Summary
Latentia Winery is one of the most striking Italian wine careers of the past two decades: launched in 2008 by the Angelillo family in Apulia as a wine trading business, the group today owns three wineries – in the south on the Apulian Murgia plateau, in the north-east at Prata di Pordenone in Friuli, and in Conegliano at the heart of Prosecco country. It is therefore not an estate in the classic sense but a producer group with a clear north-south structure: sparkling wine from Glera at one end, powerful reds from Primitivo and Nero di Troia at the other. The group is best known through its brands – above all the long-established Prosecco house Zardetto, together with Cà di Prata, Novantaceppi and Val Passo.
History
It begins in 2008 in Apulia, where Fedele Angelillo founds a company to take Italian wine to international markets. Unlike many pure trading houses, it does not stop at buying in finished wine: in 2011 the first production facility of its own opens in Apulia, with its registered seat in Laterza in the province of Taranto. From that point the young company controls ageing and bottling itself.
The second step leads north. In 2016 the group takes over a winery in Prata di Pordenone in Friuli, the origin of the Cà di Prata brand – tank-fermented Prosecco plus wines from Ribolla Gialla. In the same year Germany's Mack & Schühle AG, an import and distribution house founded in 1939, buys around half the shares and funds further growth. In 2017 a third site follows in Conegliano, the historic centre of Venetian sparkling wine.
The most important acquisition so far comes around 2020, when Latentia takes over the brand and winery of Zardetto. The house had been founded in 1969 by Pino Zardetto in Conegliano; his father Ernesto had worked at Italy's oldest school of oenology. Zardetto was among the first producers to export Prosecco systematically to the United States – a name with history that made the group far more visible overnight. In 2022 the company was renamed Mack & Schühle Italia, aligning it with its German parent, while Latentia Winery S.p.A. remains present as the producer and bottler.
Location & Terroir
The group works in three very different landscapes:
- The Apulian Murgia – the limestone plateau around Altamura, Laterza and Santeramo in Colle lies a few hundred metres above sea level. Stony karst soils, hot dry summers and cool nights let Primitivo, Negroamaro and Nero di Troia build fully ripe dark fruit and firm structure.
- Friuli Grave – around Prata di Pordenone the gravel and pebble soils of the pre-Alpine plain dominate. They warm up quickly and give whites such as Glera, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio freshness and clear fruit.
- The hills of Conegliano – in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone, moraine and marl soils shape steep slopes. The cooler elevation delivers the fine acidity that sets Prosecco Superiore DOCG apart from simpler qualities.
That spread is the real principle of the house: each variety is picked where it belongs, and vinified on the spot.
Style & Philosophy
Latentia Winery does not aim at collector's wines but at dependable, accessible quality on a larger scale, with the focus on exports to Europe, North America and Asia. The sparkling wines are made mainly by the Martinotti method (tank fermentation), which preserves the primary fruit of Glera: apple, pear, white blossom, a fine mousse and often a moderate alcohol of around 11 % ABV. The Apulian reds go the other way – dark berry fruit, soft tannins, noticeable ripeness, sometimes with oak ageing.
Process reliability is explicitly part of the philosophy: the facilities are certified to the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety and to IFS. Sustainability in vineyard and cellar is stated as a guiding principle, and the Prosecco range also includes an organic line.
Famous Vineyards & Wines
The group defines itself through brands rather than single vineyards:
- Zardetto – the Prosecco core: Prosecco DOC Brut and Extra Dry, Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, rosé and an organic version
- Cà di Prata – Prosecco DOC and DOCG from Friuli, plus still whites from Ribolla Gialla
- Novantaceppi – the Apulian line with Primitivo, Nero di Troia, Fiano, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, plus Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
- Val Passo – rich red blends based on Primitivo, sometimes with Cabernet Sauvignon
- Famiglia Angelillo – the range named after the founding family
Awards
Latentia Winery is not a house defined by cult trophies – its strength lies in consistent quality across large volumes. The wines are regularly entered in international competitions such as the IWSC and listed in guides and trade tastings; the Zardetto Proseccos in particular have held a firm place on the US market since the 1970s. Certification to a high BRC grade and to IFS underlines that industrial quality standard. If you are looking for an uncomplicated, cleanly made Italian aperitif sparkler or a fruit-forward Primitivo, this is one of the most reliable addresses in Italian wine export.