Fontanafredda, one of Piedmont’s historic Barolo estates, may be up for sale next year.

Italy’s daily newspaper La Stampa reports the possible contenders as Campari or GIV – Gruppo Italiano Vini – one of Italy’s biggest wine groups.

Fontanafredda is Piedmont’s largest estate, with 110ha of vines. It was taken over by the Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank (MPS) in 1931.

According to Monte dei Paschi’s managing director Roberto Vivarelli, the decision as to whether Fontanafredda will be put on the market will be based on a review of the winery.

Fontanafredda is currently estimated to be worth €120m, with a yearly turnover of €34m and a production of 6.5m bottles per year (of which 4.5 million are Spumante wines). It exports 50% of its total production.

GIV president Emilio Pedron said, ‘Our interest in Fontanafredda at this stage is purely exploratory. It is a prestigious company of historic importance and value, but the present market trend doesn’t favour Piedmontese wines which are traditional and not flexible enough to meet market requirements.’

Written by Michele Shah

Explore More
Michele Shah
Michele Shah
Decanter Magazine & Wine Writer

Michèle Shah is a wine critic, marketing consultant and travel writer who has been based in Italy for over 30 years. As a consultant, she specialises in promoting Italian food and wine in export markets. She organises and hosts her own Italian wine tours, combining winery visits and fine dining. She has written for many wine publications including Decanter, Wine Spectator, Wine Business International, Harpers and Corriere Vinicolo.