Our approach

The actions taken over time and the steps that we take every day have the ambitious objectives that inspired the 17 UN principles. We feel responsible for ourselves and for future generations, and this is why each step we take has a relation with  all of these 17 points. We’ve done a lot, but we do not believe that we have done everything.

EQUALITAS Certification

In 2021, Bottega SpA obtained the Equalitas certification for the Bibano di Godega di Sant’Urbano plants, where we produce white and rosé sparkling wines; and for Valgatara and Montalcino, where we produce the red wines of the respective areas. EQUALITAS was founded with the aim of promoting the sustainability of agri-food chains and in particular of wine, through actions that are in line with the 17 United Nations Goals.

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100% energia rinnovabile
100% Renewable Energy

Certified energy from renewable sources

Our determination to save energy and use renewable sources has driven our decision to only buy electricity from certified renewable sources.
The path taken, respecting recycling and organic farming principles, makes Bottega a truly green company.

Nuovo impianto fotovoltaico

Verso l’indipendenza energetica

In December 2022, the new photovoltaic system, installed on the roof of the winery in Bibano (TV), started operation. The plant, which is manufactured in Italy, produces about 200 kwh, which represents about 40 per cent of the daily energy demand during daylight hours. An expansion of the plant by a further 300 kwh is planned for April 2023, which will lead the company to almost total energy independence during daylight hours.

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Geothermal air-conditioning

756 tonnes of CO2 saved

The first important investment has been the geothermal air-conditioning system which taps into a source of natural energy by exploiting the heat of the earth. A hole was drilled on the company grounds to a depth of 90/100 meters until an aquifer was reached where there was a constant temperature of 14°. The water was brought to the surface by means of an injection well and transferred to a heat-pump unit which transforms all the thermal energy, bringing the heating liquid to 36° in winter and keeping it at 14° in summer, so that the environment benefits from natural climate control and a pleasant sensation of well-being. The same water leaves the heating system and, via an ejection well, is returned to the earth so it is ready to be used again in this virtuous energy cycle. In conjunction with other alternative sources for electricity generation, geothermal energy leads to yearly savings of 756 tons of CO2 per annum.
Recirculation of water

7 million liters of water saved

In 2014 a new water recirculation system was introduced into our distillery. The water used during the distillation process was air cooled by special fans and conveyed via a closed-loop system. This solution cuts back dramatically on water consumption for the whole process. Estimated savings stand at 5 million liters of water for each distillation year.

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Water-purification
Water purification and industrial-waste treatment

Management of a daily organic load equal to 290 Kg of COD

Being surrounded mainly by agricultural land, Bottega SpA took steps to protect the countryside and invested in two purification systems for waste-water and industrial-waste treatment. The first of the two is a plant-based sewage-treatment facility which allows for the disposal of waste water coming from bathrooms and kitchens. Filtered through a gravel substrate, the effluent provides sustenance to trees and shrubs planted in the surrounding land. The second system is an aerobic-based biological one using activated sludge which purifies and disposes of industrial waste (primarily lees, organic residue ensuing from the sparkling-wine distillation and production process as well as water used to clean the equipment). It has an average capacity of 36 m3 per day, hitting a maximum peak of 72 m3 per day, and is able to cope with a daily organic load of 290 Kg of COD. This kind of plant creates an artificial environment which mimics the same biological mechanisms put in place by Nature and purifies water polluted by biodegradable organic substances. The difference is essentially linked to performance because transformation occurs much more rapidly and occupies much less space.

Organically cultivated vineyards

We avoid the dissipation 500 kg of synthetic chemicals

The vineyards around the company in Bibano, in addition to those in Follina and Vittorio Veneto, correspond to 14.5 hectares and are cultivated according to the criteria of organic farming. It has therefore been banned the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, herbicides, GMOs and derivatives. On Bottega soils are used only fertilizers of organic origin that providing nutrients, improve the fertility and structure of the soil, avoiding the absorption of 500 kg of synthetic chemicals every year.

