Compagnia del Gusto Buys Winelivery to Build a Digital Drinks Platform

Compagnia del Gusto Holding said Tuesday it has acquired Winelivery, an Italian wine and beverage platform, in the latest move in a rapid expansion strategy that has recently included deals in wine production and distribution.

The buyer, an investment and brand development company focused on food and beverage and backed by the Cosulich family, said the acquisition adds a digital business with direct consumer reach, data capabilities, and technology expertise to its growing portfolio. The company is led by Chief Executive Ettore Nicoletto and Chairman Sergio Albarelli.

The deal follows two other recent acquisitions announced by the group: Cantine Romagnoli, a historic winery in the Colli Piacentini area founded in 1857, and Jascots Wine Merchants, a distribution company in the United Kingdom. Cantine Romagnoli has 45 hectares of vineyards and is known for traditional method sparkling wine production.

Compagnia del Gusto said Winelivery will be placed inside its wine unit, Compagnia delle Vigne, but the role of the business is expected to extend beyond that division over time. The company described the purchase not simply as a way to add sales volume, but as a step meant to bring in infrastructure, digital know-how, and innovation tools that could later be used across the wider group. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Winelivery was founded in 2017 by Francesco Magro, Giovanni Roberto, and Andrea Antinori. It built what the company describes as a “phygital” model, combining a proprietary digital platform with a physical presence in the market. Its business includes delivery of wine, beer, spirits, and other beverages, as well as a network of bars and wine shops. It also operates Wedia, a unit focused on digital marketing, data, artificial intelligence, and communication services for the food and beverage sector.

According to the companies, the platform has recorded about 1.7 million downloads and served more than 400,000 customers. Compagnia del Gusto said those figures are part of the appeal of the transaction, along with the technology stack and consumer data that Winelivery has developed over the years.

In a statement, Albarelli said the acquisition differs from the group’s earlier deals because it brings in skills and systems, not only a standalone business. He said the company sees Winelivery as a way to build a broader industrial platform that can create value by integrating complementary businesses and capabilities.

Nicoletto said the main benefit of the deal is its potential use across different parts of the group. He said the platform should help strengthen the relationship with end consumers, improve the use of data, and bring digital and technological skills into areas beyond wine.

The company said one of the main strategic goals is to turn Winelivery from an independent platform into a shared asset for the whole group. That could make it a direct point of contact with urban consumers and a channel for understanding demand more quickly. It could also be used to test products and consumption occasions, support customer relationship management and media activity, and speed up the adoption of digital tools and artificial intelligence within the business.

That wider role is important for Compagnia del Gusto because the holding company is building a portfolio that includes different categories within food and beverage, not only wine. By placing Winelivery initially within Compagnia delle Vigne, the group gives the business an immediate operational home while leaving open the possibility that its digital services and consumer data can support other product lines later.

For Winelivery, the transaction places the company inside a larger industrial structure at a time when consolidation and technology are becoming more important in beverage retail and distribution. In a statement, founder Francesco Magro said the company began as a small idea 10 years ago and has since grown through the work of its founders, team, investors, and customers. He said joining Compagnia del Gusto gives Winelivery the right industrial setting to expand the impact of what it has built and to continue developing with the same entrepreneurial approach.

Compagnia del Gusto has presented the acquisition as part of a medium- to long-term plan to create an Italian food and beverage ecosystem in which companies keep their own identity while sharing management, commercial development, technology, and specialized expertise. The addition of Winelivery suggests the group is putting increasing weight on direct consumer access and digital tools as it expands through acquisitions.