Terre d’Oltrepò, here is the Commissioner: who is Luigi Zingone

The Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy has ordered the commissarial management of the Pavia cooperative. The decision comes after months of internal tensions, resignations, and severe financial difficulties. The commissioner will lead the winery for six months, with full powers. A move that marks a new chapter in the crisis of the largest wine-producing entity in Oltrepò Pavese.

The Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy has decreed the commissarial management of the Terre d’Oltrepò cooperative, which brings together the wineries of Casteggio, San Saluto, and the Viticoltori del Broni. The measure was signed on August 19 by Director General Giulio Mario Donato, following the results of the extraordinary supervisory activity initiated in recent months.

The appointed government commissioner is Dr. Luigi Zingone, with professional domicile in Novedrate, in the province of Como. The appointment has a duration of six months, extendable, with full powers replacing the Board of Directors and the Board of Auditors, which had already resigned. The crisis at Terre d’Oltrepò has thus reached a turning point, at least from an institutional standpoint.

A dramatic production decline, nearly empty coffers, union and political tensions have made state intervention urgent. The appointment of Commissioner Zingone represents a turning point and concrete hope. Now it will be up to him to prevent bankruptcy, save the 2025 harvest and restore confidence among members, employees, and the wine-growing territory of Oltrepò Pavese.

According to what emerged from the Ministry’s inspection report, Terre d’Oltrepò is in a situation of severe crisis. Irregularities in the procedures for withdrawal and exclusion of members were found, severe illiquidity that prevented payment to contributors for the 2024 harvest, and high exposure to banking institutions.

The inspectors also highlighted the impact of legal proceedings on the cooperative, the lack of adequate organizational structures, and a significant decline in membership. Factors that, together with internal disputes and repeated resignations of board members, have made business continuity unsustainable.

The economic crisis was compounded by that of the corporate bodies. Last July, 107 members voted a motion of no confidence, leading to the resignations of the Board of Directors and the Board of Auditors. A new Board was elected, but the appointed directors renounced their positions a few days later, declaring they lacked adequate skills to manage the negotiated composition of the crisis. The management void prompted the Board of Auditors to request the Ministry’s intervention, emphasizing the urgency of leadership in view of the imminent harvest.

Dr. Zingone will have the task of administering the cooperative, managing tax and social security obligations, representing Terre d’Oltrepò in court, and evaluating, together with the already appointed expert, the possible recovery options. If at the end of the assignment a return to solvency is deemed possible, the commissioner will convene the members’ assembly to elect a new Board of Directors.

The commissarial management represents a crucial step for the future of Terre d’Oltrepò and, by extension, for the entire Pavia wine-growing territory. The cooperative is the main production hub in the area. The ministerial decision now opens a transitional phase that could redefine the sector’s balance, already marked by years of internal conflicts and governance difficulties.