Decanter Promotional feature. Castello Banfi is the Montalcino region’s biggest wine estate by far, both in size and reputation, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is one of a select few with global recognition for its wines. Despite its size, Banfi has always been a tightly-knit family concern, and it remains so today under third generation Cristina Mariani May, the scion of Italo-American forebears who started their business activities in New York in 1919, just after the Great War. Crucially, the Marianis were both wine importers and retailer sellers, too. This direct contact with their customers gave them a priceless understanding of exactly what style of wine people wanted in their home or on restaurant dining tables.