Winecellars in Italian merger with Enotria

Two of the country's best known specialist shippers of Italian wines, Winecellars and Enotria Holdings, are to merge operations from 1 April.

Both have been important in persuading non-Italian restaurants to list Italian wines. The company will be called Enotria Winecellars Ltd.

Ramon Nardone will remain as chairman and managing director. David Gleave, currently managing director of Winecellars, will join the new board as deputy managing director with special responsibility for sales and marketing. "We feel the merger will give a stronger company than if the two continued to operate separately," said Mr Nardone.

The company will combine virtually all the producers currently on the Enotria and Winecellars lists. It also aims to build up a stronger combined list of wines from Australia, France, South Africa, California and Hungary.