News - Bottega News

Distilleria Bottega has won the Guinness World Records for the biggest bottle of grappa in the world (height 186 cm; capacity 138 litres). It took 8 months to make the bottle including the feasibility studies and actual production. It employed 6 master glass-makers for a total of 200 hours of work. The diameter of the base measures 35 cm with a circumference of 110 cm. The event, called the Grantavolata, was held on Sunday 6 July and took place in the park of Sant’Artemio (the new headquarters of the Treviso provincial government). In this context, 34 chefs prepared a banquet for around 6,000 people, with a table measuring 1,534 metres long and a menu of typical Trevisan products. Appearing in Treviso on behalf of the Guinness World Records was Michael Sean Whitty, the judge sent from London, who certified both the size of the biggest bottle of grappa in the world, and of the longest tablecloth in the world (1,461 metres), made by Agotex owned by Davide Carraretto. It took about an hour to fill the bottle.

With its Maestri Grappa, Distillera Bottega won the gold medal on occasion of the 2010 ISW international spirits competition, organised by the Mundusvini Internationale Weinakademie. The prestigious event, which 600 liquors and distillates from all over the world participated in, took place in Neustadt/Weinstrasse in Rhineland (Germany). The international jury comprises a team of expert oenologists who taste and assess the competing wines and distillates.

Petalo Il Vino dell’Amore has been distributed in Texas for some time now. In particular, the product is present on the shelves of the various sales outlets of the HEB group, the most important Texan chain specialised in the gourmet channel. In May, on occasion of Mother’s Day, HEB organised a successful promotion and special exhibition of our Moscato spumante in the whole state.

Distillera Bottega has been present in the Seychelles’ domestic market through the ISPC Fourcroy distributor since 2009. The range of products sold includes Petalo, Prosecco, Rosé, Limoncino, Pesca, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Fragolino and Sambuca. The distribution is concentrated in the various tourist resorts and in the small and elegant Fourcroy department store situated on the island of Mahé. In the duty free channel, the presence of our products in the international airport sales outlet is instead guaranteed by the Heinemann group.

Distilleria Bottega, already present in the Lebanese domestic market, is also distributed in the duty free outlets in the international airport of the capital Beirut. The sales agreement with Pac Phoenicia – Aerianta Co., drawn up at the start of 2010, has led to the introduction of the following products to the shelves: Prosecco, Limoncino, Gianduia, Latte Macchiato, Petalo, Chianti, Amarone, Brunello and Alexander Prosecco grappa.

“Città di Conegliano”, the boat belonging to the Conegliano sailing club, triumphed in the Ancona-Bisceglie stage of the Round Italy sailing boat challenge. The victory of the stage, which took place on 27 and 28 June, was celebrated with Il Vino dei Poeti Prosecco during the awards ceremony held on 30 June in Bisceglie, not far from Bari.

Distilleria Bottega has built up its distribution of the Canevari Prosecco and Alexander Grappa in Argentina with particular success. The name behind this positive sales trend is our distributor Wine Supply of Buenos Aires, which has placed the products in the best hotels, restaurants and department stores of the capital.

On April 8, 2010, Distilleria Bottega presented, at their Vinitaly stand, the design of the world’s largest bottle of grappa, under the oversight of the Guinness Book of World Records. The TrevisoViva Merchant’s Association is organizing a huge table of 1.550 meters which will accommodate over 5.000 diners on June 6, 2010, in Treviso. This great festivity is highlighted by two world record attempts: the longest tablecloth (1.700 meters) and the largest bottle of grappa (120 liters). The tablecloth is being made by Agotex, while the technical group of Distilleria Bottega is working on the bottle. The special bottle will have the following dimensions: 2 mt height, 30 cm in diameter and 120 liters of capacity.

Puglia and Veneto have joined forces at Vinitaly 2010 to present an exceptional wine that celebrates the history of the Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia. The chosen name "Bacaro" evokes the frequent commercial trading between the city of Dogi and Trani. This wine is a Primitivo di Manduria produced by Tenute Al Bano Carrisi in collaboration with Distilleria Bottega. On Friday, April 9, at our stand, the famous Italian singer, with the Bottega brothers, announced this commercial project, which comes from historical research and the desire to promote the enological excellence of our country. The term "bacaro" is used in Venetian dialect to indicate taverns.

At the International Packaging Competition of Vinitaly 2010, Grappa Riserva Privata, a new product of Distilleria Bottega, was awarded the prize "Gold Label" in the category of distillates that come from grape, grape seeds, must and wine. The prestigious prize was granted unanimously by the jury, which appreciated the retro-style of the unique container, an enhancement to the tradition of the grappa. Particularly in the case of the Riserva Privata, the packaging has its strength in the square base bottle and in the newly conceived label. The case also reproduces the front of the bottle, made more appealing by a slight opaque effect. Stefano Bottega, creator of this product, wanted to develop a special grappa with a packaging of great character.

