Delicato Family Vineyards, Napa, Calif., announced a new partnership with ASC Fine Wines, a distributor of imported wines in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. ASC Fine Wines will have exclusive distribution rights to a select portfolio of Delicato brands, including Gnarly Head, Delicato Family Vineyards and Irony, the company says.

"With more than 90 years [of] experience in the premier winegrowing regions of California, Delicato Family Vineyards is proud to offer a strong portfolio of core brands to ASC Fine Wines," said David DeBoer, vice president and general manager international at Delicato Family Vineyards, in a statement. "With its position as a leading wine importer in China with 20 years [of] experience in this ever-changing market, we are excited about expanding our market presence and driving key brand-building initiatives that ultimately will see our fine wines in even more restaurants and homes of Chinese consumers."

In addition to distribution in retail shops and restaurants, ASC Fine Wines has committed substantial investment toward growing distribution and sales through e-commerce, specifically focused on its partnership with Alibaba's Tmall.com, an e-commerce platform for the China market, the company says.

"We are delighted to welcome Delicato Family Vineyards into the ASC Fine Wines portfolio," said Bruno Baudry, chief executive officer (CEO) of ASC Fine Wines, in a statement. "We are inspired by the vision of its founder Gaspare Indelicato, and by the company's commitment to sustainable yet innovative winemaking under third generation CEO and President Chris Indelicato. As the Chinese wine market evolves and consumers continue to explore the diverse world of wine, the importance of providing quality wines that speak of their home, their vineyards and the people who craft them, becomes ever greater. We are excited to be working with Chris and his team, and are confident that the Delicato brands will create a new lineage of their family in China through our partnership."

Indelicato added: "ASC Fine Wines' expansive market coverage, experience in fine wines and focus in digital aligns with the family's long-term market development strategy. This partnership is an important milestone for the winery as we expand our distribution footprint in the Chinese market."

Delicato Family Vineyards, which has sold wine in China for more than a decade, joins ASC Fine Wine's diverse portfolio of wines from 14 countries, it says.