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Issue 589 - August 8th - 12th 2022 - Expressly created for 4.376 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world |
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Tenuta San Guido, the birthplace of Sassicaia, is the absolute leader in profitability, with an Ebitda-to-turnover ratio of 62.6%, ahead of Marchesi Antinori (which is also the first family-run business in terms of turnover, with 259 million euros), with 45.6%, and the Sicilian winery Planeta, which climbs the rankings and comes third, with a ratio of 37.95%: these are the champions of Italian wine profitability, according to the analysis on Italian wine by business journalist Anna di Martino. In the “top 10” other top brands of Italian wine such as Frescobaldi, Santa Margherita, Castellani, Argiolas, Donnafugata, Famiglia Cotarella and Cusumano. |
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The first bunches were harvested in Sicily, then Franciacorta, as a territory, started, but gradually the harvesting of earlier varieties, in this complicated harvest anticipated by the general drought, has begun a bit throughout Italy. The bulk, still, has yet to come, with a harvest that, in Italy, among different varieties and territories, as always will finally end between September and October, barring any resounding surprises. But, in the meantime, among companies, consortia and trade organizations (in more detail), the first estimates and reflections are arriving on what, it is worth remembering, is undoubtedly the most media-driven of agricultural operations, thanks to the allure and value of wine. At the national level, estimates from agricultural organizations, from Coldiretti to Confagricoltura, to date agree on an average drop in grape quantity of between -10% and -20%. With the drought worrying producers and winemakers, but without triggering panic, with the understanding that, as always, real estimates can only be pulled once the grapes are in the cellar. In Franciacorta, where the harvest has been underway for the past ten days or so, one of the area’s reference wineries and history, such as Guido Berlucchi, speaks of grapes that are perfect for health, even if water stress makes the yield on the must uncertain, although the late July rains suggest a harvest of reduced quantities, but of excellent quality. As, for that matter, Luigi Bersini, winemaker at Castello Bonomi of the Paladin Group, confirms. And, speaking of bubbles of excellence, to cut the first bunches, in these hours, is also Ferrari, symbolic winery of the Trentodoc of the Lunelli family, in advance of 2021 by two weeks, and here too, if the quantity will be to be verified, the quality, also thanks to farsighted choices in the vineyard, is expected to be excellent. Among the territories that first cut the clusters is Sicily, where the great heat is nothing new. And if on Etna the harvest will be slightly early, but still a long way off, all the producers, from Settesoli to Principi di Spadafora, from Alessandro di Camporeale to Duca di Salaparuta, from Donnafugata to Rapitalà, passing through Assovini and Consorzio Doc Sicilia, agree that quality will be down, but with very high quality grapes. |
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If Cembra Cantina di Montagna, with vineyards up to 900 meters above sea level, is talking about an early harvest but still in the second half of August, and rich and structured wines are expected, among the rows of Tenuta San Leonardo the start is expected in September, with abundant harvests of great quality. And there is still waiting in Alto Adige, too, as wineries such as Terlano, Andriano and Kaltern explain: here, for now, the drought has not created any particular problems, thanks in part to relief irrigation, and if the quantities are expected to drop slightly, the quality of the grapes bodes well, although everything will depend, as always, on the final stages of ripening. |
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An island in the Tuscan Archipelago that “looks” toward Bolgheri, Capraia, in the province of Livorno, as well as Bolgheri, is famous for its sea and rugged landscape, and for having been for more than a century, between 1873 and 1986, an Agricultural Penal Colony, a project for the rehabilitation and reintegration into society of prisoners through agricultural work. An island where viticulture has long been present, with varieties typical and widespread in the Archipelago such as Aleatico and Vermentino, for example, in which small wineries have invested, and where now one of the most important names in Italian wine is about to arrive. Not for business, but for a project of “territorial patronage”, landscape and social. That is, Antinori, who, in Capraia, looks on from the Bolgheri vineyards of his Guado al Tasso estate, and who, in agreement with the municipality of Capraia, from what WineNews learns, will manage terraced land intended for civic use (i.e., for the benefit of the local community), which will be restored with the utmost care for the environmental aspect, and on which will be planted vines from which will be born a wine that will be nothing luxurious or exclusive, but a small gift, a contribution to the care of the Island of Capraia that the historic Tuscan wine family wanted to make to the territory. |
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Being wine myths means being the focus of the market, collectors and enthusiasts. But, sometimes, also of wrongdoers, as happened to Tenuta San Guido, the cradle of Sassicaia, victim of an attempted extortion foiled by the Carabinieri of the Livorno Investigative Unit. Who, after the company’s complaint, investigated a 47-year-old man, a resident of the province of Trieste, who covered his identity with digital tools, the payment of 150,000 euros, on pain of damaging facilities and vineyards. |
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In the years marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, and therefore by lockdowns, closures of bars and restaurants, the wine economy has survived on two pillars: mass retail trade and e-commerce. Returning to normal, as it was easy to imagine, the consumption curve outside the home has begun to rise again, rapidly, inevitably taking over shares in mass retail distribution and online sales. Which, with its major players - from Tannico to Vino.com, from Bernabei to Callmewine, from Xtrawine to Etilika - had closed 2021 up 40%. Illustrating the slowdown in online wine sales are data, on the first six months of 2022, from Callmewine, which, after touching 20 million euros in sales in 2021, closed with revenues at 7.7 million euros (-7.2% on the first half of 2021). Encouraging, however, were the figures for the second quarter, which closed with +5.4% over the same period in 2021. |
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The global economy is expected to experience a hot autumn, but the first signs of trouble are coming from the world of fine wines, with the Liv-ex 100 losing 0.3% in July. Since the beginning of the year, however, the Liv-ex 100 is up 4.8 %. The positive figure comes from two labels from Italy: Barolo Monvigliero 2016 Comm. G. B. Burlotto and Gaja’s Barbaresco 2018, whose prices have risen by 8% and 6.8%, respectively. Broadening the analysis instead to the Liv-ex 1000, the July result is still positive (+0.4%), with the Italy 100 doing +0.3%. |
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