On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, bringing death and destruction to the capital Port-au-Prince and its surrounding locations. Distilleria Bottega has joined with a donation of 3.000 dollars to the project “Hand in Hand for Haiti.” This initiative, promoted by the agents of Travel Retail and coordinated by DFS Estee Lauder Travel Retail and Martin Moodie of The Moodie Report, aims to rebuild a school in an area of the capital.

Distilleria Bottega participated as a "technical sponsor" of the Paralympics, which took place in Vancouver and the surrounding Rocky Mountains from March 12 to March 21, 2010. They contributed by supplying bottles of sparkling wine, “Il Vino dei Poeti” (Prosecco and Gold) for the inauguration and representation dinners. The Italian Cultural Center was also operating in Vancouver, thus a wine bar with personalized Bottega logos was set up. In Whistler, at the Westin Resort & Spa, a Bottega banner and a bottle of “Gold” were displayed for the duration of the games.

The island of Guam, a territory administered by the U.S, is located in the Pacific East, a few hours’ flight from either the Philippines or Japan. The local airport has become an important international center with a steady in-flow of air traffic and tourists. Distilleria Bottega, already available in the domestic market for several years, thanks to a profitable cooperation with the importer PWS (Pacific Wine & Spirit), is further strengthening its presence on the island. In this regard, last March 18, 2010, Sandro Bottega conducted a tasting event organized by PWS in the prestigious halls of the Guam Hyatt Hotel.

In February 2010, inside of terminal C of the Dusseldorf airport, the Heinemann group reserved a big space for Distilleria Bottega, in which they could exhibit and promote their wines and liquors. The optimal sales performances have prompted administrators to grant a showcase exhibition free of charge for the entire month of March. During that time, the city of Westfalia has hosted the Prowein, a very important event for our business, in which we have participated with our stand.

This is momentous news: Prosecco has arrived in Paris, the unequivocal homeland of Champagne. Our French importer has in fact informed us that two restaurants of the French capital have ordered 120 cases of Prosecco “Il Vino dei Poeti.” The prestige of our sparkling wine, which for nearly a year has carried the Doc (denomination of origin), is therefore confronted with its main competitor in Paris.

In Lima, our “Petalo Il Vino dell’Amore” seems to have found a wide range of admirers, thanks to the promotional activities of New Power International. They have aimed to give visibility to the product in trendy places and in situations that have immediate impact. Among the latest events to be remembered was an afternoon fashion show in one of the most popular clubs of the Peruvian capital.

For the first time, Distilleria Bottega was partner to the 2010 edition of BIF&ST, the Bari Cinema Festival, which is sponsored by the Puglia Region. To pay tribute to the cinema world, the company and Felice Laudadio (director and creator of the Festival), set up the Alexander Prize. It consisted of a gigantic 3-litre blown-glass bottle of a selection of Prosecco grappa, with a bunch of grapes produced inside. The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 27th January 2010 at the Petruzzelli Theatre. Stefano Bottega presented director Giuliano Montaldo the Alexander Prize in recognition of his extensive knowledge of Italian wine and food culture.

On 22nd January 2010, Distilleria Bottega and its importer, Kazumian, organised a sampler-dinner in Moscow to promote its products in the Russian market. The event was held in the prestigious Cicco Club restaurant, in the most exclusive part of the city, and had the Kazumian staff and a number of Russian and Italian journalists among its guests. Sandro Bottega was the host of the evening, representing the company and offering tastings of Rosé, Prosecco, Amarone and Brunello.

For more than 200 years, Gosling’s Limited has been working as a leading producer of rum and liquors and local distributor of wines and spirits, on the Bermuda Islands. During 2009, for the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the archipelago, Gosling’s presented a limited edition of 400 special gift boxes which contained a selection of 4 different types of top quality rums, in-blown glass Alexander bottles that had been specially designed and made for the occasion.

On 13th December 2009 the 20th edition of “La Sgambeda”, a traditional cross-country skiing marathon and first stretch of the FIS Marathon Cup, was held in Livigno. Distilleria Bottega sponsored the event. The race was won with an exciting rush to the finish line by Sergej Shiriaev, while the Ukrainian Valentina Shevchencko won the women’s category. The two overall male and female winners each received a 3 litre Alexander Grappolo, and the first “Over 50” male was awarded the “Memorial Enzo Savio”.

Distilleria Bottega has extended its presence further in the Persian Gulf. In fact, Aerianta International Middle East has included the following products in the Duty Free shops in Manama Airport: Il Vino dei Poeti Gold, Amarone Il Vino degli Dei, Il Vino dei Poeti Brunello di Montalcino, Acino d'Oro Chianti Classico DOCG, and Il Vino dell'Amore Moscato Petalo.

