E. & J. Gallo Winery, Modesto, Calif., has acquired the exclusive rights to distribute Italy's Allegrini wines in the United States beginning April 1.

"We have a real opportunity to more successfully compete in the luxury wine segment,” said Roger Nabedian, senior vice president of Gallo's premium wine division, in a statement. “Allegrini is a great addition to our portfolio, and we're thrilled to have the chance to represent them. The Allegrini Estates consist of the historic Allegrini property in the Valpolicella region, which produces several noteworthy wines, as well as an up-and-coming property in the Bolgheri appellation of Tuscany, Poggio al Tesoro. We are excited to share these award-winning wines with American consumers."

The Allegrini family has played a leading role in the history of Valpolicella since the 16th century and has passed on its culture of winemaking from generation to generation. Today, sixth-generation family member Franco Allegrini leads winemaking at the estates, while his sister, Marilisa Allegrini, leads sales and marketing.
 
"As a family-owned winery, I think that we find a synergy working with Gallo, the largest family-owned winery in the world," Marilisa Allegrini said in a statement. "We each complement the other very well: Allegrini brings over 400 years of winemaking experience in Italy, and Gallo has an established reputation for excellence in the U.S. wine market. We feel privileged to join the family and its network of distributors and will continue to focus on the quality of our wines and the quality of service to our clientele."

The Allegrini portfolio includes the Allegrini and Poggio al Tesoro brands. Gallo also imports and markets other wines from Italy, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Spain.