PROSIT ACQUIRES 100% OF CASA VINICOLA CALDIROLA AND ITS LONG-ESTABLISHED 'LA CACCIATORA' WINE BRAND

A sixth acquisition for this wine group to further power its internationalization and development plans, strengthening positioning in a strategic segment for its market

Prosit has bought 100% of Casa Vinicola Caldirola S.p.A., one of the leading Italian enterprises specialized in private and exclusive labels, pressing on in its expansion project and taking the group's total turnover to €85 million.

Founded by Sergio Dagnino, Prosit S.p.A. is a portfolio company for Made in Italy Fund ‒ the private equity fund backed and managed by Quadrivio & Pambianco to invest in Made in Italy excellence in the fashion, design, beauty and food & wine sectors. Prosit is currently shaping creation of a hub of Italian wine enterprises active in the premium segment, fostering exports of their labels worldwide.

By purchasing Casa Vinicola Caldirola S.p.A., Prosit is making its sixth investment: an important step in development of the group that aims to lead as a major Italian player in the fine wines sector. Four other wineries are already in its portfolio: Torrevento from Puglia, Nestore Bosco from Abruzzo, Collalbrigo from Veneto and Cantina Montalcino from Tuscany. These are found alongside the capital investment in Votto Vines, an American company that imports, markets and distributes various types of wine from all over the world, and Italy in particular.

Founded in 1897 by Ferdinando Caldirola, Casa Vinicola Caldirola stands out today for the broad range of products it offers: still, sparkling, effervescent, organic ‒ labels that rank among acknowledged classes of wine (DOC, DOCG and IGT) and come from all over Italy. This company with more than 50 employees has its main premises in Missaglia, in the province of Lecco. It is here that the entire production process takes place: the facilities are highly technological and automated, structured on the concept of ever more efficient distribution and oriented to large-scale retail.

Caldirola's suppliers are regional wine cooperatives, along with a winery in Piedmont owned by the present shareholders. One brand that immediately catches the eye among those featured is 'La Cacciatora': sold in Italy as well as exported abroad, it offers labels in all the wine categories.

Casa Vinicola Caldirola closed the 2021 financial year on a turnover of €40.3 million and an EBITDA of about €2.2 million. The company also exports its products internationally: it serves the Italian market with 60% of its volume, while the remaining 40% goes to over 60 other countries. The main importers are currently Spain, France, Germany and China. Prosit and Made in Italy Fund plan to offer the company all the support needed for further development and consolidation on foreign markets, besides further boosting its various brands and the respective products.

The current shareholders, the Tosanotti family (with 75%) and the Gaggino family (with 25%), are selling 100% of their stakes, including the production premises, facilities and machinery, brands, warehouse, personnel presence, contracts and licences. The Managing Director, Olga Tosanotti, will remain within the group.

For Walter Ricciotti, Managing Partner at Made in Italy Fund and Chairman of Prosit, “This sixth acquisition stands as an important step forward in the development strategy of the fund, which is working on creation of a hub of Italian wineries in the premium niche. We want to make Prosit a leading operator in the production and sale of Italian wines worldwide. It is a goal we intend to reach not only by buying the best wine companies but also through the further growth of an enterprise capable of serving ever more selective clients with the utmost professionalism on the main foreign markets.”

“We'd like to use this transaction to bring more visibility to 'La Cacciatora' ‒ a time-honoured Italian brand and probably the first to build a range of regional wines within large-scale distribution," commented Sergio Dagnino, CEO of Prosit. He added: “Our aim is also to equip ourselves with production and logistics premises for private labels and specific projects that go to meet the various needs of the international market. This transaction will enable us to guide our premium and super-premium wineries to focus more on production of their own fine wines and therefore, thanks to the optimized logistics, enjoy greater distribution, recognition and appreciation of our labels.”

Prosit was assisted during the transaction by the advisors Stout MB & Associati (Simone Bassanini) and Finerre (Ermanno Restano). Its legal aspects were entrusted to the law office DLA (Danilo Surdi and Federico Roviglio), while Deloitte acted as auditor (Alberto Guerzoni).