Distilleria Bottega made its contribution to the Vancouver Winter Olympics with an Alexander blown glass bottle containing a Maple Leaf, the symbol of Canada. This special bottle for the Olympics was listed by BCLDB, the monopoly of British Columbia, and was on sale in the main outlets in Vancouver. Air Canada also appreciated the initiative and included this unusual item in its “In-flight Sale” catalogue, because it immediately recalls the national identity of Canada.

In December 2009 and January 2010, Il Vino dei Poeti Gold was part of an extensive promotions campaign in the shops in Fiumicino Airport. The initiative led to some excellent sales, aided by the special product display on a counter that acted as the “Tasting Bar”. Travellers’ attention was captured by the bottle packaging enclosed in a gold mesh bag, and by the promoters’ dedicated work in illustrating the product’s special features.

From 7 to 18 December 2009, Copenhagen hosted the “Climate Change Conference”, organised by the United Nations. The Danish capital was at the centre of a media event of global dimensions. In this context, of great visibility, the main Duty Free shop at Copenhagen’s Kastrup airport dedicated five different locations to the privileged display of our Amarone Il Vino degli Dei, in two of which a special promotional card announced “Christmas Wine of the Year”.

In October, the little blown glass hearts of the Alexander Murano line achieved excellent sales. The data transmitted from the airline company show that in the jewellery category our pendants were eighth position in value and fourth in number of items sold, out of a total of 24 different articles in the catalogue.

Air Tahiti Nui operates in lovely Tahiti, connecting the islands of French Polynesia with the rest of the world. Following the blown black pearl and the set of olive oils, Distilleria Bottega has recently included Il Vino dei Poeti Gold in the Inflight Sales catalogue of this leading airline company.

Virgin Atlantic has included Alexander Murano blown glass hearts in its Inflight Sales catalogue and 200 ml bottles of Cuore Alexander grappa. The two references were presented to the airline’s stewards and hostesses at the roadshow held in London on 1 October.

Distilleria Bottega is distributed in Cyprus by the Fortlink group, which opened a prestigious wine boutique in Limassol in April. Alexander and Bottega brand products are displayed in this sales outlet.

Finnair, the Finnish national airline, which relies on its own catering department, has recently listed our Limoncino and Latte Macchiato in the main shop in Helsinki airport.

As from November Distilleria Bottega will feature in the Duty Free of the international airport of Doha with the following products: Limoncino cl 50, Il Vino dei Poeti Gold, Il Vino degli Dei Amarone, Il Vino dei Poeti Brunello, Chianti Acino D'Oro and Chianti Fonte al Cerro.

On 27 September 2008 Stefania Sandrelli and Giovanni Soldati paid a visit to Distilleria Bottega to get to know our company better and to boost a decade-long partnership. The occasion was the 15th birthday of Acino d'Oro, the Chianti Classico DOCG wine produced by Stefania Sandrelli and Distilleria Bottega. An important occurrence for a project, stemming from a friendship, to spend happy times in the splendid surroundings of the Tuscan hills.

Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano, visited the town of Treviso on 4 November 2008 on occasion of commemorations for the 90th anniversary of the end of the Great War. On the same day, while dining at the prefect of Treviso's home, the president and his staff tasted Vino dei Poeti Prosecco Gold and Petalo Moscato. To celebrate this moment we made two special blown glass bottles for the president, one with the Italian flag to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Italian Constitution and the other with a dove, symbol of peace and admonishment, to commemorate the end of the First World War.

Our Prosecco Vino dei Poeti Gold is starting to cut a figure in London too. Our English importers "Demonic Drinks Ltd" organised a novel "pre-Halloween party", held on 26 October 2008 at the famous "Botton Club - Temple of Darkness" in London. In addition to the actresses, models and TV stars present, 20-year-old Princess Beatrice (daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew) was also there. Served for the occasion was our Prosecco Gold.

Vicenza can boast a great tradition in gold and silver craftsmanship. Hence the Palladium town hosts two important fairs devoted to luxury and jewellery in March and September. On these special occasions, some jewellers in the historic town centre rounded off their window displays with two of our striking bottles: Alexander Platinum and Prosecco Gold.

From 29 August to 7 September 2008 the Langhe region hosted the XIII Grinzane Festival, an on-the-road exhibition of literature and shows put on by the Grinzane Cavour Award. On 6 September, a grappa tasting area was set up in the hall of the splendid medieval castle in Santo Stefano Belbo (province of Asti). Our grappa enjoyed great success among the 300 guests.

TUIfly is a low cost airline that is growing rapidly throughout Europe. At present it serves 80 destinations in 17 countries. Its headquarters are at Hannover airport. It is the third largest German airline after Lufthansa and Air Berlin. Recently the airline has begun to sell Alexander Grappa on board its flights, together with the most famous international liquors.

