This has been an important year for Roberto Luongo, general manager of ICE, the agency for the promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian companies. Luongo, appointed CEO in 2018, ends his office this year. His reconfirmation appears to be taken for granted thanks to his over 40 years of experience: this grew within the organism that favors the consolidation and the economic-commercial development of our companies on foreign markets. He knows the markets worldwide and knows how to manage promotion strategies excellently.

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In the era of corporate finance, specialists emerge. Tersi, at the helm of LT Wine & Food Advisory, is the leading consultant for wine: he has carried out M&A operations and has foreseen the arrival of financial investments in the wine business. He is a member of the board of directors of Masi and consultant of the Consortia of Chianti, Bolgheri and Morellino di Scansano. “There is enormous liquidity looking for opportunities, but the supply of wineries is not adequate. However, in the two-year time 2022/23 numerous M&A operations will be carried out “. A true visionary.

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The 98/100 awarded by Monica Larner to the 2019 vintage of Sassicaia has shaken everyone’s mind. The wine is already nowhere to be found. We may not reach the 2015 and 2016 levels, with two spectacular vintages, still we are close. Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, Niccolò’s daughter, is increasingly at the helm of Tenuta San Guido and can count on a close-knit team and a highly efficient general manager like Carlo Paoli. The real challenge consists in maintaining these standards of great excellence envied by the whole world.

He has been the marketing director of Mondodelvino for 14 years, and maintained the same position even after the purchase of the company of the Martini family by Botter. Gobino, 41 years old, states that little has changed and that the production and organizational structure was left unchanged: the two companies are separate, except for the ownership. There is no definitive data yet, but in 2021 Mondodelvino gained double-digit sales compared to the previous year. However, focusing more on value than on volumes, almost untouched. A real communicator.

He is one of the Italian wine critics who can boast an international reputation. He has been for a short time now Editor-in-Chief of “TerroirSense Wine Review”. a website in English and Chinese through which Ian D’Agata contributes to letting the best Italian brands be known in the world of wine lovers, telling about terroir, grape varieties and producers. His Best Italian Wines, a classification that ranks the best wines, collects a certain resonance. The last one of 2021 awarded five Brunellos in the first six places. Bewitched by Montalcino.

Graziana Grassini, biologist and oenologist of several Italian wineries (and also a consultant for Sassicaia) scores two important hits. Since last autumn she has joined the National Wine Committee, as appointed by the minister. Moreover, since last year she has also been a consultant for Casanova di Neri, one of the most famous companies in Montalcino. Tuscan from Follonica, today she moves from North to South, always on tiptoe, yet very practical in making the wineries achieve satisfactory results. We expect further progress.

From Prosecco to Franciacorta. The former CEO of Zonin was called to unravel the skein of Terra Moretti. A complex task that concerns the Bellavista and Contadi Castaldi brands, as well as the Tuscan ones of Petra, Teruzzi e La Badiola, and the Sardinian wines of Sella & Mosca. The manager, 49 years old in June, immediately gave a managerial turn to an all too familiar structure. The first results are positive, but the challenge continues. Financial balance and the replacement of the Chinese partner are also under Tuzzi’s lens.

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Soave is looking for a relaunch through UGA, the additional geographical units that have been active since 2018. There are 33 but not all companies have made use of them to date. Sandro Gini, president reconfirmed last year as the head of the Consortium, has clear ideas about the future of the denomination; nonetheless, he needs to deal with a vast territory, no less than 7 thousand hectares, and a production of about 50 million bottles (with a slight increase on the previous year), while the average value is perhaps growing too slowly. There is still work to be done.

A woman in the presidency to mend the frayed relationships in one of the most contentious consortiums in Italy. And with the establishment of Bortolomiol at the top of the Conegliano Prosecco Valdobbiadene Consortium, for the first time under female leadership, the general manager Diego Tomasi has arrived too, in a vacant position for years due to the game of crossed vetoes. The new president comes from a family that contributed to the Prosecco boom around the world. Now she aims to protect and enhance that territory as a UNESCO heritage. A definite peacemaker.

For just over a year he has held the position of Sicilian Councilor for Agriculture, and therefore manages the wine policies of one of the leading regions in Italy. The island, for example, is the one with the highest endowment of EU funds. He has taken his assignment to heart and is working to ease access to financial support, still while paying close attention to the world of wine. There is an open dialogue with the regional institute for wine and oil (IRVO), as well as his direction in the management of the Sicilian DOC anti-counterfeiting labels.

