The well-known newspaper reports on the results we achieved in 2022, the objectives for this year and the new projects undertaken.
The distribution of fine wines closes 2022 with a growing trend, in Italy and abroad, thanks to markets that have proven to be particularly performing, with the recovery of the Horeca channel and despite the spectre of the return of the Covid, the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine that has brought uncertainty to many sectors and accelerated the inflationary spiral, and the logistics crisis with the consequent increase in prices. This is shown by the turnovers of some of the most important players in the sector, from Gruppo Meregalli to Sagna, from Cuzziol GrandiVini to Edoardo Freddi International. And who, on the strength of these numbers and in line with the trends most in vogue among wine consumers, are looking to 2023 with an equally positive sentiment, increasing their portfolio with new Italian and foreign companies and aiming to win new customers in the most interesting and at the same time most challenging markets where they can concentrate their penetration strategy to conquer new shares.
With 80 million euros of managed turnover and 33 million bottles sold, Edoardo Freddi International is also consolidating its growth in 2022. A constant trend that has not stopped since 2012, the year in which the first Italian export management company in the wine industry was founded, and a more than encouraging result that confirms expectations, thanks also to several markets that have proven to be particularly performing such as Canada, Russia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Israel, Greece and Malta, to a network of 3.000 active customers around the world, including companies, importers and distributors, and the expansion of the team, which has allowed for a more capillary action at an international level and in the most remote markets thanks to the addition of five new salespeople, one of whom is entirely dedicated to business development in the most remote markets, and who will be involved, in the coming months, in an important training activity, through dedicated courses and masterclasses held by Cristina Mercuri.
“2022 was a very special year”, says founder Edoardo Freddi, “we started off very charged, but tired, after a 2021 that ended with significant growth, but with several unknowns for the future. The outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine brought uncertainty in many sectors and accelerated an inflationary spiral that had already partly begun in November 2021. In one year we had to witness the possible return of the Covid, the war, the logistical crisis and the resulting price increase. Despite all these adversities, 2022 ended on a positive note for Efi”.
And with the entry into the portfolio of Edoardo Freddi International, which now counts 43 wineries, of two new realities: Borgoluce, which boasts a long history behind it, linked to the territory with a special focus on biodiversity, in the Treviso hills between Venice and the Dolomites, in the heart of Valdobbiadene, and Cantine Ariola in the Parma hills. The objective for the coming months is to further increase the number of collaborations, with a special focus on Tuscany, one of the regions with the most denominations. Generally speaking, in addition to expanding the portfolio, the work will be aimed at representing, especially on the foreign market, a selection of wineries producing labels of relevant importance, i.e. those fine wines that have made the history of Italian oenology and represent a unique tasting experience for connoisseurs and enthusiasts, with the introduction of a “Fine Wines Specialist and Brand Activation”, who will be responsible for managing the allocation and promotion of this category of wines in the various markets.
For 2023, Edoardo Freddi International is also aiming to acquire 50 new customers: the most interesting and at the same time most challenging markets are Eastern Europe and Russia, the United States, China and Africa, while Canada, Germany, the UK, Japan, Scandinavia and all of continental Europe are the ones where the penetration strategy for gaining new shares should be concentrated.
But Edoardo Freddi is also Ceo of the FreedL Group, a group specialising in investments in assets and companies operating in the beverage sector, which holds the majority of the capital of Veraison Group Spa, formed from the union of Salvaterra, Progetti Agricoli and 4RU, important Italian production companies, and which promotes the best Italian spirits in the world through Sapiens Spirits and offers a tailor-made service to support Italian wineries in their growth in the national territory through the newly founded Pergola, specialised in organised distribution for the wine sector in the national market.
Source: Wine News