Bologna based Ammirato has opened an office in India with Bangalore as the home base to import Italian wines and foods under the same label, with sales slated to begin in September as soon as the legal formalities are completed, according to Chris Pohl, CEO of the Indian arm.
 Ammirato Foods Pvt Ltd. will import its first container of wine in August. ‘We plan to have a pan India presence with a team consisting of Area Sales Managers for Hospitality, Retail, Wine and a PR/Marketing Manager cum Web Editor; with a back up team at our offices and a national/regional distribution Network,’ says the South African Chris who has been a resident of India for almost a decade and brings years of wine, food and hospitality business experience with him.
The initial markets to be serviced will be Karnataka, Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR) and Haryana this year. ‘We are also already active in Sri Lanka with an active partnership with a local company,’ he informs.
Wines to be imported in the first phase are Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Pinot Grigio, Valpolicella Classico, Merlot, Prosecco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rose, Chianti and also Grappa. ‘The wines have been selected for their quality and price relationship and proper paring with Indian and continental cuisine,’ says Pohl who is well conversant with the Indian tastes and the complex, heavy tax structure in India and has helped select wines which should find good clientele, ‘although we shall also be looking at expanding the market.’
The food segment will include extra virgin olive oil, balsamico and glaze, egg and eggless pasta,, dry and ready-made polenta, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet sea salt, specialty cheeses, cold meats, antipasti vegetables and fish in glass jars and tin.
‘Our thrust will be educating consumers with proper information on the use of our products, especially for cooking Indian dishes. We are being supported by a nutritionist and a well- known Indian Chef who is developing Indian recipes using our ingredients,’ says Pohl, promising to release his identity at the two-week official launch in October end, covering the entire territory. The Chairman, Dr Claudio Ammirato plans to be present for the launch.
Using the latest techniques of communications the company plans to have an interactive website, their own blog and the use of all the other modern communication tools to bring their wide spectrum closer to the consumers.
Ammirato claims to be the Embassy of the Italian flavors around the world. Its complete range is the result of careful sourcing from key Italian producers over a period of time. ‘We have worked together with producers who were willing to work for a private label and were happy to work with smaller quantities and develop new recipes and products,’ says Pohl
Ammirato Foods was registered in India last year after Dr Claudio Ammirato had done intensive research in India for the previous two years. ‘Now we are in the implementation phase and we expect a challenging time ahead,’ says Pohl with an air of confidence and optimism. Meanwhile, Indian consumers may expect a wider choice of their favourite Italian products including wine, olive oil-including for frying desi dishes, balsamico and anti pasti etc.
For details, visit http://www.ammirato.biz or contact at chris.pohl@ammirato.biz
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