IN BREVE
- Nico Conta concludes his tenure at the helm of Enrico Serafino 1878 after more than thirty years of experience in the wine industry.
- Under his direction, the company launched a rebranding and expanded its presence to 35 countries.
- Conta emphasizes the need for a strategic approach to tackle the crisis in the wine sector.
- During his mandate, Enrico Serafino invested in the Alta Langa classic method and launched significant new labels.
- The company is promoting a project dedicated to Meunier in Piedmont to support local producers.
Nico Conta concludes his tenure at the helm of Enrico Serafino 1878. The collaboration with Kyle J. Krause, an American entrepreneur and owner of the historic Canale winery, marked a significant phase for the group in Italy. Conta brought over thirty years of experience in the world of wine, Champagne, and the classic method to the company.
“After such a rewarding experience, a short period of rest awaits me,” emphasizes Nico Conta, “while waiting for the next project to work on. The wine world still has much to do, and I certainly don’t lack the desire to continue being a part of it.”
REBRANDING AND MARKET GROWTH
Under his presidency, the team consisting of Lino Lanfrancone, Erika Abate, and Paolo Giacosa led a rebranding that strengthened the company’s positioning. Its presence in foreign markets, now spanning 35 countries, and in the domestic market has increased in both quality and volume. Distribution has been focused on the traditional channel, with a particular emphasis on Horeca.
“In my opinion,” says Conta, “even before external causes, the crisis in the wine world belongs to the producers. Wine requires decades to be conceived, produced, and sold. If you don’t have a clear vision of the path to follow, you find yourself, as in the current case, with actions that are already outdated and wrong before they are even fully implemented. In my view, we should concern ourselves less with grams per liter of acidity and more with analyzing and interpreting, from a medium-to-long-term perspective, the signals that the outside world sends us, creating anti-cyclical policies that bring stability. We should all apply a strategic rather than just a tactical approach—more conscious and less impulsive.”
INVESTMENTS IN ALTA LANGA AND INNOVATIVE PROJECTS
The strategic approach mentioned by Conta has guided the recent evolution of Enrico Serafino. During his tenure, the company invested decisively in the Alta Langa appellation, recovering an essential part of its history linked to the classic method since 1878. Results include labels such as Alta Langa DOCG Metodo Classico Riserva Pas Dosé “Zero 140” and Alta Langa DOCG Metodo Classico Pas Dosé Blanc de Noirs “M+M 18 Perpetuelle Sbagliato.” The commitment to the regional sector also emerges from the project dedicated to Meunier in Piedmont. The initiative, already underway, will offer all producers the opportunity to access vineyards of this sparkling wine grape variety in the coming years, with beneficial effects for the supply chain.
