AriZona is heading to Italy.
AriZona Beverages, based in New York, has secured a distribution deal with Italian mineral water brand Ferrarelle to bring its new canned line to U.S. retail.
Bottled at the source in southern Italy for over 130 years, Ferrarelle is a legacy brand in Europe but is taking a modern approach to the category as it expands in the U.S. market. That means complementing its flagship glass bottles for foodservice with a move into cans, including a 16.9 oz. format (sparkling and still) available only through AriZona across retail and convenience channels.
It’s the first time AriZona has backed a premium Italian sparkling mineral water brand “with the full strength of its retail and convenience distribution network,” the company said in a statement.
Ferrarelle will also be available in 11.2 oz. cans in unflavored sparkling and three sparkling flavors: Capri Style (Orange & Tangerine), Sicilian Inspiration (Grapefruit & Elderflower) and Amalfi Dream (Lemon & Basil).
“Ferrarelle has everything we look for in a partner: an incredible product, a real story and a brand people genuinely connect with,” said Spencer Vultaggio, Chief Marketing Officer at AriZona. “They have been doing this for more than 130 years, and the quality speaks for itself. We are excited to use AriZona’s distribution network to make authentic Italian mineral water more accessible to consumers across the U.S., especially in a format built for how people drink today.”
The pact comes at a transitional period for some of the water category’s best-known premium imports. In July, Nestle closed a $3.4 billion deal to sell half of its water business, including S. Pellegrino and Perrier, to private equity firm Platinum Equity. Meanwhile, former Mela CEO Domenic Purpura is helping seed Chiarella, a premium Italian brand from Lake Como, in the U.S. as its exclusive distribution partner.
“AriZona and Ferrarelle bring complementary strengths and, together, create the conditions to build something neither could achieve alone,” said Carlo Pontecorvo, Ferrarelle’s chairman and CEO of Ferrarelle. “For us, this is the essence of a strong international strategy: choosing the right partners, combining capabilities and creating the foundation for sustainable, long-term growth.”
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