Delicato Family Vineyards. Credit: PRNewsfoto/Delicato Family Vineyards

US-based wine company Delicato Family Vineyards has partnered with Chilean wine company Viña Santa Rita.

Under the partnership agreement, Delicato will be the exclusive US importer for Santa Rita’s brands with authorisation rights to import, register, distribute and sell in the US, which will commence from April this year.

Delicato will oversee sales and marketing operations for the products, while Santa Rita will maintain ownership and production of the wines.

“Delicato has the sales and marketing expertise and the national distribution network to take Santa Rita to the next level.”

Delicato president and CEO Chris Indelicato said: “Our partnership with Santa Rita marks our first entrance into the imported wine category, allowing us to better serve our customers with category leading brands such as the popular Santa Rita 120 and the iconic Casa Real.”

Delicato currently has two distinct sales and marketing organisations, supported by a single national accounts team. With the addition of Santa Rita brands, its V2 division will manage the Santa Rita tier and Delicato’s national division will manage the premium tier.

Viña Santa Rita CEO Andrés Lavados said: “We are excited to join forces with Delicato as our partner in the US based on the company’s continued growth trajectory and the cultural continuity of working with a family run business.

“Delicato has the sales and marketing expertise and the national distribution network to take Santa Rita to the next level.”

Established in 1924, Delicato Family Vineyards is a family-owned company, with its brand portfolio including Bota Box, Gnarly Head, Noble Vines, Black Stallion Estate Winery, Z. Alexander Brown, Diora, Brazin, Irony and Earth Wise.

Having 120 global brands in more than 70 countries, Viña Santa Rita was founded in 1880 and was acquired by Claro Group.