In the Umbria of wine, the flag of Lungarotti waves strongly. This is due to the attention to the environment and biodiversity, to the 250 hectares of vineyards between Torgiano and Montefalco, a respectable turnover of nearly 10 million, and an export worth over 40 percent of revenues, which are the essential numbers. Wine tourism is also a very strong asset that continues to be successful. Furthermore, she is always carried on the shields by Wine Spectator. Meanwhile the generational transition is appearing to be able to guarantee continuity to a successful story.

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The CEO of Unione Italiana Vini is the director of a widespread association that ranges from Roman tables to Brussels and Strasbourg. The mastery of the subject is an essential element in daily operations, as it is the ability to lobby. In this regard, the operation of moral suasion should be remembered, conducted by Castelletti on Italian MEPs called to comment on the De Castro-Dorfmann amendments, to the Beca report on the European Union’s Beating Cancer Plan. Not a full but still an important victory.

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He is always a reference, especially in the US market. His work is on digital information and reviews with very high numbers of subscribers, that touches dozens and dozens of countries worldwide. With his Vinous, which in 2023 will celebrate ten years from its foundation, he constantly explains, thanks to a close-knit team of expert collaborators, the best Italian wines. Some say he’s a bit too Barolo oriented and that he only cares about niche wines. It will be a matter of taste.

Gino Colangelo is the owner of one of the most relevant public relations agencies in New York, today among those most courted by Italian wineries and consortia. It may be because he appreciates quality wine, or rather because he has Italian origins. In any case, today Gino is a reference for those who want to be known in the US markets. He has closed important agreements with some Italian consortia. In 2020 and again this year he was the organizing partner of the most important Barolo events. We bet that his role is destined to grow further.

A 2021 to be framed for wine in Valpolicella and for Marchesini, 48 years old and agricultural expert, who has been president, since 2020, of the Valpolicella Consortium. Thanks to the halt imposed by the Consortium on the growth of vineyards and the cut in yields, the Denomination was restored into a double-digit growth, also due to the favorable market trend. The relaunch of the identity wine, Valpolicella, remains on the table. Marchesini stated that value, quality and relaunch of Valpolicella will be at the center of the Consortium’s policy again this year. Very sentimental.

A passionate and competent globetrotter. After a long time, Italy has its first Master of Wine and this explains Gabriele Gorelli’s presence in our Wine Power List. His approach, when he talks about wines, may appear rather stiff, but this comes from the Anglo-Saxon style of his training school. He is one of the few who sees the Italy of Wine from the outside and knows that this is the right place. Today he is requested to give value and a new reading to our productions. The future is on his side.

It is true that since last year he has no longer been the president of the National Wine Committee. Now he is “just” deputy vice president. However, who knows more tells us that a lot of operational work is done by him, while supporting the president Attilio Scienza. An oenologist from Veneto, he has been a member of the Committee since 2008, and therefore deeply knows all the dynamics of the organism that chooses the fate of many consortia and related specifications. Furthermore, he is president of the Appeal Committee that judges appeals for rejected aspiring DOC wines.

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Enosis, the research center, today with eighteen employees, created by Donato Lanati in 1990, continues its scientific work in supporting wine relentlessly. Today the biggest worries concern climate change, while trying not to neglect quality and sustainability. Wines overwhelmed by heat no longer have harmony and only have astringent tannins. We need to batten down the hatches, perhaps by studying the brightness closer, that is to say not the color but the light that a wine gives us. It is one of the parameters of his studies.

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Marco Sabellico is one of the three editors of Gambero Rosso: the most widespread and sought after Italian wine guide by wine producers. The Tre Bicchieri areas will not have the makings and will no longer move the sales bar of yore; however they are improving the reputation of a winery. What Marco Sabellico is carrying out together with Beppe Carrus and Gianni Fabrizio is constantly a work of great value. The various road shows are working so well abroad that they are becoming relevant showcases for Italian wine.

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With 100 points awarded to Ricasoli’s Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Ceniprimo 2018, James Suckling turned the spotlight on a terroir of Tuscany (which had never had such a high score) but also on himself. A smart way to make the headlines. From Hong Kong, where he has now been living for a few years, he talks through social media about an intense activity of wine courses for rich Chinese people. Still, he is followed a bit by the whole world. A ranking on influencers placed him in third place. Not bad at all.

Another two years of institutional commitment are there for the national president of the Wine Tourism Movement. D’Auria will now have the challenging task to guide his association into the delicate phase of rebirth and resumption of wine tourism. The law that just passed made his life a little easier. Yet, he now needs to be able to manage nationwide events that can attract wine tourists and satisfy winery owners. The conditions are all there, from Cantine Aperte to Vigneti Aperti.

