January 2022 (New York, NY) — Fine wine marketer Wilson Daniels is pleased to announce the addition of Benanti to its national portfolio, marking its second partnership with a benchmark producer from the island of Sicily. Often accredited as Etna’s fine winemaking pioneer, the Benanti family’s focus on creating authentic wines that celebrate the distinctive expressions of the Etna terroir aligns with Wilson Daniels’ dedication to family, heritage, terroir, and sustainability. 

“With roots in Sicily dating back to 1734, the Benanti family has been instrumental in the evolution of Etna’s viticulture, elevating the region to one that is now recognized for its world-class winemaking,” said Rocco Lombardo, President of Wilson Daniels. “The innovative approach of Giuseppe Benanti—who has grown indigenous vines on multiple slopes of the volcano since founding the winery in 1988—is continued today by his sons Antonio and Salvino. We’ve enjoyed a very successful working relationship with the family since they joined our Wholesale portfolio in 2020. As we enter a new year, we look forward to our continued collaboration and to sharing Benanti’s unique native varietal wines on a national scale.” 

The Benanti family produces wines using only native Etna grapes – Carricante, Nerello Mascalese, and Nerello Cappuccio – and using only indigenous yeasts. With vineyards positioned on four different slopes of the Etna volcano – North, East, South-East, and South-West – the climatic influence and volcanic soils from each slope combine to create territorial wines of great elegance, character, and longevity. After 25 years at the forefront of the winery, Giuseppe passed the torch to his twin sons Antonio and Salvino Benanti in 2012. 

“Since we were boys, our father would take us to Mount Etna because he had such a deep love for the volcano and its myriad of terroirs.  He was a visionary at a time when few believed in the capacity for Mount Etna to produce excellent wines, and my brother and I are proud to continue our family’s work today with the same shared vision and passion,” said Antonio Benanti. 

Salvino Benanti adds, “We’ve always grown vines on multiple slopes of this active volcano in order to represent Etna in its entirety. Showcasing the typicity and uniqueness of all the slopes of Etna – each with their own specific inclination and sub-zone – is extremely important to us, and this is something the Wilson Daniels team understands implicitly. Their fine wine knowledge and passion make them the ideal partner, and we’re excited for them to share our wines with their network of customers and collectors.” 

This January, Wilson Daniels will assume national representation of the full range from Benanti, which includes seven reds, four whites, one rosé, and two traditional method sparkling wines. 

 About Wilson Daniels 

Founded in 1978, Wilson Daniels is a fully integrated, family-owned marketing and sales company representing a highly selective portfolio of the world’s most distinctive wines. Wilson Daniels continues to pursue and elevate the standards of excellence set by founders Win Wilson and Jack Daniels through developing long-term, strategic partnerships with luxury producers that possess profound respect for terroir and are benchmarks in their region. To learn more about Wilson Daniels, visit www.wilsondaniels.com. 

Media Contact:
Claire Gibbs
Media Relations and Communications Manager 

ClaireGibbs@wilsondaniels.com 

212.823.6261