Ca' del Bosco invests in vineyards: target 2.4 million bottles

Aren't there also too many mark-ups on wine lists? 'The mark-ups in restaurants in most cases are not crazy and are justified by the costs. Sometimes they are too high and even I get angry when I see them, but it is a minority. In any case, we are probably the country with the lowest mark-ups in the world.'
"As far as we are concerned," Zanella continues, "we have adjusted our price lists by a few points. Those who took advantage of the post-Covid growth to raise prices too much are paying the price. The reference is mainly to champagne, which after the boom had a sharp drop in sales..

Ca' del Bosco, a subsidiary of the Santa Margherita Group, maintained a virtually constant turnover in 2024 (52.1 million versus 52.5 million in 2023) after years of growth (it was at 46.8 million in 2021) and a marginality down in the last year, in terms of Ebitda, from 38% to 35%.

Export is close to 20%: a figure almost double the average for Franciacorta. 'The aim is to increase it further. The problem is that in terms of global fame, there is only Champagne and Prosecco. Then there are wines that fortunately not everyone knows about. But this must be an opportunity to grow, also because in Italy if we want to remain on a certain positioning the spaces are now limited,' Zanella explains.

The direct effects of duties are not a concern since the US share is only 2.5%, but the oversupply of wine on the market could increase with the quantities not absorbed by the US, with a downward effect on prices. "That will be the case, but not for strong denominations and with production that takes consumption into account," says Zanella.

In the meantime, the Olio della Corte, an extra virgin olive oil from the Lombardi Lakes PDO, obtained from organically grown olives, harvested by hand and pressed within a very short time in a state-of-the-art mill owned by the company, was also born.

"It made its debut two months ago, 2,500 half-litre bottles, for now it's a kind of game," says Zanella. "Actually, we had already been making oil for some time thanks to the olive trees we have, all serving the vines in terraced terraces as per tradition. We gave them to be managed and pressed and they gave us the result. Then with the expansion of the vineyards we also acquired a real olive grove and we arrived at four hectares, so we decided to work more seriously and try to make a level product'.

Alongside the agricultural company is Ca' del Bosco Hospitality, which has seen revenues grow from 2.39 million in 2021 to 3.15 million last year (+4% on 2023). That 'house in the woods' purchased in 1964 is now a spectacular and technological winery that hosts between 20 and 25 thousand people a year: an immersive visit that ranges from the vineyards to the state-of-the-art facilities, including the one used to wash and dry all the bunches of grapes from the harvest, to the immersion in a journey through millions of bottles of the prized bubbles. Events that can make use of equipped kitchens are also on the rise.
The only thing missing is overnight accommodation. "For the time being it is not planned, but we are thinking about it".

A leading role - also in the ability to attract enthusiasts - has been played for many years by contemporary art, and in particular by sculpture, which has always been a passion of Zanella. And now in Erbusco one can admire works that are the fruit of years of collaboration with internationally renowned artists. Starting with Arnaldo Pomodoro's Solar Gate (designed in 1987 and finished in 1993) at the entrance to the estate.

«handandland» di Irene Coppola ha vinto la prima edizione del Premio Scultura Ca’ del Bosco

Can making wine be an art? 'It can be tangential to art, but it cannot be to the full because true art comes from the need to express oneself from the depths and not to do business,' Zanella points out.
How did the collection and the Sculpture Prize come about? "Initially, art was a way to bring an educated but at the time extremely unprepared consumer closer to quality wine. All the works in Ca' del Bosco are the result of my confrontation, and sometimes clash, with artists who were asked to interpret what they saw from us. The Sculpture Award was created to break away from my extemporaneous and non-rational dialogue with art and instead try to do so with the same professionalism with which Ca' del Bosco makes wine".

The second edition will be announced in May: an international jury invites Italian artists under 40 to visit Ca' del Bosco and transform their feelings into sculptures. The winner will see the work realised: Irene Coppola won two years ago with "handandland", a work that is now part of the artistic heritage of Ca' del Bosco.