RUMORS & MEDIA – THE WEEKLY ‘IL MONDO’: “FIVE CONTENDERS FOR THE ‘GAMBERO ROSSO’. PUBLISHERS AND PRIVATE EQUITIES INTERESTED IN THE BONILLI & C. GROUP (WORTH 20 MILLION EUROS)

Five contenders for the acquisition of the ‘Gambero Rosso’. There has been much talk for a while now of the ceding of the Gambero Rosso Group (WineNews was actually one of the first to break the news in recent months), though nothing has been confirmed for the company worth 20 million euros. The 5 groups who have made a bid for acquisition are private equities and publishers: Private Equità Partners (PEP), Wise Equity, RCS MediaGroup (publishers of ‘Il Mondo’), Mondadori, and Espresso.

Currently (according to the economic weekly ‘Il Mondo’) the enogastronomic group is run by Stefano Bonilli and his companion Marinella Viglione who, together with other associates hold 63.5% of the GRH-Gambero Rosso Holding, through the Food Wine Factory association, while the Fondo Interbanca Sgr has held 16% for 4 years. At the end of the operation the founding members would maintain a prominent role in the organization.

Though GRH was created as a purely editorial group it has now fabricated contents throughout the entire food & wine sector. Today, there are two separate companies that generate a total earning of 20 million euros, with already consolidated activities, as well as various start-up endeavors. The first company is the Gambero Rosso Publisher (which publishes the monthly magazine of the same name and guides), the second is the Divisione Gusto (Taste Division), to which has been conferred television activities (RaiSat Gambero Rosso Channel) and brand name products. Among the most recent initiatives, is the inauguration of the Città del Gusto (City of Taste) in Rome, and the first foreign branch of Gambero Rosso Inc. in New York.