Banfi - Ratings & Reviews - News
Banfi for a better wine world
Scroll down
2014 2 April

WHAT'S ON MY DESK: BANFI VINTNERS CO-CEOCRISTINA MARIANI-MAY

by Laura Schreffler


Ever wonder what the most powerful leaders, business execs and celebrities keep on their desks? Well, we’re about to tell you. Our biweekly “What’s on My Desk” feature will take a look inside the offices and at the desks of the world’s most influential power players.


This week we’ve featured the desk of Cristina Mariani-May, the family proprietor of the internationally renowned Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, and co-CEO of Banfi Vintners, a leading U.S. importer of fine wines. The youngest daughter of Banfi Chairman Emeritus, John F. Mariani, Jr., Ms. Mariani-May, together with her cousin James Mariani, represents the third generation of family leadership in the company founded by their grandfather, John Mariani, Sr. in 1919. Among the first of many forward-thinking initiatives introduced by Mariani-May was the creation of progressive new tracking and monitoring systems at Castello Banfi, designed to elevate performance and establish new goals in the fields of customer satisfaction, environmental responsibility and social responsibility. In 2006 those procedures paid off when Castello Banfi became the only winery in the world to achieve ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and SA 8000 certification acknowledging leadership in these areas. Here is a look at the items on this vintner’s desk.


Framed family photos. The picture on the right is of Cristina’s husband, Marshall May, and their three young children. On the left is Cristina with her father, John F. Mariani, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of Banfi Vintners. Family is extremely important to Cristina, and Banfi Vintners is currently in its third generation of family ownership with Cristina and her cousin, James, leading as co-CEOs.


Poggio Alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino 2008. Poggio alle Mura is a special estate for Banfi and the wine is one of the first Brunellos brought into the United States. “When my father found this location in the 1970s, we knew it would be ideal because of the potential and the beauty of the Sangiovese grape for the Montalcino terroir.” The 2008 has been really well-received and was recently named “exceptional” and “one of the best wines of the vintage.”


Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Acqui. A red sparkling wine made from Brachetto grapes grown in Northern Italy, Piedmont. It’s a festive, delicious wine with notes of strawberry and raspberry and a “slight spritz that wakes up your palate!”


Wine Enthusiast and Forbes. Cristina often finds herself catching up on wine and business news while she’s on the road, traveling to any of the 85 countries where Castello Banfi’s wines are sold.                                                                                                                                                 


Give and Take by Adam Grant. This is a business book Cristina has been living by. “I am giving it to all our team.”
Like Haute Living Los Angeles? Join our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @HauteLivingMag.

WHAT

PRIVACY POLICY

Banfi S.r.l. places fundamental importance on your personal privacy. Banfi S.r.l. takes all steps to protect the personal information of the users. Optimal service is possible when we can assure that the user is aware of and understands the norms and criteria adopted for our privacy policy. The criteria used by Banfi S.r.l. regarding personal information are as follows:
 
Why personal information is collected?
Banfi S.r.l. gathers and uses personal information of the users to guarantee optimal service and to facilitate access to a broad range of products and services. Furthermore, the personal information is used to keep every user updated on new offerings and other information that Banfi S.r.l. believe may be useful to the user. Furthermore, personal information could be used to contact the user to invite the user to participate in eventual market research that allows us to both evaluate the level of user satisfaction and to develop superior products.
 
How personal information is collected
Information about our users is collected in different ways. For example, information that can be used to contact the user can be requested when that person writes to Banfi S.r.l., telephones to ask about a service, or participates in an online poll. Furthermore, when a person subscribes to the internet service of Banfi S.r.l. or to the mailing list, they provide information that is then collected and filed within a secure database.
 
When personal information is revealed
It can become necessary to reveal personal data of the client by law or in the course of legal proceedings or other situations in the public interest.
 
How personal information is protected
Banfi S.r.l. protects the security of information sent by people using physical, electronic and managerial methods. Banfi S.r.l. invites its users to take the necessary steps to protect their personal data on the Internet. Banfi S.r.l. suggests that users often change their password, using a combination of letters and numbers, and relying solely on secure browsers.

Access to personal information
The user can, at any time, access information regarding themselves. To review and update personal information that Banfi S.r.l. has gathered, please contact banfi@banfi.it.
 
Collection of personal information
It is possible to navigate the websites of Banfi S.r.l. anonymously. In any case, the browser automatically comunicates the type of computer and operating system used.

Like many other websites, Banfi S.r.l. uses "cookie" technology. The first time a user connects to the site, their cookies identify the browser with a random and unique number. The cookies used do not reveal any information of a personal nature to the user, including first names that could be used to welcome the user on their next visit. The cookies help us understand what part of the website the users visit more frequently, which are the paths used by the clients, and how long they remain connected. The cookies are used to study the traffic patterns of the Banfi S.r.l. websites in order to improve their functionality.