Harry Mariani
Harry Mariani is family proprietor of Banfi Vintners of Old Brookville, NY, and the Castello Banfi vineyard estate of Montalcino, Tuscany.
Following graduation from Colgate University in 1959, Mr. Mariani, who was born and raised in Garden City, L.I., joined Banfi, an American family-owned wine business, where he learned every aspect of the trade from wine judging through marketing, sales, finance and administration. He was named President in 1964. Over the next three decades, he and his brother John, an equal partner in the firm, expanded Banfi from a small wine house into America's leading importer of fine wines. They also founded two highly successful vineyard estates in Italy, Castello Banfi of Montalcino, Tuscany, and Vigne Regali of Strevi, Piedmont. Today, they both brothers remain active as counsel to the third generation of family management: Harry's son James, and John's daughter Cristina.
Mr. Mariani also serves on the board of the Banfi Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, which contributes annually to leading national charities and takes an active interest in higher education. The Foundation has endowed the Banfi chair of Wine Education and Management at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and the Chair of Economics at Colgate University themed to the American economy and the free enterprise system. Scholarships, fellowships and grants-in-aid are also given each year to Cornell, The Culinary Institute of America and a dozen other colleges and universities around the country.
An occasional lecturer, Mr. Mariani takes particular pride in having been invited to address a 750-member wine class at Cornell on two occasions and the graduation class of The Culinary Institute several years ago.
Mr. Mariani was a trustee of Colgate University from 1987 until 1996 and served as chairman of the school's Student Affairs Committee. He is now a trustee emeritus. Recently, he was appointed to the board of Huntington Hospital, Huntington, NY; he is also an associate member of the Cornell Society of Hotelmen, and a trustee of the Cornell Society's Foundation.
He is married to the former Anne Marie Goetz, and they have four children. In addition to their son James, a daughter, Virginia Mariani-Kitt, and son-in-law, Marc Goodrich, are also actively engaged in the family business.
