In 2022, MGM – Mondo del Vino became part of the Argea group, born from the acquisition of the Botter company by the private equity group Clessidra.
Today, the group includes companies and territories representing the pinnacle of Italian wine excellence, covering the entire Peninsula. These include Cuvage, known for its exclusive Piedmontese sparkling wines;Ricossa in the Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato areas, a modern interpreter of an identity-rich Barbera and other Piedmont classics; and Barone Montalto in Trapani, Sicily, which showcases great Sicilian varietals as well as being an international ambassador for the region.
In 2023, the group expanded with the addition of Cantina Zaccagnini’s winemaking assets, further enriching the portfolio with the most authentic spirit of Abruzzo’s wine scene.
The group’s foundation is built on shared values and projects that each company recognizes and applies to its own development path.
The group’s mission is to enhance the presence of Italian wine abroad, backed by a unique value system based on quality, growth, and sustainability. This system allows local excellences to enhance cultures, people, territories, and production methods, in other words, to cultivate their identities.
MGM – Mondo del Vino – Argea Group aims to act as a driving force for the aggregated range of its companies’ products, thanks to economies of scale made possible by the group’s strength and representativeness. It commits to promoting wines from prestigious denominations capable of competing in markets worldwide, embracing the values of sustainable development.
Today, the group’s international development strategy pays close attention to the most advanced markets, which appreciate the richness and specificity of Italian denominations. The UK market is currently a primary focus for the group’s management and is the third-largest market by revenue.
It has seen an annual growth of 16.50% over 2023 and, over the triennium from 2020 to 2023, has grown by more than 45% on an aggregated basis. The focus is thus on expanding the wine offerings in the already serviced channels, leveraging commercial synergies among the various group companies.
Given its current market presence, the group continues to invest in strengthening the brand awareness of its labels, riding on the strong recognition of some, such as Ricossa’s Barolo Docg, which is already available in both on-trade and off-trade channels. The goal is to promote references with great potential and appeal in the UK market, such as the sparkling wines from Cuvage, both under its own brand and the Acquesi label, considering the UK’s current high receptivity to the sparkling wine segment. For example, Cuvage’s Acquesi Asti Docg is perfectly positioned to command a significantly higher price point than its competitors in the same category.
MGM – Mondo del Vino – Argea Group works with major global players and its strategy spans both on-premise and off-trade. The on-trade allows for more sustainable margins compared to the off-trade channel, although developing individual brands takes time and targeted investments. The off-trade channel is much harder to penetrate with proprietary brands, but if successful and well-received by the market, it allows for the development of substantial volumes.
The group’s strength enables it to develop diversified strategies to reach the right interlocutors, make its labels visible in markets that can value them, and achieve price premiums commensurate with the investments made.
