About Ardie Bonanno

Ardie Bonanno is a Dayton native who has been in the wine business his entire life. For three generations the Bonanno family has been importing and distributing premium wine. Francis Bonanno started importing wines from his home base in Dayton in the 1950s. His sons, Frank and Ardie, expanded the family business, building one of the largest wine wholesalers in Ohio and one of the top ten wine importers in the country. Ardie and Frank sold the family business in the late 1990s, but Ardie's passion for wine led him back to his roots. In 2003, he founded Estate Wine Company, also based in Dayton. Now the Bonannos own and operate 55 Degrees, founded in June 2006, and expanded in April 2007, when the Bonannos merged 55 Degrees with their other Ohio distributorship, Estate Wines. 55 Degrees is a proud supplier of wine to all three DLM stores.