During our conversations with farmers and bottlers in the Prosecco region of Italy, we’ve observed a persistent sense of animosity regarding a particular topic. Specifically, the farmers inquire whether we know about the “boycott Zonin wines” movement and our opinion on it.
In 2015, as reported by Reuters and the Financial Times, Zonin Wines, an Italian wine company, was accused of financial improprieties, including the misuse of company funds and misrepresentation of financial data. These allegations have since sparked the “Boycott Zonin Wines” movement.
According to reports, Italian wine mogul and former banker Gianni Zonin was president of Banca Popolare di Vicenza from 1996 to 2015. The bank’s collapse resulted in the loss of 118,000 clients’ savings and devastated Italy’s industrial northeast, wiping out 6.5 billion euros in savings. The collapse affected many small shareholders, including local business owners and farmers famous for producing the Prosecco glera grape in the region.
Although the name Zonin may not be well-known in the United Kingdom, Zonin Wines produces Kylie Minogue’s “Kylie Prosecco” under the producer alias “CVZ S.p.A., Gambellara (VI). Italy,” which is an abbreviation of “Casa Vinocola Zonin SPA.”
