Bottega: I want to be the da Vinci of wine

Sandro Bottega, founder of Prosecco producer Bottega, aspires to be the Leonardo da Vinci of the wine world in terms of innovation and invention.

Sandro Bottega aspires to be ‘the da Vinci of wine’

Speaking to the drinks business in London this week, Bottega said: “I don’t want to be like Johnnie Walker and have one bottle design that you can find all over the world.

“I want to be more like Leonardo da Vinci – constantly creating new things. Da Vinci was famous for being a painter, but he was also a prolific inventor.

“He invented the designs for the first helicopter, the parachute, an armoured car that pre-dated the tank, and an instrument for measuring the speed of wind. I’m not trying to be a champion but an artisan and do a lot of things well on a small scale.”

In addition to Prosecco, Bottega also producers grappa, red and white vermouth, limoncello, gin, Moscato and red wine from Montalcino and Valpolicella.

All of the Bottega vineyards are certified organic and, keen to control every part of the production process, Sandro hopes to use corks from his own trees one day.

As to his thoughts on the global Prosecco boom, Bottega didn’t welcome the recent move to expand the Prosecco DOC area by a further 3,000 hectates.

“There is a lot of different quality Prosecco in the market now. A lot of it is made from grapes grown on sandy soils close to the beach, which doesn’t taste the same as those made on rocky soils in the hills of Valdobbiadene.

“I’d like to see both the size of the territory and total production decrease, and prices increase in order to ensure that producers are making a quality product.

“We have a fantastic opportunity with Prosecco as it offers the freshness of Italy, the warmth of the Italian sun and the savoury taste of the Dolomites,” he told db.

Bottega Prosecco is the third largest sparkling wine brand in travel retail behind Moët & Chandon and Veuve Cliquot according to recent IWSR data.

Founded in 1977, the company is best known for its Bottega Gold, whose gold bottles are made using an elaborate production process that took five years to perfect. Single 75cl bottles sell for £25 at Selfridges.

“We want to own the party and be the brand that people think of when they celebrate special occasions,” Bottega said.

Bottega produces five million bottles of Prosecco a year, and 15 million bottles of wine and spirits across its entire portfolio.