Hallgarten begins year with two Italian portfolio additions

By Hamish Graham

Published: 07 January, 2026

Wine importer Hallgarten & Novum Wines has bolstered its Italian portfolio by adding both Chianti Classico and Piedmont producers – Querciabella and Elio Grasso, respectively.

Both estates will be imported exclusively by Hallgarten to both the on- and off-trades. The wines will also be available to private customers via Lay & Wheeler (the business also being under the Coterie umbrella).

Group buying director at Hallgarten, Andrew Shaw, believes the onboarding will “further strengthen our representation of two of Italy’s most iconic regions”. He added that the two producers existing connection with Lay & Wheeler made it an easy transition to “extend these long-standing relationships across the wider Coterie group”.

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Chianti Classico’s Querciabella was founded in 1974 and is considered a leader in organic viticulture in the historic region, having begun farming in this manner in 1988. The estate remains family owned to this day, with founder Giuseppe Castiglioni’s daughter Mita Castliglioni now at the helm.

On the new business relationship, she added: “The United Kingdom has always been a key market for Querciabella, and our partnership with Hallgarten Wines, Lay & Wheeler and Lay & Wheeler Trading is instrumental as we shape the next chapter of our winery.

“With the third generation of our family now actively involved, we remain deeply committed to the innovative spirit that has defined Querciabella since the early days of [flagship Super Tuscan wines] Camartina and Batàr.”

The Elio Grasso vineyards lie in the Monforte d’Alba region of Piedmont, with the Grasso family having connections to their land since 1928, though only began to produce their own wine in 1978. According to Hallgarten the producer emphasises “terroir, balance and longevity” with Elio Grasso also remaining a family operation – winery founder Elio Grasso continues to be involved alongside his wife Marina and their son Gianluca.

The wines of both Querciabella and Elio Grasso will be available to taste at Hallgarten & Novum Wines’ The Annual Tasting on 2 and 3 February. To register you can click here.

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