Wine and mergers: Collis Veneto Wine Group incorporates Social Winery of Monteforte D’Alpone

According to many analyses, for Italian wine companies, increasing in size is one of the key points to face a future that, from vineyard to market, will increasingly demand resources, critical mass, and more. It is in this context that a new significant operation takes place, seen that, on November 21st, “during the general assembly of the group (ordinary and extraordinary), the merger by incorporation of Cantina Sociale di Monteforte d’Alpone - Social Winery of Monteforte D’Alpone into Collis Veneto Wine Group was approved”. This operation creates a new giant, particularly in the Soave area, with 7,200 hectares of vineyards and 2,450 members.
“Cantina Sociale di Monteforte d’Alpone is one of the most established entities in the Verona wine scene with over 70 years of history. Founded in 1952, it represents one of the main production structures in eastern Verona and brings together 450 members who cultivate 1,200 hectares of vineyards, largely in the classic Soave and Valpolicella areas. Its annual production amounts to 140,000 hectoliters of bulk wine and over 4 million bottles, with a 2024/2025 turnover exceeding 17 million euros, which will bring the Collis Group consolidated revenue to over 220 million euros”, explains a note. The operation, one still reads, had already been anticipated last summer when Collis leased a branch of Cantina Sociale di Monteforte, thus taking direct control of production starting with the 2025 harvest.
“The integration of the Monteforte winery will strengthen the group, allowing it to establish itself as a leader in the production of white DOC wines based on Garganega and creating a premium production hub in the heart of Italian viticulture. Monteforte d’Alpone - still explains Collis Veneto Wine Group - is the Italian municipality with the highest percentage of agricultural land dedicated to viticulture with over 95% of its agricultural territory planted with vines, 65% of which is Soave Classico. Here, viticulture is an ancient tradition; the steep terraced vineyards make production at times considered “heroic”, representing the excellence of the grape variety, which is of great interest for the market, both in Italy and abroad”.
The integration of the Monteforte winery thus opens new horizons for the Collis Group, which already produced Soave DOC but not yet the Classico. “The economies of scale resulting from the operation will strengthen production efficiency and further enhance the group wine and viticultural excellence, continuing the qualitative path concerning the vineyard areas. At the same time, it creates conditions to develop innovative projects and targeted strategies in national and international markets, consolidating Collis as a benchmark for Veneto wine excellence”. This new addition marks the third extraordinary operation for the group in the past three years. In June 2023, the group incorporated - through a reverse merger - the founding cooperative wineries Cantine dei Colli Berici and Cantina di Colognola ai Colli and their subsidiaries, becoming one of the top ten Italian wine companies and transforming into a first-level cooperative, strengthening its direct bond with its members. Then, in December 2023, the group created Collis Heritage through a merger by incorporation between Cantine Riondo and Sartori di Verona. “What has now been approved by the assembly represents another important milestone in Collis ambitious growth path, which will not only expand vineyard hectares and overall size but also enhance top-quality products within the excellence project launched in recent years”.
Meanwhile, the consolidated 2024/2025 financial statements show a profit almost doubled compared to the previous year, amounting to 4.162 million euros, despite a challenging year for the global wine sector, while consolidated turnover remains above 200 million euros. Member growers received a total of 60 million euros for the harvest with an average price of 66 euros per quintal. The assembly also confirmed governance with the appointment of the Board of Directors, which will remain in office until the end of July 2028. Pietro Zambon was confirmed as group president, Pierluigi Guarise as ceo. “The strategic operation approved by the general assembly strengthens the roots of our territory and Veneto ability to present itself to the world with a single, authoritative voice based on quality - said Pietro Zambon, president of Collis Veneto Wine Group - the production tradition we have always shared with Cantina di Monteforte d’Alpone is a heritage that unites us and makes us stronger, in the spirit of a cooperative model that values people, skills, and territories”. “This merger represents a strategic growth step for our group”, declared Pierluigi Guarise, ceo of Collis Veneto Wine Group. “The entry of Cantina di Monteforte d’Alpone not only means an increase in size but also brings a heritage of production excellence and a new impetus to continue enhancing quality, particularly in the Soave Classico area. Monteforte and Collis combine their strengths to build an even stronger future for Veneto wine in Italy and worldwide”. Collis Veneto Wine Group thus presents itself in a new consolidated dimension: 7,200 hectares of vineyards, 2,450 members, strengthening its position among the top 10 Italian wine companies. Numerically, it is the most important cooperative winery in Veneto, now further reinforced, representing the most renowned areas of Verona, Vicenza, and Padua, with 6 wineries and 4 bottling centers, as well as 36 Cantina Veneta-branded wine shops in Italy. The Collis Group was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Monteforte d’Alpone (Verona). It holds a 51% stake in Cielo e Terra 1908 Benefit Corp, and 73.3% of Collis Heritage Spa (with 26.7% held by the Sartori family, founders of the historic Valpolicella winery).