•Pio Boffa, leader of the Pio Cesare winery in Italy’s Piedmont, died this weekend after a two-week battle with Covid-19. He was 66. A fourth-generation winemaker, Boffa spent four decades converting Pio Cesare from an acclaimed négociant to a high-end estate winery with more than 173 vineyard acres in Barolo and Barbaresco. He was perhaps best known as a tireless global ambassador for Piedmont wines. Wine Spectator has more on Boffa’s life and career.
•Opici Wines & Spirits has appointed Martignetti Cos. as its distributor across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Opici says the move is part of its broader effort to strategically expand its presence in key markets. Taunton, Massachusetts-based Martignetti, which operates across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, is the sixth-largest spirits and wine wholesaler in the U.S., according to Shanken’s Impact Newsletter, with projected 2021 revenues of $1.35 billion.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.