WINENEWS EXCLUSIVE – THE ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF WINE OF PAOLO BULGARI: PRODUCTION OF A HIGH-END LABEL IN THE VAL D’ORCIA AREA, WITH THE HELP OF THE MOST “INTERNATIONAL” ITALIAN ENOLOGIST, RICCARDO COTARELLA

From jewelry to wine, the step is small. Paolo Bulgari, president of the famous jewelry company, together with his son Giovanni, is beginning a new adventure in Tuscany, at the gates of the Val d’Orcia area, where they will begin producing a high-end wine label with the help of the most famous “international” Italian enologist, Riccardo Cotarella. The Bulgari family has recently acquired a farm in San Casciano dei Bagni (Siena): it is called “Podere Nuovo”, and extends over 20 hectares. In the projects (which will require a total investment of 10-15 million euros and will have an exclusively agricultural character, according to www.winenews.it), it is set to produce high-end wines, but will not include space for agritourism projects or restaurants. Currently, the explanting of the old vineyards is already underway, and will be substituted with Sangiovese (80%), in honor of the Tuscan tradition, along with international varietals ( or the Vermentino that has been chosen for the white vineyards), In January 2007, work on the new wine cellar will begin.
The responsible technician and viticulturalist of the Bulgari company will be Riccardo Cotarella, the most famous Italian enologist in the world. “Podere Nuovo” is next to the Villa Il Palazzone, also owned by Paolo and Giovanni Bulgari, and is very near the Tenuta di Trinoro of Andrea Franchetti (in the municipality of Sarteano), one of the most prestigious Italian wineries on an international level. Always synonymous with luxury in the world of jewelry, Bulgari has stock that also includes restaurants and luxury hotels in Milan. The history of the Bulgari family began in 1879 with the arrival in Rome of the Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari, and in 1905 with the opening of the historic shop in Via dei Condotti. In 1932, upon the death of Sotirio, sons Giorgio and Costantino began to develop the jewelry. In 1970, international expansion. In1984, Giorgio’s sons, Paolo and Nicola, rose to the top of the group. The Bulgari family holds 52% of the company’s capital, subdivided into 23.8% each for Paolo and Nicola, and 4.4% for nephew Francesco Trapani, the managing director. Bulgari is an affirmed leader in the jewelry world, alongside colossals like Cartier and Tiffany.
For a few years now, Bulgari has also entered into the world of luxury hotels – in joint ventures with the Marriott chain – opening a 5 star hotel in the heart of Milan and with a second eminent opening in Bali, in Indonesia. Bulgari closed out 2005 with earnings of 918.7 million euros, a growth of 10.6% over the preceding period. In the first semester of 2006, net profits up 53%, with an increase of 44.4 million euros, sales at 447.8 million euros, with an increase of 15% over the same period in 2005.

Bulgari, The Protagonists: “an investment for pleasure, that should have returns”
“Winemaking is a very creative activity that impassions both me and my son Giovanni Bulgari”. These are the words of Paolo Bulgari, the president of the Bulgari jewelry group, who explained to ANSA his world debut in the winemaking sector with a “high-end label and under the guide of top enologist, Riccardo Cotarella”. Bulgari also noted that, “it is an investment of a personal nature that does not involve in any way the quoted stock company. A limited investment, at the moment, of 2-3 million euros maximum, and which should have returns”.
”In four-five years” – added Paolo Bulgari – “I hope that my son will drink our good wine; I may have to drink water but I want him to be able to express himself with a beautiful trade that has always impassioned him. I willingly accompany him in this new adventure but, for me, it will be a hobby for Saturday and Sunday”. The family has no uncertainties over the choice of winemaker, nor doubts over the choice of vineyard: “When I found ‘Podere Nuovo’, this beautiful 20 hectare terrain in San Casciano di Bagni in the Senese, next to the family villa, Il Palazzone, I said to myself, ‘I won’t get bored here’. And this is how the idea of an exclusively agricultural farm was created, entirely dedicated to the production of white and red wines and without any pretensions of agritourisms or restaurants”.
In the vineyards, activities are in high gear with the explanting of the old vines, of which 80% will be substituted with new plants of the Sangiovese variety, highlighting the strong attachment to Tuscan tradition. For the white grapes, the Vermentino variety was chosen, and there will also be international varietals among the rows. The family also intends to begin constructing a new wine cellar at the beginning of 2007. “A passion that will become concrete day by day”, stated Bulgari with satisfaction. He also noted that he will decide at a calmer moment in time what the label designs will be like, “because it is evident to me since this new debut that a viticulturalist must know how to wait, even for a few years, for a pleasure and an economic return”. ANSA