What we do

Gruppo Montenegro boasts a highly diversified product portfolio and operates successfully in both the spirits and food sectors.

Thanks to a strong consumer-oriented approach characterised by innovation and a drive to explore new horizons, the Group has been able to seize on opportunities presented by the market. Over the years, the company has expanded beyond its spirits portfolio with the addition of many food brands that have carved out an ever-larger space in their respective categories and in consumers’ hearts. All the Group’s brands have a number of elements in common: market leadership, premium price, strong brand equity, extensive distribution and obsessive attention to quality.

Spirits Division

Montenegro Spirits Division looks after the brands operating in the spirits sector.

> Discover our Spirits Division brands

Food Division

Montenegro Food Division, meanwhile, includes the Group’s food sector brands.

> Discover our Food Division brands

Production sites

Gruppo Montenegro can rely on 5 manufacturing plants and over 340 employees:

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Zola Predosa (BO)

The Zola Predosa site (spread over a total of 43,000 m²) is home to Gruppo Montenegro’s Headquarters and the “Cannamela” plant.

The historical management building, with its unmistakable design, houses the Group’s management headquarters, while production of Cannamela spices takes place in two buildings that occupy an area of 10,000 m² in total.

All production stages, from preparation and cleaning to blending and packing of the spices, are carried out on site, in keeping with the Group’s tradition which has always favoured in-house management of core processes.

In the immediate vicinity of the site, the scent and aroma of spices wafts on the breeze.

San Lazzaro (BO)

The San Lazzaro plant is spread over an area of approximately 170,000 m². It is one of the leading plants in the Italian spirits and liqueurs industry and, in its sector, one of the five best-equipped factories in Europe. The built-on area of approximately 43,000 m² , is divided into areas for:

ageing: 7000 m²
spirits production: 11000 m²
Cuore Corn Oil production: 2000 m²
warehouse: 17000 m²
services block: 4100 m²
offices: 300 m²
distillery: 900 m²

A key area of the large production facility is the characteristic ageing cellars. The buildings, which have housed casks, barrels and vats of aged product for decades now, are a familiar landmark amid the lush rolling hills just outside Bologna. The “city of brandy”, where passion, flavours and master cellarmen guard the secrets of our successful products.

In this site, besides the alcoholic productions, Cuore corn oil is processed and packaged.

Dolzago (LC)

Dolzago, in the province of Lecco, is home to the historical “Bonomelli” plant.

Bonomelli Chamomile Tea and Herbal Infusions, Infrè Decaf Tea and Polenta Valsugana are all produced here.

The plant covers a total area of 38,000 m².

Here, the painstaking business of cleaning, selecting and packing infusions (herbal teas) and chamomile tea, together with the complex process of producing and packing polenta, make this site a shining example of excellence within the area’s food industry, as well as a cutting-edge facility in terms of technology and skills.

Teramo

The Teramo plant currently processes the semi-finished spirit products for production of Amaro Montenegro, Select, Rosso Antico and the Group’s other liqueurs (Kambusa, Rabarbaro).

It also produces the soft extract of chamomile subsequently used to produce Bonomelli Soluble Chamomile Tea.

The total area is divided into approximately :

600 m² built-on area;
5000 m² green space;
400 m² of roads and car parking

The property stands on a site of approximately 10,000 m², 2,600 m² of which is built on.

Foggia

Gruppo Montenegro makes supply chain control one of its strong points, which is why many years ago it took steps to boost its production plant in Foggia: spread over a total area of approximately 20,000 m², this site is entirely dedicated to harvesting and drying chamomile, which is cultivated by our farmers in the fields nearby over an area of approximately 100 hectares (equivalent to 90 football fields !)

The main activities carried out with the aid of our agronomists are:

selection of the most suitable land for growing chamomile, in compliance with crop rotation practices
careful preparation of the fields to be sown with our precious chamomile seeds
monitoring of chamomile growth, respecting the rhythms of nature and employing the best farming practices
harvesting of the chamomile flowers with machinery designed to preserve the natural properties of the soil and safeguard the integrity of the flowers, which makes Bonomelli chamomile tea unique
drying of chamomile flowers

Our long experience in this field, coupled with our passion for what we do, ensures the magic is repeated year after year, making this site a centre of excellence in chamomile flower production.

Gruppo Montenegro around the world

Thanks to its successful international expansion programme, Gruppo Montenegro is today present with its products in over 70 countries around the world.

In the past few years it has adopted an innovative, structured approach on international markets, making significant investments to ensure the long-term development of its brands.

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The opportunities are plentiful. The strong growth of Amaro Montenegro in the English-speaking world, thanks to the key role played by this category in mixology, is just one example of innovation linked to occasions/ways of consumption. The credibility derived from its status as Italy’s number one Amaro and the extremely versatile and well-balanced product are the main reasons why top barmen around the world have fallen in love with Montenegro, making it an essential ingredient in modern versions of classic cocktails like Negroni, Manhattan and Mule.

The general growth in so-called “brown spirits” (Cognac and Whisky) allows Vecchia Romagna to play its ace as the leading Italian spirit, leveraging intrinsic product characteristics (high quality, tradition, Italian know-how).

