Banfi Vintners, America’s Leading Importer of South American Wines, Resumes Shipments from Chile

“Our San Antonio warehouse, operated by Giorgio Gori, resumed full operation this weekend,” reported Marc Goodrich, Executive VP and COO, Banfi Vintners. “A complete inventory will be finalized today and containers loaded with wines from Trivento, Emiliana and Concha y Toro are being moved to the stacking area for shipment on the first vessel to set sail from San Antonio on March 11. Additionally, the wineries have resumed production and goods will be arriving at our facility starting today.”

The Gori facility forms the hub of Banfi’s logistics network in South America. It serves as a consolidation point for U.S. shipments and maintains a reserve inventory designed to eliminate shipping delays and out-of-stocks. Current estimates indicate that up to 80% of goods in the warehouse remain undamaged and ready for dispatch.

Goodrich also confirmed that four large shipments of wine, totaling more than 200,000 cases, departed San Antonio in February and are due to arrive in the U.S. shortly. Additionally, another 75,000 staged at the port for shipment are undamaged and await dispatch to vessels. Those goods, as well as inventory currently maintained in Banfi’s U.S. distribution network, will insure proper supply of product while the wineries ramp back up to full capacity.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to note the exceptional level of cooperation and fortitude demonstrated throughout this challenging period by our friends and partners at Concha y Toro, under the leadership of Eduardo Guilisasti, the company’s General Manager and CEO,” commented James Mariani, Banfi Vintners’ Co-CEO, going on to note that Guilisasti personally led inspections of Concha y Toro’s 11 production facilities, starting within hours of the quake. “That we can expect a resumption of shipments so soon is a testament to the remarkable dedication and professionalism shown by the management and employees of Concha y Toro. Wine exports constitute a key component of the Chilean economy; thus, we are all firmly committed to seeing business resume as swiftly as possible.”