San Benedetto
San Benedetto is sourced from the Benedicta spring in Scorzè, in the Venetian plain near Venice, Veneto, Italy. The water filters through rock layers from the Venetian Pre-Alps before reaching the spring. The company was founded on 10 April 1956 by brothers Bruno and Ermenegildo Scattolin, who owned both a food business and the land on which the spring is found. The Zoppas family acquired a majority stake in 1959 and took full ownership by the end of the 1960s; since 2006, 100% of the holding company Finanziaria San Benedetto has been owned by the Zoppas family. San Benedetto is Italy’s largest non-alcoholic beverage producer by volume and was designated a historical brand of national interest by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development in 2021. San Benedetto holds natural mineral water status.
Mineral composition
| mg/L | |
|---|---|
| Calcium | 50 |
| Magnesium | 31 |
| Sodium | 6 |
| Sulfate | 4 |
| Chloride | 2 |
| Bicarbonate | 313 |
Compositions can vary by season and source. Read our methodology.
Mineral character
San Benedetto is a moderately mineralised, bicarbonate-dominant water. Bicarbonate is the highest ion at 313 mg/L, with calcium at 50.3 mg/L and magnesium at 30.8 mg/L giving a total hardness of 252 mg/L as CaCO₃. Alkalinity is 257 mg/L as CaCO₃. Sulphate (3.7 mg/L) and chloride (2.2 mg/L) are extremely low; sodium is 6 mg/L. TDS is approximately 428 mg/L; silica is noted at 12 mg/L. The distinctive feature of the profile is the calcium-to-magnesium ratio of roughly 1.6:1 (50.3:30.8), which is unusually balanced: most waters in the database have Ca:Mg ratios between 3:1 and 6:1. The very low sulphate and chloride mean that essentially all mineralisation is from bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium, with no competing anion.
Use-case suitability
- CoffeeNot used in any current coffee recipe, but hardness 252 mg/L sits within the 9–266 mg/L range typical for these targets.
- TeaNot used in any current tea recipe. Hardness 252 mg/L is above the 37–59 mg/L range of these targets.
- BrewingAppears in blends for Munich and Vienna.
- BakingNot used in any current baking recipe, but hardness 252 mg/L sits within the 46–390 mg/L range typical for these targets.
- AquariumAppears in blends for African Cichlids and Neocaridina Shrimp.
- HorticultureNot used in any current horticulture recipe. Hardness 252 mg/L is above the 12–54 mg/L range of these targets.
Used in these recipes
Where to buy
IT
Esselunga, Conad, Coop IT, Carrefour IT, Lidl IT
€0.25-0.40 per litre
San Benedetto is widely available across Italy at Esselunga, Conad, Coop, Carrefour Italy, and Lidl Italy, typically €0.25–0.40 (as of March 2026). International availability is limited. Sold primarily in still format (sparkling variants exist), in PET and glass bottles.