Italianness is a business driver of food brands too: Cannamela Spices, thanks to the innovative nature of the brand, and Polenta Valsugana, both market leaders in Italy, enjoy a positive image of quality culinary products.

Associations

Gruppo Montenegro is part of the following associations:

Federvini Centromarca UPA Unione Italiana Food Italia del Gusto SISS Fondazione Libellula

The Italian Federation of Industrial Producers, Exporters and Importers of Wines, Sparkling Wines, Aperitifs,Spirits,Syrups, Vinegar (FEDERVINI) was founded in 1917 and its members are entrepreneurs in different sectors of alcoholic beverages,excluding beer, and as in the vinegar, syrup and grape juice.

Federvini is a founding member of Federalimentare, the Federation of national associations of the food sector, and as such is part of Confindustria, the Confederation of Italian Industry.

Purposes of the Federation are to protect the interests of the class and assistance in all institutional, national, European and international standards.

www.federvini.it

To Centromarca, the Italian Association of Brand Industry, adhere around 200 companies amongst the most important active in the various FMCG sectors (food, grocery, textiles, electronics, DIY, toy, home entertainment). Centromarca is part of Confindustria and AIM (Association des Industries de Marque), the Brussels-based association which brings together the Brand Industry organizations in Europe.

www.centromarca.it

UPA, Utenti Pubblicità Associati, is the association that represents and advocates the interests of industrial, commercial and service companies investing advertising budgets on italian market.

Established in 1948, UPA’s activity is promoted and driven by the companies, that act proactively to tackle and solve common problems related to advertising and commercial communication.

UPA represents members’ interests in a unique, indipendent and strong way in political, legislative and regulatory bodies, as well as in industry committees, towards consumers’ organisations and other stakeholder concerned by commercial communication.

All the activities, positions and behaviours of the Association aim at transparency and responsibility, with constant focus on continuous innovation of the market. UPA promotes italian advertising self regulatory organisation, IAP (Istituto dell’Autodisciplina Pubblicitaria), in order to champion and develop responsible advertising as a means of information for consumers, concurrency in various markets, welfare for the entire society. internal antitrust compliance guidelines.

www.upa.it

Unione Italiana Food, with an average representation of 80% of its reference markets, is the largest association in Europe for the food sector and on a national level it is part of the Confindustria and Federalimentare system. On a European level it participates in all the major sector associations and the European Confederation of the Food Industry. It represents its member companies and sectors on a national, community and international level, in dealings with institutions, economic, trade union and social organizations.

It contributes to the development of the Italian food industry by promoting a legal, economic and market context inspired by principles of transparency and fair competitiveness, with a view to sustainable development and the affirmation of the social role of business and the food industry.

Gruppo Montenegro, as an associate of UIF, adheres to the associative values of the confederal system aimed at pursuing a policy of quality of the industrial food product, which pays attention to the evolution of consumption models, to the needs of safety and of transparent information of the consumer and promotes an environmental policy integrated with the new directions of sustainable development.

Founded in 2006, Italia del Gusto, is the first private consortium of companies operating in the Italian food and wine sector, whose members are selected for the quality of products and for the importance of the brands. Its mission is to support member companies in improving their competitive position on international markets and strengthening their image as a producer of high quality food products.

The Consortium undertakes activities in marketing, promotions and global communication, public relations, participation to international exhibitions, support in the creation of partnerships, commercial and logistical synergies among its members.

www.italiadelgusto.biz

Founded in 2002, the Italian Sensory Science Society aims to further the development and applications of Sensory Science, with a specific attention to promote research and discussion, to share knowledge and to teaching.

The quality of a food and its acceptability by consumers depend on various factors associated with the characteristics of the raw materials and conditions of production and marketing. The definition of quality standards and reliable methods for their evaluation are essential conditions for both consumer protection and good competitive relationships among producers.

www.scienzesensoriali.it/foodbeverage-company-sensory-network/

Fondazione Libellula is the Foundation through which Zeta Service has set up Network Libellula, a group of companies joining forces against violence on women and gender discrimination. The purpose of the Foundation is to act on a cultural level to counteract and prevent these situations.

More specifically, through Network Libellula, it aims to start all this from the workplace, by means of projects and activities dedicated to male and female staff, by encouraging empowerment, sharing a culture of respect, deconstructing stereotypes and through a careful study of language.

We follow the spirit of Fondazione Libellula, being convinced that our company is more than just a workplace; it is also a venue for creating culture, through values and messages which are passed on to other people even beyond the corporate setting. This is why we have chosen to talk about gender discrimination and be committed to providing a virtuous workplace, which breeds sensitivity and courage; we have chosen to do this through the competence and expertise of Fondazione Libellula.

“Being the only woman” is still a very common experience on the workplace: one out of five women say that they are often the only, or one of very few female staff members in the room; this is twice as frequent in senior positions or technical roles. Talent, performance and aptitude are the only factors that count here. This is our company. These are our people. This is why we have chosen to join the Fondazione Libellula network.

WHAT WE DO