Banfi

Banfi - the Story

Banfi, a company synonymous with excellence and innovation in the winemaking industry, stretches over 2,830 hectares in an area known for its extraordinary pedoclimatic potential, located south of Montalcino in the province of Siena, bordering on the Val d’Orcia region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Banfi was founded in 1978 by the Mariani brothers who turned an ambitious project into reality: to set up a centre of excellence in Montalcino for producing high-quality wines as well as a place dedicated to research, study and hospitality. The land acquisition process was concluded in 1983 when the entire Poggio alle Mura estate was acquired, including the historic medieval castle which, over the years, has become the symbol of Banfi.

In this picturesque medieval setting, Banfi produces fine wines such as Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino, Supertuscan, as well as white wines and dessert wines such as Moscadello di Montalcino, a historic PDO wine from this area. Despite being a fairly recent company – even though the Mariani family has been a leader in the wine industry for over a century – Banfi has successfully made a name for itself in the winemaking business with a special approach to production, focused on valuing research and people while respecting the local area. In order to protect the environment, Banfi has created a haven of biodiversity by growing many different species: specialised vineyards, woods, olive groves, and approximately 100 hectares of plum trees that make it Italy’s largest producer of prunes. It also has approximately 400 hectares of organically grown cereals and 40 beehives from which honey is extracted.

Banfi is taking tangible steps as part of a broader effort to safeguard the environment through a project aimed at protecting bees so that they can reproduce. The desire to promote the local area is the driving force behind the Banfi Foundation, which was established in 1986. This extensive project also includes the Glass and Bottle Museum, housed in the 14th-century fortress, and a cultural project, i.e. Jazz & Wine in Montalcino, a music festival that has been livening up the summer nights in Montalcino since 1998. From the outset, Banfi has strongly believed in hospitality, which is why it has built a wine resort in the old village surrounding the medieval castle of Poggio alle Mura. In 2019, the resort became a member of the Relais & Chateaux network and received a prestigious Michelin star for its Sala dei Grappoli restaurant.

Banfi has obtained the latest certifications in order to pursue its corporate philosophy, which is based on a sustainable production system, safeguarding the surrounding environment, and paying attention to its customers’ and workers’ needs:

BRC and IFS: these are international quality certification standards in the supply chain of products for large-scale retailing;

OHSAS 18001: this standard specifies the requirements for an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS);

ISO9001: this is the internationally recognised reference standard for the Quality management of an organisation;

ISO14001: this is the voluntary standard specifying the requirements for an environmental management system;

SA8000: this is the standard that ensures and checks that labour relations are equitable and correctly managed in terms of ethical and social responsibility.