CANTINA PIGHIN: TARGETED INVESTMENTS TO ENHANCE THE OWNED ESTATES AND MAXIMUM ATTENTION TO NEW MARKETS

The estates that are part of it are an integral part of two very large DOC terroirs, which respectively cover 160 hectares in Risano and 30 hectares in Capriva of vineyards in some of the most suitable wine-growing areas in Italy. These are two independent wineries with splendid vineyards located in the Friuli Grave DOC areas and in the Collio Goriziano in what can certainly be defined as the most beautiful and sunniest hill in this excellent production area. The natural amphitheater of Spessa di Capriva with its marly Eocene soils and the soils of pebbles and silt of Risano offer in the first case consistent, mineral and very elegant white wines while in the Friuli Grave the wines boast fruity freshness and aromatic immediacy on the palate . Since 1963, the Pighin family has cultivated its vineyards with passion and dedication, with the aim of producing (sky permitting) the highest quality of the grapes in the owned vineyards which are the starting point for obtaining fine wines , strengthened by the fact that the company invests in environmental sustainability and rigorous control of the entire production chain to guarantee the product and the consumer. Investments for continuous improvement In 2001 the company joined Agenda 2000 for the integrated management of the vineyard and then obtained the Global - GAP (in 2007) and SQUNPI (in 2016) environmental sustainability certifications. The valorisation of the company's agricultural assets involves investments aimed at strengthening and developing cellar technologies, perfecting the viticultural sector and modernizing the reality as a whole. In the last three-year period 2020/2023, various resources have been allocated to improving the countryside by renewing, as usual, the vineyards with an average of 6ha per year. The current renewal has favored the native varieties Ribolla Gialla, Friulano and Malvasia Istriana, Sauvignon, as well as Pinot Grigio which today represents around 50% of our production. The irrigation systems of the entire vineyard surface of the Spessa di Capriva company have been completed, of which 50% with the drip system and 50% with sub-irrigation which, being underground, reaches the root of the plant with the related water and energy savings ; in Risano the 40ha of vineyards in the Friuli Grave area were converted from an overhead irrigation system to drip irrigation. Furthermore, the treatment capacity of the vineyards was doubled with the system for recovering excess spray and the under-row processing capacity was enhanced. Two new purification systems have also been created, one dedicated to the run-off water from the winemaking cellars and the other to the water used for washing agricultural equipment. In terms of energy produced for the cellar's needs and for carrying out the production activity, the 130 kW photovoltaic system is nearing completion, covering approximately a third of the energy needed on average per year. In the cellars of Risano and Spessa di Capriva we have completely renovated the pressing stations: the crusher-destemmers have been replaced, new presses have been introduced (Wilmess and Siprem vacuum technology) as well as unloading systems for the pressed pomace. Finally, we have also invested resources to replace the entire thermo-conditioning line of our cellars, upgrading and domotizing it . The recent harvest The 2023 vintage was characterized by heavy rainfall and adverse atmospheric events which especially affected the regions of Central and Northern Italy, unlike the dry 2022 vintage. As regards the areas of interest of the Pighin company's estates , the seasonal trend of the recent 2023 harvest was different in the two areas . In the company in the Friuli Grave area the meteorological trend was full of intense rains which hit the area during the flowering period up to the entire summer period. This meteorological trend led to a delay in the harvest (almost 15 days) which began during the second week of September with rising temperatures, windy days and cool nights. The climate, on the one hand, has allowed a significant recovery of sugar levels, on the other hand, it has caused a considerable contraction in the must yields of the pressed grapes. In conclusion, the quality is more than positive and will live up to the expectations of the most demanding customers. As regards the company's production in the Collio area of Goriz , it was an optimal harvest with an 11% higher production (compared to the 2022 harvest). No negative atmospheric phenomena occurred; the grapes were healthy and the musts at the end of fermentation suggest an excellent year. Currently the Friuli Grave DOC and Collio DOC wines are resting in lysis on their noble yeasts, with the help only of periodic battonage. Positive trend of the two-year period 2022/2023 After the difficult period marked by the pandemic, 2022 was a very positive year for the Pighin company thanks to the recovery of the HORECA (on trade) sector at a national and international level, an area that determines 90% of our sales. On the commercial front, the company recorded an increase in sales, compared to the previous year , equal to 21% in Italy and 25% of exports in the 30 countries in which we are present, with the introduction of Pighin wines also in new countries in Asia and Eastern Europe, especially Vietnam , Taiwan and Bulgaria . “As regards the current year, I am cautiously confident as I believe, based on the sales trend, that the company will be able to close the current year positively by reconfirming last year's turnover” , states Roberto Pighin , co-owner of the company