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Issue 579 - May 30th - June 3rd 2022 - Expressly created for 4.374 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world |
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In 2021, in Europe, the market share of private-label products in FMCG was 34.7% of the total, with peaks of 49.5% in the United Kingdom, 41.4% in the Netherlands, while worth 30% of purchases in Germany, and just over 34% in Italy and France. Data emerged from the report by McKinsey and EuroCommerce, presented at “World of private label”, the industry’s most important trade fair, which took place in Amsterdam. Where the “Salute to Excellence Awards” of Plma, the global association for the promotion of private labels, were also announced, with a focus on wine and with a lot of Italy (in more detail). |
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Epi, an independent family group owned and managed by Christofer Descours, announced on June 2 (WineNews anticipated the news, internationally, on the evening of June 1, ed.) “that it has acquired from Paolo De Marchi and family the Isole e Olena estate, one of the most important wineries in Chianti Classico” (a major deal, the value of which, according to an estimate by WineNews, is expected to be around 25/30 million euros, ed.). Founded in 1956 by the De Marchi family, Isole e Olena is located in San Donato in Poggio (Chianti Classico); the estate is renowned for being part of the select group of wineries that in the 1970s and 1980s led to the recognition of Chianti Classico as a high-quality wine region. “Isole e Olena has earned”, Epi explains, “a reputation as an example of elegance and authenticity in Chianti Classico, thanks to Paolo De Marchi’s vision, research and field work. Paolo De Marchi (who will remain as winemaker, ed.) was a pioneer in studies and experiments in the vineyards. Under his guidance, “Cepparello” was born, one of the first Supertuscans that immediately garnered acclaim from the world’s most demanding wine lovers and became the emblem of the estate”. Christofer Descours, president of Epi Group, comments, “I am delighted that the renowned Isole e Olena estate is joining our group. We deeply respect Paolo De Marchi’s unique vision, his pursuit of excellence and his perseverance in producing refined and authentic wines. We intend to continue Paolo De Marchi’s work, putting our passion for excellence and our experience in international markets at the service of Isole e Olena’s unique wines”. “The acquisition of Isole and Olena represents an important moment for us, as it continues the development of our presence in Italy after the acquisition of Biondi-Santi (the winery-myth of Brunello di Montalcino, where he was born in the mid-19th century, of which Giampiero Bertolini is CEO, who will also take over Isole and Olena, ed.). It is a privilege to continue the extraordinary work that Paolo De Marchi has done in more than four decades at Isole and Olena and for the Chianti Classico appellation”, said Damien Lafaurie, CEO Epi Wine & Champagne. |
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Prosit, the wine group led by Sergio Dagnino and backed by Quadrivio & Pambianco’s Made in Italy Fund (€36 million of turnover in 2021), has acquired 100% of Casa Vinicola Caldirola and the historic “La Cacciatora” brand. The Lombard winery, founded in 1897 in Contra (Lecco), closed 2021 with a turnover of 40.3 million euros, exporting 40% of its production, with labels from every Italian region, to more than 60 countries, thus enters the portfolio of the Prosit Wine Holding, which after Cantine Torrevento (Puglia), Collalbrigo Grandi Vini (Veneto) and Storiche Cantine Nestore Bosco (Abruzzo), also acquired Cantina di Montalcino in February 2022, as well as having closed a strategic partnership with U.S. importer Votto Vines (in more detail the words of Ceo Sergio Dagnino). |
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Among the diseases that can affect the vine, the Esca disease, in the last 15 years, has become among the most problematic, because to date there are no effective remedies: plants attacked by the families of fungi that colonize the lymphatic vessels, where they create masses that progressively clog them, causing their almost instantaneous death, must first be uprooted and then burned, to prevent the disease from spreading. More work is being done on prevention, with treatments based on antagonistic fungi, but these do not solve the problem. At least until three Tuscan agronomists-Alberto Passeri, Mario Guerrieri and Roberto Ercolani-decided in 2017 to join efforts to experiment with a cure, developing an organic product and an administration protocol that immediately provided striking results, with more than 80% of treated plants being cured. Results that pushed the three agronomists to embark on an even more rigorous scientific path: they created a startup (“Escafix”) and addressed Crea - Council for Research in Agriculture, and at the same time deposited the Italian Patent of the protocol. Which, after an experimental journey that started in Montalcino, has brought eight fundamental results (in more detail). |
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Chiara Soldati, at the helm of La Scolca, a historic Gavi winery (and granddaughter of Mario Soldati), is one of the 25 new Cavalieri del lavoro (Knights of Labor) the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, has nominated. One name that lengthens the list (in more detail) of wine producers who are “Cavalieri”. Also named in this round for agribusiness are Margherita Fuchs (Forst), Andrea Rigoni (Rigoni di Asiago), Olga Urbani (Urbani Tartufi), Adolfo Valsecchi (Generale Conserve), and Rosina Zuliani (Sgaravatti Geo). |
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A volcano and the sea, millions of years ago, forming the territory. Then wine, born along the Via Francigena, “not a road, but an idea that formed European culture, and along which, from the year 1000 onward, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Moscadello di Montalcino were born, when Brunello di Montalcino did not yet exist, and then Orvieto, Est Est Est, Bianco di Pitigliano, around the territories and monasteries that are those that in the Middle Ages made and saved European viticulture”. Professor Attilio Scienza started from history to talk about the future, at “Orvieto di Vino”. a kermesse of the Consortium led by Vincenzo Cecci, wanted to tell about the beauty and richness of the territory and of a wine that Gabriele D’Annunzio called “Italy’s sun in a bottle” (in more detail). |
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Despite the myriad difficulties the world is facing, in a post-pandemic restart held back by inflation, shortages of raw materials and logistics, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, the forecasts for European wine, on the whole, seem definitely positive in terms of exports (in 2021/2022 campaign expected 34 million hectoliters, +6% annually) and domestic consumption (+5%), and production is also looking good. This is the picture that emerges from the EU Agriculture Commission’s “Short-Term Outlook Report for Eu Agricultural Markets”, based on Eurostat data. |
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