FERAL

FERAL is a startup based in the Italian Dolomites, in Mezzolombardo, within the Piana Rotaliana area of Trentino, Italy. Its production facility sits between Trento and Bolzano, surrounded by Teroldego vineyards and apple orchards, at Località Maso Parti 2A, 38017 Mezzolombardo. The producer says the concept originated around Christmas 2021, and the process was developed over roughly two years of research before the product launched.^[1],[2]

The founding insight, as the producer frames it, was the question of whether the ritual of wine, beer, and the friendly toast could exist without alcohol. The inspiration traces to founder Maddalena Zanoni's experience with wildflowers and medicinal herbs in the mountains of Trentino. In late 2021 Zanoni attended a fermentation course in Bologna led by Flavio Sacco, where she met Sebastiano; first recipe development began after that meeting. Early recipes were developed together with a Flemish scientist named Floris. During recipe development, FERAL identified lactic acid bacteria as a core ingredient and fermentation ally.^[3],[4]

FERAL's first commercial batches were hand-bottled by a group of family, friends, and volunteers referred to internally as the 'FFF — Family, Friends & Fools.' The producer hired a lead brewer named Andrea, who had previously worked at a craft brewery in Rome, to oversee production. FERAL aimed to release its first batch for sale by Christmas 2022, but early production faced microbiology issues that disrupted the initial launch timeline. Zanoni also authors a startup diary blog, launched as a monthly series beginning 20 May 2025.^[1]

Name. The name 'Feral' refers to an animal or plant that was born in captivity but returned to the wild. The producer frames this as symbolizing a gentle rebellion against mapped-out paths and a celebration of exploration beyond the norm. One source also glosses the English word as meaning 'free' and 'wild.'^[5]

FERAL was founded by a group described as botanists, scientists, chefs, and farmers. Its founder is Maddalena Zanoni, from Trentino, who goes by 'la Madda.' Before founding FERAL, Zanoni studied in Milan, Vancouver, Barcelona, and Paris, and worked in business consulting and in a role at Alpro in Flanders. She experienced a personal crisis at age 32 that led her to spend two months at a mountain hut in Trentino caring for goats and medicinal herbs.

In preparation for founding FERAL, Zanoni completed a sommelier course, traveled to Copenhagen to study fermentation, and attended a fermentation workshop with Flavio Sacco in Bologna. She describes the brand's ethos as rooted in Trentino's borderland identity — Austrian grandparents, Italian parents — valuing rural simplicity over luxury.^[6]

FERAL's core concept, as the producer states it, is creating sophisticated botanical non-alcoholic drinks that replicate the ritual of wine and beer. Its stated mission is to challenge conventions by uplifting forgotten, marginal, and underground plants. The producer's philosophy centers on using fermentation to create elegant, refreshing acidity in non-alcoholic drinks. The drinks are designed specifically for gastronomic meal pairing as an alternative to wine.^[4],[5]

FERAL self-describes its product category as non-alcoholic botanical fermentations (FAB), or FERmented ALternatives, and states that it holds a patent on its process as the first to use it. This positioning frames the range as a category of its own rather than a substitute product.^[7]

FERAL publishes an annual sustainability report, and has published one for 2024.^[8]

FERAL produces fermented botanical drinks that contain no alcohol. The current lineup comprises six beverages: N°1 White Beet Hop Szechuan Pepper, N°2 White Beet Ginger Allspice, N°3 Red Beet Pepper Thyme Oak, N°4 Red Beet Lavender Juniper, N°5 Pét-Nat Rosé, and N°6 Cook The Mountain. The first four references are still (bubble-free), because the lactic bacteria strains used do not produce carbon dioxide; only N°5, the Pét-Nat Rosé, is sparkling.^[7],[9]

FERAL builds its drinks by starting from organic roots, spices, herbs, and wild fruits, then mixing, infusing, and allowing lactic fermentation to occur, and blending those ferments with macerated ingredients. Maceration with herbs, flowers, and berries is used in combination with fermentation to transform the flavor of beetroot. All extractions and macerations are produced in-house; the producer states it uses no preservatives and sources botanicals directly from plants — leaves, flowers, berries, roots, and woods.^[4],[9]

Sourcing & production standards. FERAL ferments, macerates, and bottles all products in-house at its fermenteria in Mezzolombardo, in the province of Trento. It collaborates with organic-certified farmers for its ingredients rather than growing its own. The producer states its beverages contain no sulfites or declarable allergens, use no preservatives, and are naturally gluten-free with no cereals or gluten-containing ingredients.^[7]

FERAL was featured as a product designed specifically for gastronomic pairing, described as an adult beverage rich in volume and texture, and in Raisin magazine, which described its drinks as having aromas, textures, and flavors akin to natural wines. FERAL has received over 1,199 customer reviews.^[9]