Kosovo became an independent republic in spring, creating another small political entity in the heart of the Balkans, the last piece making up the jigsaw of the former Yugoslavia. Distilleria Bottega already sells its Alexander grappas in the country, along with its Cantina dei Poeti wines and Cellini line. Behind this extension to our product distribution area is the Albanian importer Marketing & Distribution.

Distilleria Bottega won 2 medals at the 2008 International Wine and Spirit Competition. This competition, organised by Harpers Trade Journal Ltd. of London, only rewards quality and the members of the trade consider it to be one of the top competitions world-wide on account of its serious-mindedness and its awards' resonance. The prize-winners were Amarone Il Vino degli Dei, with a silver medal and Rosè Il Vino dei Poeti with a bronze medal.

We were thrilled to receive a letter from the Queen of Denmark through GL. KONGEVEJ VIN, our Danish distributor. The queen of this Scandinavian country expressed her approval of the special bottle of Il Vino dei Poeti Prosecco that she received months ago. We are particularly proud of this "royal" appreciation of our product's content and packaging.

On 5th July, at Premio Ischia Internazionale di Giornalismo, Distilleria Bottega awarded the writer and journalist Timothy Garton Ash the traditional Alexander Prize consisting of a huge, blown-glass bottle. Timothy Garton Ash is the leader-writer of La Repubblica and The New York Review of Books. He also writes for The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

On 1st September 2008 British Airways, the prestigious airways company that flies the Union Jack and connects the United Kingdom to the rest of the world, introduced our 20 l3 Alexander Sky bottle. This is good news and boosts our sales on leading world airlines.

Distilleria Bottega has teamed up with the top airways companies in the Chinese Peoples' Republic. In May, in partnership with Air China, we organised a road show day, i.e. the display and sampling of our products, at Beijing and Shanghai airports. The event, held in the airlines building on 19 May at Beijing International Airport and on 22 May at Hongqiao International Airport, involved pilots and stewards before their departure or immediately after their arrival.

Distilleria Bottega, which has been distributed in Rumania for some time, introduced some products into the 30 outlets of ANAPAN, a well-known, prestigious chain of delicatessens, which only chooses the very best.

The new cellar of Distilleria Bottega has been operating since May. For the moment, production is limited to Prosecco but its extension to other sparkling white wines is envisaged. As from the 2009 harvest, part of the Prosecco grapes required for production will originate from our own vineyards (about 10 hectares) surrounding the wine estate. The cellar has been equipped with the following costly instrumentation: 7 50 to 300 hectolitre stainless steel autoclaves, 1 latest generation tangential filter that enables very delicate wine filtration, a bottling plant in an isobar environment which guarantees 5000 bottles per hour at the maximum and a temperature-checking system inside autoclaves.

Distilleria Bottega joined in SaporBio, the second international Organic fair strongly desired by Marco Columbro. The fair, which was held in Versilia from 11 to 15 June, culminated in a gala dinner on 14 June at Una Hotel Versilia in Lido di Camaiore. On this occasion, Sandro Bottega awarded a special blown-glass bottle to the 7 famous event-winning chefs: Paolo Rossi, Bruno Barbieri, Igles Corelli, Pietro Leeman, Maurizio Marsili, Marco De Vincentis and Claudio Monconi. The original container's interior portrays the sun: organic agriculture's leading symbol.

On 24 June, Distilleria Bottega and the Antica Posta restaurant in Milan (Corsico district) organised a dinner to sanctify grappa's espousing Italian cuisine. For the occasion, chefs from the up-and-coming Milanese restaurant reprocessed recipes to relish the palate. After dinner, Stefano Bottega led samplings of Grappa Alexander, Acquavite d'uva Uve d'Alexander and Grappa Vendemmia Tardiva.

At the beginning of the summer season, guided sampling was held at Chateau de Berne's large wine estate near Draguignan in upper Provence (southern France). In this setting, Liquoristerie de Provence, our French importer, presented Italy's marriage to Provence, proposing Provencal delicacies and Alexander and Bottega products that were met with great enthusiasm.

From 30 May to 2nd June, "Vini nel Mondo" was held in Spoleto. The original fair, together with an exhibition of wines from hundreds of cellars, provided an opportunity for the public, the wine world and the performing arts to meet. On 31 May, Sandro Bottega, when invited up to the stage for a theme conference, offered some bottles for a charity auction in which Stefania Sandrelli and Lamberto Sposini also joined. Three bottles of Chianti Acino d'Oro Riserva were sold for 350 € each while Jeroboam Prosecco and Grappa Maestri went for 700 €.

The Spirit Journal, founded in 1991 by the journalist and critic F. Paul Pacult, is one of the most prestigious American journals for the spirits' market. Last June, this journal wrote up about Sambuca Bottega, which was rated number-one: Five Stars/Highest Recommendation. It was described as one of the best, if not the very best, Sambucas ever to have been reviewed by The Spirit Journal.

