Telford takes on Chianti’s Dievole

Hong Kong’s leading wine and spirits importer, Telford, has acquired exclusive distribution rights for one of Chianti’s oldest wineries, Dievole, for the Hong Kong market.

Olalla Lopez-Corona, export manager of Dievole

Five of its wines including two IGT wines, ‘Le Due Arbie’ Bianco and ‘Le Due Arbie’ Rosso, and three DOCG reds – Campinovi Chianti Classico 2013, Dievole Chianti Classico 2014 and Chianti Classico Riserva ‘Novecento’ 2014 – which are available in Hong Kong priced from HK$200 to HK$260 at retail.

Founded in 1090, the Chianti winery was purchased by Argentinian billionaire Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni in 2012, who owns wineries in Argentina, California and Uruguay, and has since gone through a flurry of stylistic and winemaking changes at Alberto Antonini’s advice.

Its DOCG reds have made a return to local varieties, ditching previously used international grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Instead the winery blended Canaiolo and Colorino with Sangiovese, according to the winery’s export manager Olalla Lopez-Corona, when interviewed by dbHK.

Under the new leadership, the winery has made a drive to go organic. By the end of this year’s harvest, the winery is expected to be certified organic, Olalla added. In addition, the 80 ha Tuscan estate has opted for large barrels for fermentation over barriques to retain better “freshness and fruitiness” to put the emphasis on terroir, according to its export manager.

Asia, a relatively new market for the Chianti producer, only accounts for a small percentage of its exports with its main markets still being the US and Europe.

Speaking about the Hong Kong market, the company’s first foray, Olalla commented: “It’s quite competitive and complicated,” adding that the market is quite saturated with different wine brands. Its wines are also exported to other parts of Asia including Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia and Philippines.