San Donaci - In a phase of general economic uncertainty in the wine sector, the Apulian winery Cantine Paololeo is sending a clear signal of growth. For the year 2025, the family business is reporting a total turnover of 25.3 million euros, which corresponds to an increase of 9.8% compared to the previous year. While the Italian domestic market remained stable with an increase of 4.5% and a volume of 16.8 million euros, the export business proved to be the real growth driver. Here, sales climbed by 15 percent to 8.5 million euros. A total of around six million bottles were produced in the reporting period, which means that the winery is successfully utilizing its capacities.
Flexibility and strategic expansion
According to the sales management, the company's success is based on consistent adaptation to consumer needs. In a difficult market environment, it is crucial to act flexibly and build up a high level of customer loyalty. A central component of the growth strategy in 2025 was the acquisition of the traditional Candido winery in San Donaci. This step underlines the Leo family's efforts to consolidate its market position in the region and exploit synergies. This acquisition enabled the company to further expand its presence in the premium segment in order to appeal even more specifically to different groups of buyers.
Opening up new international sales channels
In the future, Cantine Paololeo plans to further expand its international focus. In addition to the traditional markets, new target regions such as the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and countries in Central Africa are on the agenda. The aim is to make Puglia wines accessible to a global group of buyers and to cover different price ranges. While business in the UK is already growing steadily, the US market remains an important pillar of the strategy. Despite the burden of international trade barriers and tariffs, the winery has succeeded in securing its market share in the USA. This was made possible, among other things, by conscious pricing, in which the company absorbed some of the additional costs so as not to jeopardize local competitiveness.