Distilleria Bottega won a Silver medal at the 2008 ISW Mundusvini competition with Grappa Cellini 10 Annate. ISW Award is the top international wine competition held in Germany.

From May 5 to 8, we were in Parma, taking part in Cibus, the most important fair in the food sector. The absolute star, among the company products, was Elixir 0, the new non alcoholic bitter drink, which was greatly appreciated in combination with beer. During the event, Pippo Baudo, Gerry Scotti and Tito Stagno stopped over at our stand to taste grappa, wines and the latest novelties.

On April 18, Distilleria Bottega took part in the 25th edition of EuropaCinema, the prestigious film festival held in Viareggio and devoted this year to German cinema, assigning the Alexander award to the director Volker Schlöndorff. The ceremony, also attended by the director Margarethe Von Trotta, was held at Politeama Theatre in Viareggio.

On Sunday, May 25, we took part in the 2008 edition of "Cantine Aperte" (Open cellars day), opening our new premises at Bibano di Godega S.U. (TV) to visitors. This event was a feast dedicated to wine and grappa which afforded enthusiasts and novices to get in contact with a world rich in fascination and charm.

After the Tax Free Asia Pacific fair, held in Singapore from May 12 to 15, Sandro Bottega stopped over in Hong Kong, where he organized a presentation of the company, inviting customers, opinion leaders and the press. Finally, a prestigious school for barmen called him in to deliver a lesson on how to use our products for cocktails and long drinks.

On May 6th, the Dfass group organized a dinner event for Singapore Airlines at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore. The executive senior operative managers of several airlines were invited to the evening. The convivial atmosphere was warmed by abundant draughts of our Prosecco di Casa Bottega.

Eurofly is an airline company which has strongly increased its activities, with charter flights between Milano Malpensa and some well known tourist locations, such as Cancun, Punta Cana, Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius and Sharm el Sheikh. Eurofly has recently added our Alexander Sky 20 cl bottle to its on board sales.

On 16 February Distilleria Bottega has organized at the Hotel Villa Deodoro in Taormina an event dedicated to the grappa. In the Etnean area Sandro Bottega introduced the new Marsala grappa. After the gala dinner there has been an Alexander and Bottega mono-vine grappa sampling. Finally, time for the gala top moment, when Sandro Bottega assigned a special prize dedicated to those persons who excelled in the Sicilian oenological field. The prize consists in a precious blown glass bottle, carrying inside a three legged head, Trinacria emblem. This original Bottega Prize has been assigned to Giuseppe Castiglione, Sicilian member of the European Parliament in Brussels, to Gianni Giardina, president of Anag Sicilia, Franco Di Miceli, owner of the Cooperativa Patria di Linguaglossa wine firm, and to the journalists Fabrizio Carrera of Giornale di Sicilia and Stefano Gurrera of La Sicilia

On the Saturday before Lent the Accademia degli Acquavitai (Italian for Grappa Producers Accademy) and Distilleria Bottega took part, for the second consecutive year, to Cavalchina Gala Ball, the Venetian Carnival top event that has been held at La Fenice theatre. The event great masters of ceremonies were the members of the Compagnia della Calza, strictly dressed up with traditional costumes. The night main exhibition has been carried out by the best circus artists of the world, following one another on the stage. At the end of the different performances the best Russian equilibrist Oleg Izossimov was voted and received the Carnival 2008 Alexander Prize in the foyer of the theatre. The original carnival style award is a special huge blown glass bottle having inside the "bauta", which is the Venetian mask par excellence, that was created to hide the face and allow men and women to go around incognito in Venetian narrow streets and small squares. The original bottle includes also three litres of Prosecco grappa.

Oman, after Saudi Arabia, is the second country in the Arabic peninsula, due to its geographic extension. In Muscat, the capital city, there are big and luxury hotels that, together with the seaside resorts, make it a sophisticated travellers destination. Distilleria Bottega, being already present with Alexander brand addressed to some hotel chains, has started a cooperation with the Gulf Supply group. Since the end of 2007 this supplier distributes on an exclusive base Cellini brand all over the territory.

Manor group is a Swiss prestigious department stores chain, combining sophisticated quality and impeccable service. Distilleria Bottega, from last June, started supplying to the whole group Alexander grappas, Creams & Liquors liqueurs and the Pronol line sparkling white wine. Geneva shop was opened last 29 November. The gala evening, to which Sandro Bottega took part, was visited by the city opinion leaders who had the chance to sample our products.

During the movie a quite long shooting took the actor Denzel Washington during a conversation and next to him a 35cl bottle of Grappolo Alexander which is immediately recognized.

ISPY (International Sale People of the Year) is an event dedicated to the airways companies world and particularly to flight assistants, who are the main protagonists of the sale activity on board. In this field our company has been awarded with the Highly Commended Supplier of the Year prize. During the gala dinner that took place on 31st January 2008, Peter Williams, Alpha group managing director, gave Sandro Bottega this award.

