“We want to work with people who take a long-term view and genuinely value relationships,” that’s how Stuart Bond sums up Beyond Wines approach when it looks to sign up a new wine producer to work with.
Yes, they need to have the right quality wines at price points and scale that are going to be attractive to their core key UK customers, but crucially a potential wine producing partner also has to share its same values and reasons for being in this business in the first place if they are going to work together.
He explains: “In Corvezzo, we saw a family-owned business with strong values, clear ambition, great quality, and a willingness to invest in its partners. That combination of personal trust and shared outlook made the decision straightforward. As Giovanni Corvezzo puts it: ‘To share a dream’.”
For Giovanni Corvezzo Beyond Wines could not have come at a better time for the business: “We have known Alex and Stuart for some time and believe they can give us real value. They are fast and dynamic and always looking for the right opportunities. They are also very much aligned with what we want to do.”
Path to organics
Giovanni Corvezzo, head of Corvezzo with its commercial director, Niccolò Dalla Colletta, at this year's ProWein where it unveiled its new look and branding
Founded in 1955 by his great grandfather, Corvezzo has transformed itself from being a significant grower and supplier of Prosecco DOC into being one of Italy’s fastest growing and influential producers.
Giovanni Corvezzo took over the management of the business in 2010 just a year after Prosecco was granted DOC status. It was also when he decided to make the first move towards organic wine production, with an initial 10-hectare four-year trial.
Corvezzo can now claim to have the largest acreage of certified organic Glera grapes in Italy and is the number one producer of organic Prosecco and Pinot Grigio in Italy. It also grows grapes across 195 of its family-owned hectares. It also works with an increasing network of 60+ growers that are already certified organic or in the process of converting over.
“They share our common vision and want to be part of the number one organic producer in Italy,” says Giovanni.
“We hope we can be a guiding light for those that want to do organics in the DOC and give those that do a platform to sell their grapes. We also act as a consultant to our growers and what they are doing in their vineyards.”
National player
Corvezzo can now claim to have the largest acreage of certified organic Glera grapes in Italy and is the number one producer of organic Prosecco and Pinot Grigio in Italy
Crucially Corvezzo in recent years has extended its footprint outside Prosecco and into many of the core wine producing regions of Italy. Particularly on the back of introducing the La Traversata brand in 2021 that sources grapes across multiple regions, including Sicily, Tuscany, Puglia, Abruzzo and Le Marche.
This diversification has helped take its total production from 80,000 bottles in 2016 to over 16 million bottles now, 80% of which is organic. A capacity that has allowed it open up business in 54 markets around the world.
Corvezzo’s Niccolò Dalla Colletta says the business increasingly offers a fresh face in what can be a traditional Italian market.
“The strength of Giovanni when it comes to building exports around the world is that he is bolder, braver and wants to do things differently. Corvezzo has become the reference point for organic production of Prosecco,” he says.
Corvezzo’s ability to now source and make wines across Italy has made it such an important and strategic partner for Beyond Wines.
As Bond explains: “From a strategic perspective, Corvezzo is far more than just a Prosecco supplier. It gives us real depth in Italian sparkling and still wines, but also flexibility in how we go to market.”
Corvezzo is able to handle sparkling wine at scale which opens up new trading opportunities for Beyond Wines and its UK on and off-trade partners
He adds: “Corvezzo’s ability to operate at scale while maintaining a strong focus on quality allows Beyond Wines to offer its customers a more complete solution. That ranges from commercially competitive entry-level wines through to more premium and differentiated propositions.
Crucially, it provides customers with confidence around supply, consistency, and the ability to develop tailored solutions depending on channel and positioning. In today’s market, customers need both value and a clear point of difference. Corvezzo allows us to deliver both.”
Reasons for success
Bond believes Corvezzo stands out in the Italian wine market for three key reasons.
“The first is its ability to combine scale with authenticity. Despite its size (around 16m bottles), it retains the mindset of a family producer, which comes through both in the wines and in how it works with partners. Big enough to compete, but with real care in how it deals with its customers.” says Bond.
Which makes it potentially such a good producer partner for major retailers and operators to work with as it gives them the “flexibility they are looking for in the supply chain,” says Green.
As well as its own organically grown and sourced wines, Corvezzo also has a large supply of non-organic grapes from its growers which means it can offer solutions at all key competitive price points, from entry level to premium.
It has also embarked on an ambitious five-year plan to significantly expand its bottling capacity, with 4m litres of extra storage, an additional bottling line, and a new vinification centre, with an eye on being able to develop its own low and no alcohol wines. This will see the company raise its capacity from 24m bottles today, to close to 40m by 2030.
It also wants to develop an experience hub at its winery by 2030. A purpose-built visitor, hospitality and brand centre, thoughtfully designed to integrate with the surrounding rural landscape, delivering a uplift in brand equity and consumer engagement.
