GG_N52_FR

ITALY
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STRAITALIAN MANAGING DIRECTOR GAETANO PERAGINE ADVOCATES A TRANSPARENT,
SIMPLE, AUTHENTIC AND HONEST APPROACH TO MARKETING THE COMPANY’S WINES
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“ traItalian is not a conglomerate of producers”, stresses Gaetano Peragine, at the
helm of a nevertheless tight-knit group of grape growers spread over seven Italian
wine regions. “It’s a company that works with small grape growers from northern to
southern Italy, and from east to west, making our own distinctive blends that will
set us apart in the market and carry our brand”. Tostorreddu, an innovative blend of
Carignano del Sulcis, Cannonau and Bovale which spends two years in barrels, is the
ultimate epitome of this strategy. It means stubborn, by the way.
ECONOMIES OF SCALE FOR SMALL PRODUCERS
With a choice of 75 grape varieties, 600 hectares of vineyards and 12 brands to work
with, the variations are endless but there are also numerous common threads. “The
grape growers work the land then our in-house winemakers monitor the quality and
deliver specifications about how we want the vineyards to be run, when we want the
grapes harvested and so on”. Most of the wines are made at the winery in Castellina
Marittima, where StraItalian also owns its own vineyards. “We are twenty miles from
the port of Livorno so it’s very convenient for shipping abroad”, points out Peragine.
This is no accident for a company that exports 95% of its 5.5 million bottles annually,
and it aligns perfectly with its emphasis on the value chain and cost savings. “There
SUMMER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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