Riunite was America's favorite imported wine — then it lost 85% of its sales

Riunite was born in 1950 when nine wine producers in Emilia-Romagna formed a cooperative. Its sweet, fizzy Lambrusco was introduced to the US by Banfi Vintners in 1967 and became an instant cultural phenomenon. The "Riunite on ice, that's nice" advertising campaign made it a household name, and by 1973 Riunite was the number one imported wine in America. Sales peaked at 11.5 million cases in 1985, a record for an imported wine that stood for decades.

By the late 1980s American tastes were shifting from sweet to dry wines. Riunite's Lambrusco had been the perfect match for a generation of drinkers who were new to wine, but as the market matured, consumers moved to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and wines from Australia and Chile. The cooperative tried multiple reinventions — a bottle redesign in 2006, a "Reinvent Riunite" campaign in 2009, a new "Just Chill" campaign targeting younger women in 2012, and another label refresh in 2015 — but none reversed the decline. By 2001 sales had fallen to 1.77 million cases.

In March 2019, after more than 50 years, Banfi Vintners and Riunite agreed to part ways. Banfi's CEO Cristina Mariani-May said both sides had reached a point where their long-term goals no longer aligned, and Banfi would focus on its premium Brunello and Super Tuscan wines. The split was a quiet end to what had once been the most successful imported wine brand in American history. The brand was handed to Frederick Wildman and Sons, but it never regained its former position.