The municipality of Godega Sant'Urbano has passed the resolution that the road giving onto Distilleria Bottega be called Vicolo Aldo Bottega. The company's new address is thus: Vicolo Aldo Bottega 2 - 31010 Bibano di Godega S.U. (TV) - Italy

Aldo Bottega, founder of Distilleria Bottega, left a very precise mark on the world of distillation, giving it new freshness and innovation. Over the years, he was able to demolish some consolidated trends that made grappa a distillate designed and produced exclusively for the local area. Already at a young age he had started to develop a strong passion for this magical microcosm, which took him back to the alchemy of fairytales. He would often accompany his father Domenico, a wine trader in the whole of the Marca Trevigiana area, who, as part of his trade also visited the small distilleries in the district. In these steam-filled environments, the young Aldo was fascinated by the transformation process. Before his eyes, the solid marc became a transparent, crystal-clear liquid. Aldo Bottega, who founded the distillery in 1977, passed away in 1983.

Like every year, we had a stand at the TFWA exhibition, the most important and prestigious fair in the Duty Free sector which took place from 22nd to 26th October at the Palais du Festival in Cannes. During the show, where we were able to meet the international clientele of this rapidly growing market, we presented Coco Bottega and the rosé Vino dei Poeti with the Breast Health Institute logo. Again on the Côte d'Azur, the Alexander and Bottega brands appeared among the main sponsors of the Heinemann Travel Value Golf Tournament which took place in Mandelieu on 21st October.

Lufthansa, the prestigious German airline, has consolidated its partnership with Distilleria Bottega for its on-board sales service. In this connection, the Autumn-Winter 2007 edition of the Lufthansa Miles and More included the Alexander Top Five grappa selection.

On occasion of the 2007 International Wine and Spirit Competition, we were awarded another three important medals: silvers for Limoncino Bottega and Alexander Brunello Grappa and a bronze for Sambuca Bottega. We remind you that this competition, organised by the Harpers Trade Journal Ltd. of London, awards quality alone and is considered by those in the sector as one of the top in the world for seriousness and importance.

Bahrein is a small archipelago in the Persian Gulf, situated in the bay formed by the Qatar peninsula. For a few years now, the small state, independent since 1971, has hosted the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Our products (Alexander, Bottega wines and Limoncino) are distributed on the duty free market by the Bahrein Duty Free group with HQ in the country's capital, Manama.

A lorry is roaming the streets of Hong Kong with the image of our Acqua Quarzia on the side. With its unmistakable design, this mineral water is not only reserved for the best hotels and department stores, it has also cut out a space for itself in home delivery services of the most sought-after Western gastronomic specialities. Our importer in Hong Kong has been Lorence & C. since 1999.

Great success, both with the public and critics, for the "Vignette di Buongusto" collection, an all-new show of comic strips from the personal collections of Vincenzo Buonassisi, the first great food & wine critic. On show for the first time at the Fiera Milano from 13th to 17th November 2007 on occasion of Simei and Enovitis, the exhibition obtained great success with the critics, and a remarkable number of visitors (51,760). Distilleria Bottega took part in the event with the rosé version of its Vino dei Poeti.

On August 28, the first "Grappa Tasting Master" was organised in the Asian State-City in the rooms of the prestigious restaurant Garibaldi. A few journalists and several Food and Beverage managers of important hotels participated in the event, which saw the involvement of Sandro Bottega as tutor. The practical and theory lesson ended with the participants receiving the grappa tasting diploma.

Avianca is the Colombian national airline and guarantees domestic flights between the most important cities in the country. This airline has also intensified its flights to various destinations in the Caribbean area, Central America and South America. Distilleria Bottega has recently defined a commercial agreement with Avianca for sales on board of Alexander Sky.

We have concluded a collaboration agreement with the Amec group. The new distributor, whose registered offices are in the Istrian city of Rijeka (Fiume), is the exclusive licensee of the brands Alexander and Cantina dei Poeti for the Slovenian, Croatian and Bosnia Herzegovina markets. The three countries coming from the division of the ex Yugoslavia, maintain a similar commercial logic, even though they are characterised by a profoundly different economic development.

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo is predestined and has an enviable curriculum and an almost infinite series of offices. Chairman of Ferrari since 1991, in 2003 he was elected chairman of Confindustria (the confederation of Italian business entrepreneurs). We were delighted to receive a letter of thanks from him for having sent some samples of our products.

On the evening of 14th July, Distilleria Bottega organised an on-deck party to celebrate the Festival of the Redentore, the best loved of Venice's festivals. The evening, which saw some of the most important international clients take part, started with an aperitif at sundown out on the water. After dark, the multi-course dinner began in the large, specially prepared cabin. At 11.30 all went on deck for the magical fireworks that coloured the Venetian night-sky in one thousand hues.

