Beretta family buys into Ken Wright Cellars in its first overseas wine deal

The Gussalli Beretta family of Italy has made its first wine investment outside its home country, taking a significant stake in Oregon producer Ken Wright Cellars and acquiring the winery’s vineyard and real estate assets as part of a broader partnership.

The transaction was announced by Agricole Gussalli Beretta, the family’s wine holding through Upifra Agricole. Financial terms were not disclosed. Under the agreement, founder Ken Wright will remain the majority owner of Ken Wright Cellars and continue in his role as winemaker. The company said its vineyard management, production and hospitality teams will stay in place, and that there will be no changes for wine club members, grape sourcing, distribution or commercial partners.

The deal gives the Italian family a foothold in the Willamette Valley, one of the best-known American regions for Pinot Noir. It also adds to a limited but growing Italian presence in Oregon wine. Other Italian investors in the state include the Marzotto family, through Santa Margherita USA and Roco Winery, and the Frescobaldi family through Domaine Roy & fils.

Agricole Gussalli Beretta said the structure of the transaction is intended to let Ken Wright Cellars focus more closely on high-end wine production while the new partner provides capital and long-term support. The company described its investment as a sizable minority stake in the wine business, paired with ownership of the historic vineyard and property assets tied to the winery’s operations.

For the Gussalli Beretta family, the move expands a wine portfolio built over decades in Italy. The family’s broader business interests date back 500 years and span defense, hunting and outdoor products. In wine, it has been active since 1974, when it established Lo Sparviere on its estate in Franciacorta. Its current holdings total about 170 hectares, or roughly 420 acres, of vineyards across seven wineries and one minority stake in Italy. Those properties include Lo Sparviere in Franciacorta, Steinhaus in Alto Adige, Fortemasso in Monforte d’Alba, Castello di Radda in Chianti Classico, Orlandi Contucci in the Colline Teramane, Fabio Motta in Bolgheri, and a minority interest in Leonardo Specogna in the Colli Orientali del Friuli.

Ken Wright Cellars is the family’s first overseas wine investment, and it places them in one of the most established names in Oregon Pinot Noir. The winery farms about 70 hectares, or roughly 173 acres, of vineyards and generates annual revenue of close to $12 million, according to the companies. Its reputation was built on single-vineyard Pinot Noir bottlings designed to highlight site differences within the Willamette Valley.

Wright said he had been looking for a partner with a long-term outlook and respect for the region’s approach to winegrowing. In a statement, he said he wanted an investor that valued the connection between vineyard and place and would protect the company’s identity. He said the Italian family’s record in its other wineries helped persuade him, because those businesses had kept their own staffs, local character and independence after joining the group.

Pietro Gussalli Beretta, who manages the family’s activities with his brother Franco, said the family sees Oregon, and the Willamette Valley in particular, as the right place for a U.S. investment. He said the region’s winemaking potential and the quality of its wines matched the family’s focus on premium bottles with a strong link to their origin. He added that the family’s role would be to support what Wright and his team have built and help the winery navigate a more complex market.

Wright has been a central figure in Oregon wine for four decades. He arrived in the Willamette Valley in 1986 and first founded Panther Creek Cellars before launching Ken Wright Cellars in 1994. He is known for a vineyard-specific approach and for producing Pinot Noir from 14 different sites. He also played a role in shaping the region’s appellation map. According to the company, he wrote the petition that led federal authorities to establish the Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area and helped define the first six sub-appellations in the region.

The winery’s public profile grew well beyond Oregon. According to the company, Wright became the first Oregon winemaker to appear on the cover of Wine Spectator in 2015. It also said his 2012 Abbott Claim Vineyard Pinot Noir was the first Oregon wine to rank No. 1 in the world on Wine Enthusiast’s annual list in 2014, and that he has received more scores of 90 points or higher than any other winemaker in the state.

The partnership preserves the visible face of the business in Carlton, where the tasting room operates out of the town’s historic rail depot. For now, the companies are presenting the deal as a continuity play rather than a restructuring. Wright remains in charge of the wines, the staff remains in place, and the Italian investor enters as a long-term owner betting that Oregon Pinot Noir will keep gaining ground in the global fine wine market.