Zonin invests in new “Prosecco tech”, says VP of Italian fizz producer

Francesco Zonin, vice president of sparkling giant Zonin, reveals the company has forked out for specialist tech to keep the must for its Prosecco at zero C˚ all year round.

In its 200-year history, Zonin has evolved to become one of the biggest and most dynamic wine companies in Italy. There may be others that produce more, but few if any can match Zonin for its range of wines or its global reach with exports accounting for over 80% of turnover and sold in 140 markets around the world.

“What we have done in the last fifty years is set up a unique business model,” explains Francesco Zonin who helps run the company as vice president alongside his brothers Michele and Domenico, the president. “A third of our business is bubbles, a third is what we call ‘everyday wine’ and a third is for the on-premise, represented by the eight family estates we have.”

Zonin has been a driving force in Prosecco where the firm’s sales “have basically doubled in the past 8-10 years,” he says.

“Today, we have the largest privately-owned vineyard of Prosecco with about 200 hectares. Although it’s considered an easy-drinking wine there’s a lot of knowledge and investment behind it. We’ve invested in what we call ‘Prosecco Tech’ to keep the must at zero C˚ all year to preserve the fruit and freshness in the wine.”

The company is a major player in that other Venetian power brand – Pinot Grigio, “but here volume is not the primary target. It’s more about creating value for Zonin and the market,” says Francesco. Yet the Zonin brand stretches way beyond the North-East to Lombardy, Tuscany, Puglia and as far as Sicily. For Francesco: “It’s a sort of umbrella representing some of the most interesting appellations in Italy.”

While the family estates are run separately, insights are widely shared. “All that know-how comes back to the headquarters here in Gambellara in the Veneto,” says Francesco. “So, under the Zonin brand we can supply the market with the best we can at different price points, always being very true to where the wine is produced.”

Caring for the environment is fundamental to Zonin. “We are one of, if not the largest landowner in Italy, and for us sustainability is mandatory,” says Francesco. “The better we treat the land, the longer the vineyards will produce and the better will be the quality. And being a family company, sustainability is also a social factor. Some of our employees are third generation and we feel that’s a huge plus for us.”

Bedecked with solar panels, Zonin’s HQ and winery at Gambellara is now 60-70% self- sufficient in energy. “We have drastically cut our consumption of water and in the last 15 years we have reduced the use of chemicals by 90%” he says. “We’ve also invested a lot in experimenting with new vines and clones that can give us the same quality with less water and fewer chemicals.”

This striving to produce wine in a more sustainable way is not just benefiting Zonin and its 1500 hectares of vineyards. The company has been busy sharing best practice and the fruits of its research with all its suppliers whose grapes go into the Zonin brand and the wines it produces under private labels all over the world.