Valdo vs Faldo! Teed-off Italian winery pushes golfer to change name of range
HE WAS used to fending off competition during his golfing career – but now Nick Faldo faces a rather different challenge. The former world number one, who now spends his time curating his wine brand, is embroiled in a trademark row with an Italian firm. The 66-year-old owns Faldo, which displays a shield on the front with six stripes to represent his six major championship wins – but the company Valdo appears to have taken issue with the name.
The retired professional, who appeared at 11 Ryder Cups during his career, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘Recently, Valdo’s trademark attorney has suggested that our logo on wine labels may cause confusion in the marketplace for their brand. While we respect their concerns, we have used the Faldo shield and font for many years.
‘We believe that our use of “aldo” in our brand is a common grouping of letters in the Italian language and can be found worldwide in many variations. Also, who do you think has more notoriety – a wine brand from a small town in Italy or a six-time major champion who’s been in the global spotlight for over 40 years?’ Founded in 1883 by the Bolla Family in Verona, Valdo specialises in prosecco and has received awards including best producer of sparkling wine in an international competition in 2020 and 2021.
Faldo said his firm’s logo is trademarked for many uses and that it was designed by an ‘artist friend’.
He now owns two companies which use the same emblem.
In 1996, he created the Faldo Series golf tournament, allowing people aged from seven to 25 to compete in highlevel golfing events. He also designs golf courses around the world through his company, Faldo Design.
After retiring from broadcasting in 2022, Faldo now lives with his fourth wife, Lindsay De Marco, on a 125-acre farm in Montana, US.
Valdo declined to comment.
‘Who has more notoriety?’