COUNTER-TREND INVESTMENTS: THE PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP ANGELINI BUYS OUT PUIATTI, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BRANDS OF WINE IN FRIULI. THE WINERY WILL ENHANCE THE “ANGELINI ESTATES” IN TUSCANY (MONTALCINO, MONTEPULCIANO, CHIANTI CLASSICO) AND THE MARCHE

The Angelini Group, a leader in the wellness sector, has finalized the acquisition of Puiatti, one of the most famous brands on the Friulian wine scene. The winery, together with the collaboration of Giovanni Puiatti, will enhance the Angelini Estates that already own important estates in Tuscany (Montalcino, Montepulciano, Chianti Classico) and in the Marche, thus placing this young production company among the landmarks of Italian winemaking entrepreneurship. This news, that WineNews has anticipated for its readers, comes right at the eve of Vinitaly, the International wine show in Verona from 8 to 12 April. It will bring a moderate but beneficial wave of optimism, after the “annus horribilis” 2009, to Vinitaly and the Italian wine world, thus confirming that one of the best “anti-crisis” recipes may actually be investments as the stimulus for a renewed entrepreneurial drive.

The operation is part of a long-term development strategy of the Angelini Estates - the “spine” of the Pharmaceutical group active in the wine industry since 1994, when Angelini bought Val di Suga of Montalcino, Tenuta Trerose of Montepulciano and Fattoria San Leonino of Castellina in Chianti, thus carving out a primary position in the wine world of Tuscany. In 2009, the first bottles of Verdicchio from the Castelli of Jesi, produced in the family estate Collepaglia, were put on the market, marking increased interested for the pharmaceutical company to produce white wines, which this most recent acquisition definitely indicates.

“The Angelini group decided,” explains the General Manager of Angelini Estates, Vincenzo Leombruno, “to become part of the wine world operating with the same seriousness and strength as it does in its other activities. Linked to agriculture by family tradition, the head of the family, Dr. Francesco Angelini, owned thousands of acres in the Marche. The group wants to capitalize on brand awareness of his estates in Tuscany, through a development project aiming to acquire other leading activities in areas related to the wine world as a complementary portfolio. In this scenario, Puiatti wine is a gem (thanks to a line of products in the most prestigious consumer sectors such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Traminer and sparkling wines). On one hand, it will give prestige and will expand the range of the Angelini Estates, historically characterized by the great Tuscan reds. On the other hand, it will allow growth in terms of innovation and wine production.
A project that seems destined for further developments, as Leombruno explains: “In a marketplace where Angelini Estates wants to maintain a position of superior quality, the group is carefully watching other prestigious wineries in Northern Italy, with the clear objective of winemaking and production synergies.” The Angelini group, at least in health care, has made significant joint ventures with foreign partners: for example, Procter & Gamble, but from this particular point of view ”we do not foresee,” concluded the General Manager Leombruno, “International joint ventures on that model in the wine sector. The group, however, is considering partnerships with U.S. importers to make a massive attack on the U.S. market, which continues to represent the largest client in terms of exports”.



The Picture - About Puiatti

The Puiatti Family has been the leader on the Friulian wine scene since 1967 and has always been able to anticipate changes in the wine world, combining experience, tradition and innovation, maintaining its goal of respecting and appreciating the territory. This prominent winery, whose business center is located in Romans d’Isonzo (Gorizia), has 55 hectares of vineyards, which produce a rich and diverse range of wines, for a total production that exceeds 600 thousand bottles. White wines and classic method sparkling wines are the leading characters although the company also produces excellent reds, whose uniqueness and style are defined by very strict technical choices including: maceration of the peels, letting the wines rest on the lees, malolactic fermentation, the use of wood, the presence of residual sugar, alcohol content higher than 12.5 percent.