Bottega (Prosecco): '2025 Turnover Holds Up Despite Duties and Market Uncertainty'

Today, against the evocative backdrop of Milan's Piazza Duomo, Venetian wine entrepreneur Sandro Bottega presented his new 100% Italian Alexander whisky, crafted with Alpine water and aged in barrels previously used for Amarone, Brunello di Montalcino, and Chianti wines. A preview tasting was also offered of the 2021 "Bottega Stardust Gold" Prosecco DOC Extra Brut, priced at €250 a bottle, the flagship product of the renowned Venetian winery.

Despite tariffs and uncertainties on international markets, with a 2025 turnover of 98 million euros (3% compared to 2024) and exports exceeding 80% of production, the Bottega SpA winery and distillery confirms itself as one of the most dynamic in the wine and spirits sector. Bottega reaches the markets of 165 countries worldwide and has a particularly strong presence in: Canada, the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, and Scandinavia. The 30 "Bottega Prosecco Bars" , located mainly in the main airports in Europe and the Middle East, represent the best expression of Made in Italy, where Bottega wines and spirits are paired with finger food and typical dishes of Italian cuisine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bottega, a winery and distillery in Bibano di Godega (TV), has thus brought to fruition the "Alexander whisky project" it has been working on for years. A €1.5 million investment has enabled the opening and launch of a new distillery entirely dedicated to the world's most famous spirit. The result of this commitment is the new Alexander Whisky, which is being presented in Milan with a guided tasting at the Terrazza 21 restaurant in Piazza Duomo.

This is a single malt characterized by being produced exclusively with English and Italian malts and the addition of Alpine water. Aged in barrels that have previously held Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone, or other great red wines, it gives the spirit an Italian flavor. The collection includes three different styles: Red Wine Cask Finish, Brunello Cask Finish, and Amarone Cask Finish . The three releases range from 40 to 43 and 46 percent ABV. The initial production was limited to a total of 9,000 liters. Bottega decided to invest in whisky because it is a spirit that enjoys great popularity around the world and because, as the Japanese have excellently demonstrated, it lends itself to interpretation, capturing the typical characteristics of the production area.

The main challenge was to give whisky an Italian flavour . Bottega's long tradition and experience in grappa distillation has allowed it to apply its consolidated expertise in treating grape pomace, a particularly delicate and aromatic raw material, to malt. Specifically, the malt is fermented with Alpine water to give the distillate its flavour. Furthermore, the finished product contains neither caramel nor added sugars. It should be noted that the Treviso-based company has not converted its grappa stills, but has invested in a dedicated facility similar to those used for Scotch whisky.

A further challenge lies in defining the category of “Italian whisky” that is characterised by its own distinctive style, differentiating itself from Scotch whisky and Made in Japan whisky, as well as from Irish whiskey and American Bourbon.

At the prestigious Milanese location, Sandro Bottega, CEO of Bottega Spa, presented the project and, after a lunch featuring signature recipes by Michelin-starred chef Roberto Conti, led a tasting of three different Alexander whiskies, for which specially created pairings with various dark chocolate crus were created.

Also on offer was the "Gold Stardust," the latest release from the "Bottega Prosecco Premium Vintage Collection." This 2021 Prosecco DOC Extra Brut is the flagship of the Prosecco enhancement project that Bottega began developing over a decade ago. The goal is to produce the highest-quality sparkling wines by extending fermentation times and thus obtaining wines with a complex character and good longevity. Specifically, after the secondary fermentation, the wine is left in contact with the yeasts for at least 11 months, where the autolysis process releases important substances for the wine's body, structure, and aroma. Finally, a dosage liqueur is added, made with a portion of the wine aged in oak barrels. The production process lasts a minimum of 12 months. The selection of grapes grown in individual vineyards in the most suitable parcels among the UNESCO World Heritage hills and the refinement in new "horizontal" autoclaves, the result of the most advanced technological research applied to quality winemaking, together with the long fermentation times described above and the golden bottle completely covered with 5,000 hand-placed glass crystals, determine a retail price of €250 per bottle.