Italy’s Gussalli Beretta family has acquired a minority stake in the Oregon-based winery Ken Wright Cellars for an undisclosed sum.
It marks the family’s first wine investment outside of Italy.
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According to a statement, the family, through its wine holding company Upifra Agricole, has taken a “significant” stake in the Pinot Noir wine producer.
The deal includes a “substantial minority interest” in the Ken Wright Cellars company. The family has also bought Ken Wright Cellars’ vineyard and real estate assets dedicated to winemaking.
Founder Ken Wright will continue to be the majority shareholder of the business, as well as its winemaker. The teams responsible for vineyard management, winemaking and hospitality will “remain unchanged”, the joint statement said.
Founded in 1994, Ken Wright Cellars manages around 70 hectares of vineyards and specialises in Pinot Noir wines from the Willamette Valley, with all of its vineyards located in the Northern Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area.
The winery produces Pinot Noir bottlings from 14 distinct vineyard sites and operates a tasting room inside Carlton’s historic train depot. It generates turnover of “close to” $12m.
The transaction will allow the business to focus on producing “detailed, expressive high-end wines”, the statement said.
Massimo Ferrari, general manager of the Upifra Agricole Gussalli Beretta family’s wine holding company, told Just Drinks it was still “too early to say what commercial developments our partnership may have”.
He added: “For us, it represents an investment in a leading producer in the world’s largest market for quality wine.”
In the joint statement, KWC’s founder Wright said: “When I started thinking about the next 40 years, I wanted a partner who had a generational perspective and a profound respect for the beauty of Pinot Noir in this world-class region.
“Great wines happen only when the vine and the land are in perfect harmony. The Gussalli Beretta family shares this belief with me.”
Pietro Gussalli Beretta, who runs the family business with his brother Franco, said the family would contribute its business experience “so KWC can continue to thrive in an increasingly complex market”.
He added: “Our family identified Oregon – and the Willamette Valley in particular – as the ideal place to invest in the US; we believe the region’s winemaking potential and the calibre of wines produced here align seamlessly with our vision: creating high-end wines with a strong sense of place.”
Upifra Agricole’s general manager Ferrari told Just Drinks KWC’s wines would be imported to Italy through the family’s domestic distribution business AGB Selezione.
“Further developments in European markets will be tailored based on KWC’s current presence in Europe. KWC remains highly focused on the US domestic market, and for us, this remains a significant strength,” he added.
The Gussalli Beretta family entered the wine sector in 1974 with the founding of Lo Sparviere in Franciacorta.
They own seven wine brands in Italy and around 200 hectares of vineyards, which trade under the Agricole Gussalli Beretta group.
These wineries include Steinhaus in Alto Adige, Fortemasso in Monforte d’Alba in the Barolo zone, Castello di Radda in Chianti Classico and Orlandi Contucci in Abruzzo’s Colline Teramane.
The family also acquired the Fabio Motta estate in Bolgheri in 2024 and took a minority stake in Leonardo Specogna in Friuli’s Colli Orientali last year.
Gussalli Beretta’s brands are sold to 30 markets globally, across Europe, North and South America and Asia.
