEO.

Not only does she look after the family’s US operation, Cristina also looks after Castello Banfi in Tuscany. Banfi was founded in 1978 and will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year. It is the largest contiguous vineyard in Europe and includes land in Tuscany and Piedmont. Despite its size the estate is not a mono-culture with one third planted to vines, one third to olive groves, fruit trees and other crops and the remaining third woodland.  At the centre of the estate is the Castello, historically known as Poggio alle Mura, which is now a centre for Banfi wines following extensive restoration by the Mariani family to repair damage sustained during World War Two.

Some of her achievements include investing heavily in pioneering research on the Sangiovese clonal variation and fermentation techniques. Fermentation for their Brunello’s now takes place in Banfi’s unique hybrid fermenters which combine the hygienic properties of steel with the natural oxygenation and character imparted by wood. Castello Banfi was the first winery in the world to be awarded international recognition for exceptional environmental, ethical and social responsibility (ISO 14001 and SA8000) as well as an international leader in customer satisfaction (ISO 9001:2000).

The Drinks Business Awards is one of the most internationally recognised events. All areas are represented, from retail, events and importers, to marketing campaigns, logistics, and design. The winners were announced at the London Wine Fair on 22nd May.