Ornellaia appoints MMD as its UK distributor

By Lisa Riley

Published: 02 September, 2020

Maisons Marques et Domaines (MMD) has been been appointed UK distributor for Italian winery Ornellaia, taking over from Armit Wines.

Joining the MMD portfolio with immediate effect, Ornellaia will be distributed alongside the Champagne Louis Roederer family of estates and domaines and MMD’s Italian producers Marchesi Mazzei, Pio Cesare, Tommasi Family Estates and Castiglion del Bosco.

One of the most iconic Italian wineries, Ornellaia produces wines that celebrate the Mediterranean character of Bolgheri.

The winery’s “painstaking attention to detail, sustainable viticultural practices and a strong family ethos” perfectly complemented the MMD portfolio and further strengthened its Italian offering, said MMD.

“We are delighted and tremendously excited to be entering into partnership with Ornellaia, one of the great properties of Italy. We look forward to a close collaboration in our aim to strengthen and continue to develop the distribution, positioning and impressive reputation of this prestigious estate in the UK market,” said Richard Billett, MD of MMD.

Ornellaia said it had already decided to make changes to its UK distribution strategy even before Covid-19 “added itself to the long list of challenges facing the UK trade”, said Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, CEO of Ornellaia.

“Armit Wines has accompanied Ornellaia for many years and the brand’s notoriety in the UK has certainly grown during their tenure. The decision to entrust MMD UK with the distribution of its wines to UK trade, while the Ornellaia management team develops the B2C channels, demonstrates an evolution in Ornellaia’s vision for the longer-term.

We are especially happy to join the MMD portfolio given the close ties we already enjoy with Frédéric Rouzaud, president and CEO, of Louis Roederer Champagne. We look forward to ensuring that Ornellaia becomes available to an ever wider audience of fine wine lovers and seeing its reputation among the UK Trade grow ever further under MMD UK.”