Tuscan Wine Firm Angelini Buys Amarone Producer Bertani

The growing Angelini wine company gains 500 acres in Valpolicella

Mitch Frank
Posted: December 14, 2011

A family-owned company of Tuscan wineries has purchased a family-owned Veneto winery, adding an impressive roster of Valpolicella and Amarone to its portfolio. Tenimenti Angelini, which owns Tuscan estates San Leonino in Chianti Classico, Val di Suga in Montalcino and Tre Rose in Montepulciano, has purchased majority control of Cantine Bertani, located in Valpolicella. The purchase price was undisclosed. Angelini executives say they plan to keep Bertani as a separate company and retain its management.

"Basically the ownership passes from one private family to another," said Gian Matteo Baldi, commercial director of Bertani. "Management will be the same in both companies, operations kept separate and [Bertani president Emilio] Pedron will be in charge of the whole project."

The name Angelini is well known in Italy because Angelini Group is one of the country's largest pharmaceutical firms. Based in Rome, it has been owned by the Angelini family since it was founded in 1919. More recently, the family decided to invest in wineries. Beginning in 1994, they acquired their three Tuscan estates and now have 766 acres of vineyards. Both San Leonino and Val di Suga have received outstanding reviews. More recently, the Angelinis have acquired wineries in Marche and Friuli.

Founded by two brothers in 1857, Bertani has been a leading Valpolicella producer for decades, and owns almost 500 acres of vines today. In 1993, the family shareholders put a professional management team in charge of the firm. Effective Dec. 1, Angelini bought 70 percent of the family's shares.