On 7th July, on the occasion of the Ischia International Journalism Prize, Distilleria Bottega awarded the now traditional Alexander Prize, consisting of a huge blown glass bottle of grappa, to the famous Israeli writer David Grossman. The award ceremony for the unusual and classy object, with a reproduction of a quill inside, was held in the conference room of the Hotel Regina Isabella in Lacco Ameno after the press presentation conference.

Distilleria Bottega supported the 4th Guido Toffoletti Memorial, dedicated to the Venetian singer who brought the blues to Italy in the 1970s. The event, organised by the Blues in Villa cultural association, was part of the "9th Blues in Villa". During the occasion, on 9th July 2007 Stefano Bottega presented Luciano "Lucky" Gherghetta and his band Mr Lucky & Sen-Sa-Shun Band, winners of the competition, with a prestigious blown glass bottle.

Distilleria Bottega participated in Sapor Bio, the first international organic food event, which took place in Viareggio from 21st to 24th June 2007. Produced specially for the event, organised by the Italian anchorman Marco Columbro, were some blown glass bottles containing a reproduction of the sun, the symbol of organic farming. On the evening of 22nd May 2007, in the halls of the prestigious Hotel Principe di Piemonte, five great chefs (Bruno Baschieri, Igles Corelli, Pietro Leemann, Raffaello Mazzolini and Paolo Rossi) prepared a strictly organic dinner and were then awarded by Distilleria Bottega with a bottle of Jeroboam Server Alexander.

With its Vino dei Poeti Prosecco Brut, Distilleria Bottega won the prestigious Bronze Award on occasion of the 2007 International Wine and Spirit Competition. This competition, organised by Harpers Trade Journal Ltd. of London, exclusively awards quality and is considered by those in the business as one of the top in the world in terms of the calibre and renown of the prizes.

Distilleria Bottega products are distributed in Vietnam by Les Celliers d'Asie, a French-style importer particularly active in Indochina. At the moment, the company products on this market are: Il Vino dei Poeti Prosecco, Limoncino, Alexander grappas, and Alexander cognac. Among the most significant initiatives in recent months was the cocktail promotion at Nikko Hotel in Hanoi which saw Alexander grappas play a leading role as a mixer. Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon) instead held a free tasting session of Il Vino dei Poeti Prosecco and oysters.

American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, is pleased to offer one of the beautifully distinctive bottles from the Alexander Grappa blown glass collection as part of its onboard duty free shopping experience. Distilleria Bottega is proud to be included in American’s inflight sales catalogue since the beginning of 2007 and is encouraged by strong sales as it continues to expand its onboard duty free business. The Alexander product selected by American Airlines is “Alexander Sky”, a special blown-glass bottle of great charm containing 200 ml of Prosecco grappa and featuring a small glass replica of an airplane within the bottle.

Distilleria Bottega's new headquarters in Bibano di Godega (Treviso) has been designed following 100% ecological criteria. The 19th-century farmhouse has been painstakingly restructured to preserve the original architectural characteristics and to fit in with the backdrop of 30 hectares of vineyards that are part of the property. The company's desire to save energy and use renewable sources resulted in the choice to invest in highly sophisticated systems, meaning it can generate almost all its own energy. Add this to Distilleria Bottega's choice to adopt the principles of recycling and organic farming, and you get a totally eco-friendly company.

Distilleria Bottega has taken part in Vitigno Italia for the second year in a row, with its own area, called Cooking & Wine, in the large and elegant Luigi Cremona lounge. A gastronomic exhibition was held in this special area involving personalities of the calibre of Heinz Beck, Enrico Derflingher, Alessandro Circiello and Ernesto Jaccarino. In addition, a competition was held between the best young chefs in Campania, Puglia and Sicily. On Tuesday 22nd May, the Sicilian Vincenzo Candiano (Locanda Don Serafino - Ragusa Ibla) won the cooking challenge to be proclaimed best up-and-coming chef in Southern Italy. As a prize from Distilleria Bottega he was awarded a giant-size blown glass bottle containing 3 litres of a special selection of Venetian grappa. This unusual award contained a spoon, a fork and a knife in it. The same day, chefs, restauranteurs and catering industry workers from the whole of Southern Italy paid homage to Gualtiero Marchesi in which Stefano Bottega gave the great master an artistic creation designed to contain grappa and celebrate the art of cooking.

Distillera Bottega took part with its grappas in the third "Gioco del Piacere" event. The initiative, organised by the regional Slow Food associations, took place on 24th May in around 80 Italian osterie and restaurants (from Sicily to Veneto). The pleasant evening of good food attracted between 30 and 50 connoisseurs to each location. At the end of the dinner they served Alexander Cru, Alexander Platinum and Vendemmia Tardiva grappas. The three distillates, each with their own particular personality, were praised by the diners.

