Disaronno, through the holding Illva Saronno (rebranded as Disaronno Group), announced on 3 June the completion of the closing for the acquisition of 100% of Amaro Averna and Zedda Piras from Campari. The agreement, signed on 18 December 2025 and closed on 28 May, is worth approximately 100 million euros and takes shape with the establishment of the newco Meridia, based in Sassari, which takes over from Campari Group in the governance of the two brands. The 11 total employees of the Averna (in Caltanissetta) and Zedda Piras (in Alghero) factories were absorbed by the new company.
How much is the acquisition of the two brands worth?
The price of the operation, communicated last December by Campari Group, is approximately 100 million euros.
The transaction is part of the portfolio rationalization plan announced by the Milanese group at the Capital Markets Day and follows the sales:
- of the Australian manufacturing and co-packing facility in March 2025;
- of Cinzano in June 2025;
- of the Tannico e-commerce platform, discontinued in October 2025 through the Dioniso Group joint venture with Moët Hennessy.
Total proceeds exceed 210 million euros.
For Campari, the sale of Averna and Zedda Piras closes a chapter in the bitters category and frees up resources to concentrate investments on Braulio, identified as a priority core brand in the segment. This is a choice consistent with the strategy of reducing financial leverage and simplifying the business illustrated at the Capital Markets Day.
What changes for Averna and Zedda Piras employees
The vehicle of the operation, as already mentioned, is the newco Meridia based in Sassari. The choice anchors the governance of the two brands in Sardinia, the region of origin of Zedda Piras, a brand known for the famous myrtle.
The production sites, therefore the Averna plant in Sicily and the Zedda Piras plant in Sardinia, remain operational with all 11 employees in total.
No immediate effects on distribution are expected and the products will continue to be marketed under the historic brands, now included in the Spirits portfolio of Disaronno International, the group’s operating subsidiary in the alcoholic beverages sector.
Disaronno’s strategy for foreign markets
The acquisition comes just weeks after the rebranding announced on May 14, 2026, which transformed Illva Saronno Holding into Disaronno Group.
The group, entirely owned by the Reina family, closed 2025 with a turnover of 370 million euros (+3% on 2024) and an Ebitda of 51.4 million, over 800 employees and a commercial presence in around 160 countries.
Marco Giovanni Ferrari, CEO, explains in the press note:
This operation represents a fundamental step in our growth plan and allows us to strategically enrich our portfolio at an international level by significantly strengthening, thanks to Amaro Averna, our position in three of our priority markets: United States, Germany and Italy. In this context, for Zedda Piras the objective is to consolidate its presence on the Italian market.
Averna, born in Caltanissetta in 1868, generates approximately 70% of sales abroad, with the United States, Germany and Austria as reference markets.
