November 7, 2022
As of August 1, 2022, Montcalm Wine Importers, LTD will be known as Leone Alato USA Wine & Spirits. The new name recognizes the significant actions taken post-pandemic to take the US operations of this historic company to greater heights and bring the company’s branding in line with the Italian mother company, Le Tenute del Leone Alato.
“In line with this renewed spirit,” comments Francesco Domini, Sales & Operations Director for Le Tenute del Leone Alato, “Montcalm embraces its role as the main actor in a major market for the Italian company. We are also undertaking a profound process of renovation – new strategy, new brands, and a new team – which is completed by the adoption of a new name to ensure a consistent global strategy. As Leone Alato USA, we communicate our unified common vision of strategic and long-term growth that enhances the uniqueness of each individual actor and production. We aim to create stronger business and marketing synergies, while attentively avoiding the overlapping of products on the market.”
Leone Alato USA Leadership is In Place
Francesco Giovannetti is the new Executive Managing Director of Leone Alato USA, sharing his deep industry experience and clear vision for the company going forward. Giovanetti was literally born into the restaurant industry and his wine and sales management experience includes leaders like Empire and Palm Bay International, as well as numerous midsize and boutique wine distributors.
“This is much more than a name change,” says Giovannetti. “We are now a much stronger company with new leadership, a new culture and important additional staffing, new relationships with producers and partners, new offices, and most importantly, a heightened focus on authenticity to faithfully reflect the style and essence of each region and appellation in our portfolio.”
Giovanetti leads a team of important new hires and proven veterans:
- Elizabeth Smith, DipWSET, new Brand and Marketing Manager with more than a decade in marketing, wine industry retail, distribution, importing, and wine education
- Napoleon Villacis, Office Manager and Controller
- Laura Ramos, new Customer Service & Accounts Receivable Specialist
- John Vesce, National Sales Manager
- Gianpiero Peru, Regional Sales Manager
- Emily Marrazzo, new NY District Manager
Expanded Producer Relationships, Marketing Partnerships, and Digital Efforts
Leone Alato USA recently added 11 new wine producers to their portfolio, including Tenuta Caccia al Piano in Bolgheri, Pinino in Montalcino, as well as new spirits producers such as Bonaventura Maschio. The company has formed new partnerships with companies like Wine.com and is increasing investment in enhanced digital and social experiences to better engage customers. The US operation is also leveraging the deep expertise and resources of the marketing team in Italy.
Moving into New Office in the Heart of NYC on August 1
Leone Alato USA’s new midtown office will provide improved facilities for their expanding workforce, as well as areas for portfolio tastings, seminars, and pre-sale events.
About Le Tenute del Leone Alato
Genagricola, founded in 1871, made Le Tenute del Leone Alato to be a new company entirely dedicated to wine. Their brands, both owned and distributed, come from the most important wine regions of Italy, including Piedmont, Veneto, and Friuli.
The project is based on three founding values that unite and characterize all the Estates: heterogeneous areas that are highly suitable for winemaking in Italy; openness to experimentation and the future; and persevering in opening new paths in the world of wine.
The company continually grows the brands they distribute by adding new countries and beverage categories (mainly spirits) and uses new strategic channels, such as retail and online, to reach their customers. In 2022, Le Tenute del Leone Alato’s portfolio expands thanks to a new distribution project: the partnership with Cantina Fiorentino (Galatina, Lecce), which is joined by that of Tenute Dettori of Sennori (Sassari), among others.
“We are thrilled for our US partner to share our branding and our passion for authenticity,” says Antonella Imborgia, Head of Marketing & PR at Le Tenute del Leone Alato. “Our company's focus going forward is to remain a specialist and key source for the great wines of Italy while we build brands and grow distribution on a global basis, with the US being a key market. We aim to be an important player in the market, serving as a national importer for the vast majority of the United States, and focus more on strategic channels that we have not covered so far, such as retail and online.”
Leone Alato USA’s new and existing producers include: Bentu Luna (Sardegna), Bonaventura Maschio (Veneto), Borgo Magredo (Friuli), Bricco dei Guazzi (Piemonte), Caccia al Piano (Toscana, Bolgheri), Cantina Fiorentino (Puglia), Cantine Europa “John Dapetrosino” (Sicilia), Certosa di Belriguardo (Toscana), Costa Arente (Veneto, Valpolicella), Di Meo (Campania), Distilleria Trussoni (Piemonte), Familia Cassone (Argentina), Fattoria di Grignano (Toscana, Rufina), GiA (Piemonte), Giacosa Fratelli (Piemonte), Grottaia (Toscana, Bolgheri), Madonna Nera (Toscana, Montalcino), Michele Castellani (Veneto, Valpolicella), Palazzo (Toscana, Montalcino), Pinino (Toscana, Montalcino), Poggiobello (Friuli), Tenuta Gorghi Tondi (Sicilia), Tenuta Sant’Anna (Veneto), Tenuta Ulisse (Abruzzo), Torre Rosazza (Friuli), V8+ (Veneto), and Vivera (Sicilia).
Leone Alato USA Wine & Spirits is located at 21 West 46th Street, Suite 806, in New York, NY. For more information, we invite you to contact us through our secure contact page.