His debut was not the best. Lorenzo Cesconi, a Trentino producer, has been the president of the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers (FIVI) for a few weeks. However, a few days after establishing he had to handle the grain of Walter Massa, a Piedmontese producer, who left his position as a member of the board with some controversial aftermath. If there is a firmness problem inside FIVI, it will be sorted out in the coming weeks. He uses conciliatory tones and has already set to work for the future of 1,400 members.

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A reckless genius. Exaggerating is his watchword. Many say that his work has lost its authority but in reality it has not. Luca Gardini continues to shuffle the cards on several occasions. He is loved and hated. His work as a wine critic and taster always represents a launching pad. Maybe not everyone appreciated the idea of giving scores over 100/100 and some criticize him because he always deals with only a limited circle of labels. Yet, for example, Corriere della Sera is always there to support him.

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To hand over the company to the children of the family while still in full operation is a very rare case in the world of wine, but Riccardo Cotarella and his brother Renzo must be acknowledged for making the right move. The Cotarella family is a company now led by Dominga and her cousins Enrica and Marta. Although the road is cleared and already built, the Cotarella sisters – as they like to call themselves – are working with great dedication to increase their turnover and reputation. The admirable initiative of the Intrecci school should be taken into account, too.

During the pandemic era, the president of Veronafiere and of the Italian Fairs Association managed two tough fishes to fry in the best possible way. A Danish 60-year-old man has made a suffocating pressure on the Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia to obtain (by way of derogation from the de minimis on State aid) funds for the exhibitions. For Veronafiere, he managed the subscription of a capital increase of 30 million euros, reaching an agreement with the second partner of the Cariverona Foundation. In the 6 years of his office he shared the international growth of Vinitaly. A skipper.

She is the Italian reporter of Wine Enthusiast, one of the most influential wine magazines in the world; therefore she plays an essential role in promoting Italian wine. Those who follow her argue that she is good at dealing with things that other people either snub or do not know and this gives her a great merit, as she gives space to a less granted Italy of wine. The perception of her magazine also increases thanks to the awards that each year she assigns to wineries and wines considered to be the best at that time. She is someone to keep an eye on.

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He is one of the most lucid and visionary producers on the Italian scene. He has removed from oblivion a vine that has disappeared, such as Timorasso, but this time he is mentioned due to the leaving from his position as a member of the board of directors of FIVI, a creature that he had helped to raise. Different views had risen, and he preferred to leave the scene. Still, it would be a shame not to take into consideration many of his ideas about the future of wine and how to communicate it. His genius should not be wasted.

Mr Diesel has decided to speed up on wine. To go beyond the small DieselFarm and the 7.5% stake in Masi Agricola. The latest investment (estimated at at least 5 million euros), however, was sterilized by the Boscaini family’s syndicate pact; this intended to extinguish any temptation to control of the entrepreneur, who comes from Vicenza and who in 2021 realized in fashion, with Only The Brave, 1.5 billion euros in revenues and 354 million Mol. Some rumors point out Rosso to be determined to make a dimensional leap through acquisitions. Wine in jeans.

She is more and more present with her siblings Rossana and Giovanni to represent the Gaja winery on public occasions and in some extremely rare tasting events. All three equally entered this ranking to represent the new generation of a winery that owns an immense reputation. We imagine that the father Angelo is a bit bulky, but little by little he is willing to have an open dialogue on future choices and strategies on big and small matters. For example, opening the cellar to visitors. It had never happened before the intervention of his children, who get the credit for it.

Civiltà del bere is the longest-running Italian specialized magazine dedicated to wine. In times of digital information, print media is experiencing a phase of decline. However, the magazine directed by Alessandro Torcoli manages to diversify by always offering his readers high value content, without worrying about current events at all costs. Torcoli is also involved in organizing events in Milan and, on a personal level, is committed to pursuing authoritative goals such as obtaining the title of Master of Wine. We are confident.

Corriere della Sera moves when there is something relevant to tell about wine. And the signature belongs to him. Luciano Ferraro, promoted a few weeks ago to deputy director (congratulations!), has now consolidated his role as wine writer for the most important Italian newspaper, which also publishes a guide every year. He is often involved in demonstrations or presentations, and what was just a passion is now assuming the shape of a profession. Too bad that other generalist newspapers do not act the same.

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For almost 12 years as president of the Italian Sommelier Association, he is now the face of a profession that counts 40,000 members. He has always aimed with AIS to a full training for aspiring sommelier: it is impossible to talk about wine without a strict preparation. We will find out whether he is going to succeed or not, but it is worth the message. Born in 1960, sommelier at 19 but a failed economist, Maietta has totally renewed “Vitae”, the guide published by AIS, which exceeds 2,000 pages and reviews over 2,000 wineries. The establishment ad hoc.