“We need to continue to be one step ahead and keep on innovating,” says Giovanni.
The second is its leadership in organics.
Organic production is a key part of Corvezzo's point of difference
Bond explains: "This gives genuine credibility in a segment that continues to grow in importance, with organically certified vineyards across the peninsula enabling a broader sourcing approach beyond Veneto. It allows us to enhance entry-level wines by blending across a wider network of organic vineyards to deliver better consistency, quality, and value.”
The third is its collaborative approach.
“Corvezzo is open to developing exclusive labels, tailored blends, and longer-term brand strategies, something we believe is increasingly important in a competitive and evolving market.
That flexibility is a real advantage,” he says.
The new Corvezzo range breaks down into four main areas with its “Collection range” being the pillars of the Corvezzo winery :
- 1955 Family Collection - premium, heritage-led wines in with its own Corvezzo cut-glass bottle.
- Heritage Collection - classic Italian styles with organic credentials and broad appeal.
- La Traversata - multi-regional sourcing platform enabling flexibility across price points and styles
- Terrazzamare – stunning new launch to compete with Provence rosé and a Premium still Prosecco.
Then six separate branded options:
- Vezzo - impulse / convenience-led, accessible pricing.
- Strade Bianche - regional Italian organic varietals with strong storytelling.
- Terre di Marca - core organic Veneto expression.
- Dopolavoro – lower ABV (10.5%) frizzante aimed as a casual lifestyle brand.
- Posidone - richer Southern Italian styles, a Primitivo and Appassimento from Puglia.
- Shake Me! - modern, experimental, unfiltered - Pet Nat positioning.
Long term relations
This is not the first time that Alex Green and Stuart Bond have worked with Corvezzo having built up strong relationships during the time it was imported by their previous employers, Freixenet Copestick.
Bond picks up the story: “For me, the relationship for Beyond Wines with Corvezzo started on a personal note. After leaving Freixenet Copestick, I received a letter from Giovanni [Corvezzo] offering his support in whatever direction I chose to take next. It was a gesture that left a lasting impression, and shortly after we were on a plane to Italy to formalise the partnership.”
He adds: “As Beyond Wines has grown, we have been clear that partnerships need to be built on more than just commercial alignment.”
Future plans
Beyond Wines priorities for Corvezzo are clear: sustainable, long-term growth, rather than short-term wins.
Both Green and Bond are excited to see Corvezzo unveil a new corporate image at ProWein which brings its wines and branding together with a new Jaguar, Rolex-style racing green colour image, developed by the same Italian design house that created re-designs for Ferrero and Barilla.
A look that draws on Corvezzo’s heritage, dating back to 1955, reimagined with a modern perspective. At its heart is the Quadrifoglio - a four-leaf clover, with the left leaf forming a subtle “C” for Corvezzo – symbolising both good fortune and Giovanni’s belief that if you dream big, your hard work and ambition create your own luck.
The racing green is in keeping with what is a “fast moving wine business, producing affordable, premium, sustainable, authentic, quality” wines,” says Dalla Colletta “In Italy we see this green pantone as a premium colour, in our case it also embodies the organic and sustainable principles we live by.”
“It marks a bold statement of intent for the future of the business,” says Bond.
An intent Beyond Wines looks to capitalise on in the months to come.
The new look Corvezzo branding and all its wines in the UK will be be available to taste on Beyond Wines' stand at London Wine Fair at London Olympia May 18-20
“We will be taking these new designs to the trade in the coming months with a full launch at London Wine Fair,” he says.
“There is also a renewed focus on storytelling and bringing Corvezzo’s credentials to life through customer engagement, activations, and clearer brand positioning. There is a real opportunity to premiumise parts of the range and to introduce new products that can help drive value into the category,” stresses Bond.
Spend time with the Corvezzo and Beyond Wines teams and you can see a genuine bond between the two businesses.
As Stuart Bond explains: “What stands out most is the shared long-term mindset between the two businesses. In a market that can often be quite transactional, it is refreshing to work with a partner who is aligned on building something sustainable.”
“Corvezzo is not just another supplier within the Beyond Wines portfolio, but a key pillar of our business strategy - one that is expected to play an increasingly important role in the years ahead.”
The final word goes to Giovanni Corvezzo: “Alex and Stuart have the same vision for the market and want to provide solutions to their customers. They are both entrepreneurs and share our dreams.”
- You can find out more about Corvezzo and its wines here.
- You can find out more about Beyond Wines at its wines here.
- You will be able to taste the Corvezzo range on the Beyond Wines stand at London Wine Fair (May 18-20) plus the rest of the agency’s producer partners’ wines.
- Beyond Wines is a commercial partner of The Buyer.