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Progetto Eno-Bee

Per il reinserimento dell’ape nel vigneto

Nel maggio 2022 l’azienda ha deciso di sposare il progetto Eno-Bee che punta a reinserire l’ape nel vigneto. 300.000 api sono state quindi inserite nella natura incontaminata delle colline del Prosecco, una scelta nel segno della sostenibilità in quanto le api hanno un ruolo importantissimo nel mantenimento della biodiversità. La loro presenza è inoltre un termometro per misurare la salubrità di un territorio. Il vigneto che ospita le arnie è parte di un appezzamento di proprietà situato a Vittorio Veneto, in un’area in parte boschiva e caratterizzata da una grande bellezza paesaggistica. Qui vengono coltivate esclusivamente uve Glera, da cui ha origine il Prosecco. In questo contesto naturale sono state posizionate 6 arnie con circa 70.000 api ciascuna.

RafCycle Program

50 tonnes of waste recycled each year

In 2018 the company joined the RafCycle program set up by UPM Raflatac (a global supplier of label materials) aimed at recycling label waste. Thanks to a cutting-edge technological process, siliconized paper used as a release liner for the labels is recovered and sent to the UPM paper mill in Platting (Germany) where it is turned into new cellulose which will become paper. This program means that each year about 50 tons of waste can be recycled, contributing to boosting the company’s environmental-sustainability standards and further enhancing the image of the products.

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Polyethylene recycling

16 tonnes recovered per year

As part of our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, in 2021 Bottega began recycling the polyethylene used by glassworks to package empty bottles. This material will then be transformed into stretch film to pack pallets of finished products. The recovery will consist of approximately 16 tonnes per year (over 70 kg per day), which will be used for the more than 35,000 pallets of finished products throughout our company.

Sustainable labels

For the protection of the oceans

Bottega, a company that has always been sensitive to issues of environmental sustainability, has decided to use innovative labels for its wines made from 100% recycled plastic from the oceans. After being retrieved from the sea, the plastic is recycled so that it can then be used again. Bottega’s adhesive labels thus originate from this waste material, which can be effectively reintroduced into the production cycle to preserve our seas.

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Water-based varnish

We do not use chemical-based products for our metallized bottles, this means the solvent for the varnish is water-based, instead of being oil or alcohol-based like more traditional varnishes.

Packaging

50 percent recycled glass

Our commitment to recycling has also affected our choices in packaging for which we only use eco-materials. The dark bottles we use are made with at least 50% recycled glass. This is because glass can be recycled without any reduction in quality. Bottega uses only FSC Mix certified cartons, this level indicates that the wood or paper of the certified product comes from: FSC certified material, recycled material and/or controlled wood. The latter is a separate category, although it is not FSC certified, controlled wood cannot be harvested illegally, in violation of traditional rights and indigenous peoples. Even the design of our products makes them reusable objects.The Alexander blown-glass bottles are unique design objects and the Vapore grappa bottles can be used in the home as carafes to serve water or other beverages.

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SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT The Spirit of Peace Project

Peace is by a long way the most precious treasure mankind can have. This millennium is teaching us exactly how important peace is to the world. A message of brotherhood aimed at all of us comes from Hiroshima, the capital of peace which was so hard hit by the devastation and evil effects of war. Bottega was struck by the vital nature of this message and in 2015 (on the 70th anniversary of this terrible nuclear tragedy) it decided to come out in support of the Japanese city’s tireless endeavors to promote peace and nuclear disarmament throughout the world. After all, with everything that it has been through, Hiroshima is highly qualified to spearhead this campaign. A growing awareness of the need to promote this crusade for peace led to the creation of “Peace for Hiroshima”, a blown-glass bottle of grappa which contains a white dove on the inside, symbolizing peace. The one million yen earned from sales were donated by Sandro Bottega to the city of Hiroshima to finance initiatives dedicated to peace. One year later, a set was created called “Hiroshima for World Peace” which did not only contain the aforementioned grappa but also a bottle of Venezia Doc sparkling wine called “Peace for the World”. A further development of this project is the “Spirit of Peace” show – an exhibition of bottles and objects in blown glass especially designed to convey a message of peace. A white dove was chosen to be the symbol and logo of the exhibition because it is an ideal representation of Hiroshima’s connection to the rest of the world, given Japan’s tradition to release dozens of doves into the air on August 6 of each year. The “Spirit of Peace” project was carried out in partnership with the municipality of the city of Hiroshima and with the full support of the city mayor Kazumi Matsui. It was put on display for the first time in 2017 in three prestigious Japanese institutions: The MOCA Museum (Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art), the Hiroshima Museum of Art and Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum.

