Antinori acquires Jermann
There's an agreement between Antinori and Jermann for the acquisition by the Tuscan winery of the historic Gorizia winery. The agreement provides for the transfer of a qualified majority of the company shares to the Antinori family, which takes control of the award-winning winery in Dolegna del Collio, in the province of Gorizia. The two wineries have chosen not to provide further details on the economic entity of the agreement. The Antinori-Jermann joint-venture represents a twinning between a family brand that closed its budget in 2020 (provisional data) with 178 million euros and a company, also family-run, which approximately holds a 15 million euro revenue, with a good presence in Italy, but also abroad and, in particular, in Germany and the United States. The operation comes at a complex phase from an economic point of view for the whole world of wine, due to the implications of the Coronavirus pandemic, but does not appear to be linked to any financial imbalances.
An agreement between two historical makers of wine
Jermann owns two wineries: in addition to the modern Ruttars headquarters in Dolegna del Collio (opened in 2007) there is the historic Farra d'Isonzo (Villanova locality), just 15 km away, for over 170 hectares of vineyards (plus 20 more in arable and horticultural crops). "It's a healthy and fully autonomous business. For our part," Antinori CEO Renzo Cotarella pointed out to Gambero Rosso, "there is no intention of 'antinorising' Jermann. It would be completely out of place." The friendship between the two families is very long and has now materialised in a collaboration agreement that will leave the Friuli management unchanged: "The role of Silvio Jermann," he adds "and his active participation will be decisive. For our part, Antinori will share its organizational model."
The story of Jermann
The Jermann winery has distant Central European origins. In 1881 Anton Jermann, Silvio's great-grandfather, came from Austria (Burgenland) to Villanova di Farra d'Isonzo where he began a family history made of success and international recognition, thanks above all to the work of Silvio since the Seventies. He applied its knowledge of oenology and opened a new course for the brand. Vintage Tunina (a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Picolit, launched in 1975) is one of the creations of the Gorizia house among the most celebrated by the specialised press and wine guides. In 2016, Silvio Jermann was crowned the most representative producer of Italian white wines in the world. The election took place in Rome, under the aegis of Gambero Rosso. One of the latest awards is the Tre Bicchieri at Capo Martino 2018 in the 2021 edition of the Italian Wines Guide. Now, in 2021, a new turning point with the acquisition by the Antinori family, which increases the Italian portfolio of brands and PDOs of excellence (present in six Italian regions, third brand in northern Italy after Prunotto in Piedmont and Montenisa in Franciacorta ), and at the same time Jermann is called to guarantee the continuity and successes in the world of this important Made in Italy brand.
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