Brand was founded in 1975 by Huib Brand, one of the pioneers in the field of Italian wines in the Netherlands. Originally, Huib was a Dutch teacher with a somewhat predominant love for wine: he sold a number of self-imported wines in a circle of enthusiasts through a newsletter, and wrote columns about wine for the NRC. Until Huib met Paolo de Marchi of Tuscan Isole e Olena in 1983: that was the moment he lost his heart to Italian wine and decided to specialize in it.