Contemporary Italian Wine Brand with National Consumer Following
Glen Rock, NJ: November 28, 2023 – Opici Wines & Spirits is proud to announce a new partnership with KRIS Wines. Effective January 1, 2024, Opici Wines & Spirits will be the exclusive USA sales and marketing agent for this contemporary Italian brand. Two wines will be added to the portfolio nationally, KRIS Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC and KRIS Pinot Noir Terre Siciliane IGT.
“We are honored to represent KRIS and to continue their strategic work in the US market across National and Regional accounts. The quality of the vineyard sourcing and winemaking is outstanding, as is their creative approach to packaging and consumer engagement,” enthused Mark Giordano, President Opici Wines & Spirits.
KRIS offers an elegant, handcrafted style and a modern Italian interpretation of classic varietals. Founded by Franz Haas Winery in the mid-1990s, KRIS has been delighting consumers, trade, and distributors with its playful brand personality and premium wines for thirty years. The KRIS winery is located in the Italian Alpine town of Montagna, and the wines are handcrafted using grapes sourced from premium growing regions.
Opici Wines & Spirits will represent two wines from January 1, 2024, both line-priced at SRP $13.99. KRIS Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC is made entirely from Pinot Grigio grown from low yield vineyards in the coveted white wine regions of Trentino, Veneto and Friuli. This wine bursts with enticing aromas of acacia flowers, lime, tangerine and hints of apricots and almonds.
Companion wine, KRIS Pinot Noir Terre Siciliane IGT, is crafted from grapes grown on high altitude, hillside vineyards in Sicily, where the unique microclimate of bright sunlight and cool nights allows for vibrant and rich flavor intensity, framed by an elegant structure. Generous aromas of ripe cherries and strawberries, brightened by tart pomegranate, and grounded by earthy hints of dried tea and tobacco.
KRIS’ beautifully designed labels celebrate the art, terroir and craft in Italian winemaking and are the work of Riccardo Schweizer (1925-2004), one of Italy’s most famous contemporary artists. The gold orb in each label depicts the role of the Italian sun ripening the grapes to perfection, the kiss mark represents the role of the lips that ultimately savor the wine, and the hand represents the role of the human hand in cultivating the grapes and crafting the wine.
About Opici Wines & Spirits
Opici Wines & Spirits is a fourth-generation importer and producer with family roots in the wine business dating back to 1913. Today, the company is managed by Don Opici and features more than 50 brands from 9 countries. With long-standing, market-leading Italian wines and spirits brands like Cesari, Carpineto, Luiano, Viberti, and Meletti as the foundation, the business has embarked on a chapter of accelerated growth with the acquisition of Pacific Highway Wines in 2023 and representation of New Zealand, Australian, Chilean, Uruguayan, and Argentine wineries. Opici Wines & Spirits was named “Importer of the Year” in 2014 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and most recently Don Opici and his sister Dina Opici were jointly nominated “Person(s) of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
About KRIS Wines
Founded by Franz Haas Winery in the mid-1990s, KRIS has been delighting consumers, trade and distributors for 30 years with a collection of premium Italian wines, led by the popular Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC. The KRIS winery, located in the Italian Alpine town of Montagna, reflects a unique combination of Germanic precision sensibility and Italian artisan flare. Handcrafted in Alto Adige using grapes sourced from Italy’s most exciting growing regions, KRIS is a product of modern technology and traditional winemaking artistry. KRIS’ beautifully designed labels are the work of Riccardo Schweizer (1925-2004), a good friend of the winery owner, a native of Northern Italy and one of Italy’s most famous contemporary artists, who painted together with world-renowned figures like Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and other brilliant cubist and impressionist artists. The gold orb in each label depicts the role of the Italian sun ripening the grapes to perfection. The kiss mark represents the role of the lips that ultimately savor the wine. The hand represents the role of the human hand in cultivating the grapes and crafting the wine.