Distilleria Bottega won a prestigious gold medal in Belgium, on occasion of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The competition, without doubt one of the most important on an international level, brings together more than 220 vine and wine experts every year from all four corners of the world (representing 45 nationalities) to judge almost 5,800 wines and liquors from all five continents in optimal conditions. Distilleria Bottega won the sought-after prize with one of the products that are the pride and joy of its range: Alexander Brunello di Montalcino Grappa.

Every year the magazine Decanter, one of the most prestigious magazines in the sector on the Anglo-Saxon market, organises an oenological competition entered by wines from all around the world. In the 2007 event, Distilleria Bottega was awarded a commendation with its Vino dei Poeti Prosecco Brut.

With its Cellini Barrique Grappa, Distilleria Bottega obtained a prestigious prize in the "Gran Tour della Qualità Alimentare" event. The prize, awarded by ONAV (National Organisation of Wine Tasters), was presented in Milan on 25th May.

For Vinitaly the Bottega distillery and SILB, the association that represents night clubs and discothèques, gave visitors to the Vinitaly fair the chance to see how much they'd had to drink in the last few hours. In fact, some alcoltests of the latest generation were available at the Bottega stand so you could see the percentage of alcohol present in your blood in real time. In order to promote the culture of moderation, the same alcoltests will be distributed as part of a promotional campaign to the company's customers in the following months. Furthermore, the Treviso company presented Elixir 0°, the very first alcohol-free bitter, that gives people who don't drink the chance to taste this delicious digestive.

The Bottega distillery won the "Packaging 2007" Special Prize, awarded by Vinitaly, for the International Packaging Competition. The jury, chaired by the director Lina Wertmûller, awarded the prestigious prize to the company from Treviso for the excellent result of the products that had been entered in the competition, which swept the field of the competition.

Grappa Vendemmia Tardiva won the Vinitaly Grappa Tasting Award 2007. The prize was awarded on the basis of the data gathered at "Grappa & C. Stratus Tasting" the tasting table where visitors tasted approximately 7,000 products at Vinitaly 2006. An index was drawn up for each product tasted by the visitors, based on two key factors: the character (the innovative capacity, the use of popular raw materials or characteristic packaging) and the sensorial evaluation of the public (competence in production).

On the 12th of March in Cervia the Partesa group organised an exhibition and tasting inviting major suppliers to participate, at the old "Salt Works".

The Bottega distillery is expanding its presence in the particular market of in-flight sales. The Alexander Sky 20 cl bottle will be on sale from the first of May on Air Transat flights, a new Canadian airline, and from the 1st of July on TAM (Transporte Aereo Mercosur) flights, a Brazilian airline operating in the south of the South-American continent.

The Bottega distillery has signed an agreement for collaboration with the Tradera group. This importer is based in Istanbul, the economic capital of Turkey, and recently made the first order for the Horeca channel. The following products were ordered: Grappa Cellini Bianca, Grappa Cellini Ora, Gianduia and Limoncino.

On Saturday 17th February, the Accademia degli Acquavitai liquor makers' academy and Distilleria Bottega took part in the Cavalchina great ball at the La Fenice theatre in Venice. At the event, the company from Treviso gave the dancing a further boost by offering some prestigious Alexander blown-glass bottles containing a selection of Prosecco grappas as prizes. The masters of ceremonies were the members of the Compagnia della Calza carnival association, all strictly dressed in traditional costumes interpreting the colourful range of personalities that populated Venice during the era of the Serenissima republic. In the role of Gastaldo (steward) of the Accademia degli Acquavitai, Sandro Bottega awarded the most sensual and elegant costume a special giant bottle with a reproduction of a Venetian mask inside.

In its 23rd issue on sale in February, the magazine Bibenda, the official organ of the Italian Sommeliers' Association (AIS), published a special feature on Prosecco. This Italian sparkling wine has also gained such international prestige that in some markets it has become a real alternative to champagne. As a result, the AIS experts held a guided tasting session of around fifty bottles from the main companies in the sector. At the event, Distilleria Bottega's Prosecco Vino dei Poeti obtained a high score (82/100), ranking our wine in the prized top category.

For several years, Distilleria Bottega has had a consolidated business relationship with the Diplomatic Supply Service, a Spanish company specialised in diplomatic supplies. The following products from our company were included in the last edition of the special Duty Free Shopping Guide: Grappa Alexander, Alexander Spray, Grappolo, Limoncino and Vino dei Poeti Gold. The catalogue in question was distributed to all the embassies, consulates and international organisations with headquarters in Brussels, Lisbon, Madrid and Paris, as well as to all the Spanish embassies around the world.

Distilleria Bottega has been present in Malaysia on both the domestic and duty free markets for several years. In the latter sector, the consolidated relationship with the Ereman group has resulted in various business initiatives. The most recent is the creation of a prestigious Alexander display in the new KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) sales outlet, equipped with a video system to broadcast our company videos. The exclusive shop is reserved solely to liquors and cigars costing over 60 US$.