Charity balls

Hong Kong and Toronto

Each year Bottega provides various charity events with financial support and this especially applies to the Charity Balls of Hong Kong and Toronto to help respectively the children from the Po Leung Kuk Institute and the elderly of Italian extraction helped by the Villa Charity association.

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Breast Health International

International no-profit foundation

The Company is highly aware of the importance of research into breast cancer. For some years, it donated 1 euro for each bottle of the Vino dei Poeti Rosé sold on the duty-free channel to the Breast-Health International association. This international no-profit foundation works with top experts from all over the world to find a cure for breast cancer. Thanks to the Fund-for-Living, BHI is able to offer all women suffering from breast cancer the tools they need to enjoy the best possible quality of life.

Prevention is the best medicine

Partnership with Villa Salus

In order to offer its employees concrete support in the area of prevention, Bottega has initiated a collaboration with the Villa Salus Hospital in Mestre. Employees will have the possibility of free screening for the prevention of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

In addition, a doctor will be available at the company for check-ups and ECGs.

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Wish for Japan

In 2011 Bottega lent its support to the charity initiative of the employees of the Shangri-La hotel chain to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan that same year. To commemorate the occasion, a completely white bottle of sparkling wine was created which bore the logo WISH for Japan as well as a red dot in reference to the Japanese flag.

Bere Bene (Drink Properly)

Various research projects led to the launch of an education campaign in the 90s which ran under the slogan “Drinking properly is good for you”. In 2007 Bottega started to distribute alcohol tests amongst its customer in order to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking too much.

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Braille

In partnership with the Italian Union for the Blind, Bottega has produced its first brochures and labels in Braille – a trailblazing step in the wine and alcohol sector.

Millennium for Peace

Set up in conjunction with the International Center for Peace amongst People at Assisi, this project used the sale of bottles of grappa to help finance the sponsorship of African children.

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Aid for Asia

John and Melody Di Gregorio, a Western couple living in Singapore, regularly organize fund-raising initiatives. Bottega gives them a helping hand with financial support, buying up clothing stocks for distribution to the needy in the most impoverished Asian nations, such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity

Benefactors

Since 2021 Bottega has been a Benefactor of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, the operational body for the protection of food biodiversity founded by Slow Food.
Bottega has always believed in the values of Slow Food, in their projects for the protection of quality, typicality and in their sustainability project; for this reason we have decided to undertake a path to carry on the values in which we commonly believe.
The Slow Food Foundation’s projects are tools that promote a model of agriculture based on local biodiversity, respect for the land and local culture, involving thousands of small producers and guaranteeing them technical assistance, training and communication.
We are proud to be part of this reality and to be its supporters.

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Ocean Sea Foundation Award
Ocean Sea Foundation Award

L’azienda Bottega ha conseguito il premio Ocean Sea Foundation. Si tratta di un prestigioso riconoscimento internazionale per aziende, enti pubblici e privati che hanno dato un contributo innovativo a processi, sistemi, partnership, tecnologie e prodotti nell’ottica dello sviluppo sostenibile, del rispetto ambientale e della responsabilità sociale e che sono allineati al “Protocollo di Taormina” N.01/OE. voluto e firmato dalla Fondazione Ocean Sea e dalla Fondazione Luigi Einaudi. Bottega sostiene inoltre l’attività della fondazione che con una propria nave, alimentata da motore ibrido idrogenoelettrico, nel 2022 effettuerà una spedizione fino al mare Artico per campionare la presenza di microplastiche e nanoplastiche.

Restoration of the church of San Cristoforo

Bottega bore the costs of the restoration of the church of San Cristoforo which stands next to the premises in Bibano di Godega. When the work came to an end, a thanksgiving mass was held in summer 2018.