90 million euros of investment for the Cantina di Soave

90 million euros of investment, one of the most important in the sector in the national panorama of the last decade, and from a “green” point of view, and three years of work for a headquarters that covers more than 11 hectares, of which 35,000 square meters covered, and involves the expansion and total reorganization of logistics organization of the large cooperative in Verona, from the delivery of grapes to bottling, storage, logistics and offices. The new site of the Cantina di Soave has impressive numbers, and it was inaugurated on September 20, in the presence of the institutional heads of the Veneto Region, of Fedagri and practically all the wine world of Verona, for a company that, with 2,300 members for 6,500 hectares of vineyards and 141 million euros in the last consolidated turnover, is the protagonist of the denominations Soave, Valpolicella, Lessini Durello and Garda.

“This goal - said Roberto Soriolo, president of Cantina di Soave - is a further demonstration of what cooperation can achieve in terms of size and value development. And it is the result of a long term vision, of the setting aside of resources over the years thanks to strategic choices that have not slowed down development, but have accompanied it along with social promotion”.

Founded in 1898, Cantina di Soave has entered an “expansive” phase for about twenty years, in which it has merged other cooperative wineries in the area and consequently has grown in the number of members and area. The expansion of the production base has led to an inevitable inadequacy in the industrial phase of bottling. The main plant allowed the production of about 30 million bottles a year, which is 20% of the total wine produced.

“The aim of the investment - explained Bruno Trentini, CEO of the Veronese cooperative giant - is to increase bottling capacity. The two new bottling lines have a potential of 80 million bottles per year, that is more than 50% of the grapes delivered by the partners, tripling the bottling done so far. We are aiming to increase the number of bottles of wines with denomination with our brand since the main guarantee of quality of the winery is precisely that of being a company with a full chain: from the bunch to the bottle. We have also placed in the impressive work done here, the attention to the environment that we put into production and the certification also helps us to have more weight on the market, therefore in the enhancement of the territory and for the income of the winemakers”.

Insulation of the entire structure, photovoltaic panels, which guarantee renewable energy for the operation of the mechanized warehouse, and an underground purifier with a capacity of 25,000 equivalent inhabitants tell the story of the green optics with which the intervention was conducted. In addition, the town planning has diverted traffic to the village of Soave, for an investment of over 7 million euros, helping to improve the quality of life of those who live and habitually attend the area.

“Cantina di Soave is a virtuous example - underlined Gianni Mercuri, president of Fedagri and of the Alleanza delle Cooperative Agroalimentari - of how well administered cooperation can give a future to small wineries and to the territories on which they insist”.
“The strategies and investments that led to the realization of this work, together with the more than 70 million annual payment of grapes to members, give the measure of the strength of the determination of the members and the boards of directors that have followed each other to achieve these industrial levels starting from the land”, concluded the Governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia.