Ethica Wines celebrates 10 years with an 8-city Italian wine tasting series. 23 estates, top producers, key U.S. markets. Here’s why serious collectors should pay attention.
The most important Italian wine conversations in the U.S. market don’t happen at consumer tastings. They happen in trade rooms — where buyers, sommeliers, and media sit across the table from producers and ask the questions that don’t make it into tasting notes. Ethica Wines is creating eight of those rooms this spring and summer, and the producer list they’re bringing deserves serious attention.
Ethica Wines is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a nationwide walk-around tasting series across eight U.S. markets — Washington D.C., Miami, New York City, Boston, Minneapolis, Denver, Los Angeles, and Austin. Founded in 2016 with a specific mission to build genuine long-term partnerships with prominent Italian wineries, the company has grown into one of the leading U.S. importers of Italian wine — recognized by the Financial Times as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country for two consecutive years, with over $140 million in annual revenue and a network of more than 200 distributors.
For the serious Italian wine collector in New York, London, Paris, or Tokyo — the producers being poured at these eight events are worth knowing before they show up on the lists you care about.
What a Decade of Discipline Produces
Ethica Wines built its portfolio around a philosophy that sounds simple and is genuinely difficult to execute: quality selection, operational excellence, and long-term partnerships. No chasing trends. No rotating producers based on what’s selling this quarter. The same estates, developed over time, with the market presence and local team infrastructure to support them properly.
The result is a portfolio that reads like a considered map of Italy rather than a collection of labels. Piedmont through Barolo and Barbaresco. Tuscany through Brunello, Chianti Classico, and the Maremma coast. Campania’s ancient indigenous varieties. Alto Adige’s Alpine precision. Sardinia’s distinctive island character. Puglia’s depth and warmth.
“To mark our tenth anniversary, we wanted to create a platform that brings our producers closer to the market,” said Francesco Ganz, CEO of Ethica Wines. “As we enter our second decade, our focus is on strengthening our presence and investing in long-term relationships, fostering direct dialogue with trade and media to support the continued growth of Italian wine in the U.S.”
The Producers Worth Knowing
Twenty-three estates will pour across the eight-city series. Several are worth flagging specifically.
Casanova di Neri in Montalcino has produced some of the most consistently compelling Brunello of the last two decades — a producer whose single-vineyard expressions reward cellaring and whose entry-level work overdelivers at its price point. Borgogno in Barolo carries one of Piedmont’s most significant historical legacies, with a cellar that holds bottles going back generations. Ricasoli — the oldest winery in Italy, operating continuously since 1141 — is not a historical curiosity. It’s an active, forward-looking estate redefining what Chianti Classico can be under modern stewardship.
Mastroberardino in Campania is the house most responsible for preserving and promoting Aglianico and Fiano di Avellino as serious international varieties rather than regional curiosities. Capichera on Sardinia produces Vermentino at a level that changes the conversation about what the grape is capable of. Fattoria Le Pupille in the Maremma continues to define the southern Tuscan coast as a serious wine region rather than a scenic backdrop.
The full list — Anselmi, Borgogno, Cafaggio, Ca’ dei Frati, Canella, Capichera, Casanova di Neri, Cordero di Montezemolo, Fattoria Le Pupille, Fontanabianca, Granriviera, I Greppi, La Gioiosa, Lavis, Mastroberardino, Mirafiore, Pico Maccario, Ricasoli, Sankt Pauls, Nicolis, Villa Bucci, San Marzano, and Villa Sparina — covers Italy with a depth and geographic range that few importers can match in a single portfolio presentation.
The Series Schedule and What It Signals
The eight-city footprint — Washington D.C. April 27, Miami May 11, New York City May 12, Boston June 3, Minneapolis June 17, Denver June 22, Los Angeles and Austin dates to be announced — reflects a company investing in market presence rather than consolidating around the obvious coastal cities.
Minneapolis and Denver on this list alongside New York and Miami signals something real: Ethica has built genuine trade relationships in markets that most importers treat as secondary. That’s the kind of distributor network that actually moves wine — and the kind of importer relationship that matters when a producer is deciding where to invest their export strategy for the next decade.
For the serious Italian wine collector tracking what’s coming into the U.S. market — the estates being presented across these eight cities this spring and summer are worth watching. The bottles showing up on serious restaurant lists in New York, Los Angeles, and London over the next 12-18 months will include names from this room.
Contact Ethica Wines at ethicawines.com for trade attendance details and portfolio information.
FAQ
What is Ethica Wines’ tenth anniversary tasting series? Ethica Wines is celebrating its tenth anniversary with walk-around tasting events across eight U.S. markets — Washington D.C., Miami, New York City, Boston, Minneapolis, Denver, Los Angeles, and Austin. The events bring 23 partner estates from across Italy together for trade, media, and key opinion leaders. D.C. opens the series on April 27.
Which Italian wine producers are featured in the Ethica Wines anniversary series? 23 estates are featured including Casanova di Neri (Brunello di Montalcino), Borgogno (Barolo), Ricasoli (Chianti Classico), Mastroberardino (Campania), Capichera (Sardinia), and Fattoria Le Pupille (Maremma), among others covering all of Italy’s major wine regions.
Who is Ethica Wines? Founded in 2016, Ethica Wines is one of the leading U.S. importers of premium Italian wine, representing 23 estates across Italy’s major regions through a network of over 200 distributors. The Financial Times named it one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. for two consecutive years. Annual revenue exceeds $140 million.