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New generations are coming but Massimo Sagna is not changing. His sons Leonardo and Carlo Alberto joined the company but the independent distributor keeps not falling for easy fashions. After 94 years, the Turin-based company from Revigliasco continues to handle small volumes of prestigious and sought-after labels such as timeless French brands. Since 1988 he has been the exclusive distributor of the Maison Louis Roederer as well as of Romanée Conti. He possesses Delamain Cognac, Bas Armagnac Dartigalongue and Graham’s. An immutable figure.

The brilliant co-founder in 2020 of Liv-ex (London International Vintners Exchange) is the reference financial marketplace for collectors and investors of fine wines. From here exchanges pass by, among 550 customers who buy and sell fine wines, with 100 million euros in value of the daily offer. The Liv-ex classification divides the 16 thousand wine labels from around the world, based on the average trading prices on Liv-ex and the presence of Italian labels is growing strongly. It is all about finance & wine.

The top manager is the director that filmed the relaunch of the iconic Biondi Santi. A development plan focused on vineyards but that ranges from commercial development to marketing. The French shareholder Christopher Descours has covered his shoulders with huge reserves that guarantee a long investment phase. Bertolini was surprised by the speedy reaction of the market, yet the commercial distribution in 52 countries is also beneficial. The move to have increased the price of wines by bringing out the potential of the cellar is memorable. He is a leader.

He remained the only curator of the Slow Wine guide after Fabio Giavedoni’s decision to leave. But 2022 is a year of new prospects for him. First of all because Slow Food launched its first wine fair in Bologna, and his role was decisive in defining the organizational aspects. The guide now, after quite a few years, remains a reference for many companies that have appreciated the cut of the narrative. It is mostly centered on the territories, on the stories of the producers and on the most identifying wines.

Vivino’s guru founded the e-commerce platform to figure out which wines to buy. The peak of success was reached during the first lockdown: in 2020 Vivino had a turnover of 265 million dollars. The Vivino community counts 30 million users. It is a reference also for Italian wineries. Last summer, Zachariassen was replaced as CEO by Olivier Grémillon, while remaining on the board and maintaining the role of chief marketing evangelist of the company. A true prophet.

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The founder of Fantini Group is aiming at 100 million euros made in turnover, up from 91 last year, with 28 million bottles. Without the pandemic he would have already reached it. The company owns a particular business model: agronomists and oenologists follow 12 wineries in Southern and Central Italy. To these, he recently added the Spanish Finca Fella. At the same time, Sciotti manages to match the interests of small winemakers with the short-term objectives of the current private equity fund: yesterday Nb Reinassance’s, today Platinum’s. A federator.

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After his office as president of the Federvini wines group, he was reappointed at the top of the Istituto Grandi Marchi. In the winery Mastroberardino he created the Serre di Mulino a Vento wine to rebuild the bond of young people with the territory. In Cilento, in collaboration with the municipality of Pollica, an area has been identified, at 500 meters above sea level, for a vineyard plant, entirely dedicated to the Aglianico grape variety. A testing on high-altitude to seek the freshness of the mountain. Never been untamable.

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We follow a path already traced by Burgundy. This is what the president of the Abruzzo Wines Consortium candidly said to journalists about the architecture designed to redefine the articulations of regional, and municipal, denominations. The declared goal is to gain value and to double the importance weight of the DOC. Di Campli added that credibility towards the consumer is also linked, for example, to bringing back on the label the different territories from which Montepulciano is produced. Honesty in charge.

The blessed of Prosecco is named Mattioni. Once arrived at the court of Zonin in November 2020, the CEO fully grasped the recovery of the market with the Prosecco boom. This latter constitutes a significant part of the turnover of Zonin1821. The former Campari manager, with the role of awakening a group at stake, has almost completely redone the front line of managers. The results of the first year of management are not known, still they can only be positive. The challenge of profitability is in the two-year period of 2022/23. The start was launched.

Penco, 54 years old from Milan, is an all-round wine consultant to keep an eye on. He deals with strategy, marketing and communication for wineries and consortia. He is responsible for training in “Wine Business” at the MIB Trieste school of management, with the task of coordinating the teaching and tutoring of courses for the wine and agri-food sector. Furthermore, he is the Italy country manager of Wine Intelligence, for which he carries out branding and market analysis projects for international operators. A know-it-all man.

What is happening to Nicoletto? After joining Angelini Wines & Estates (formerly Bertani) two years ago and the promises of growth, including acquisitions, have almost disappeared. Let’s be clear, the former Santa Margherita top manager has restructured a group, which has been standing still for some time and has strengthened the management. However, we could expect Angelini’s financial resources to allow a quick purchase campaign. Starting with sparkling wines, as stated by Nicoletto. Instead, in 2021 only the relaunch of existing activities was witnessed. He seems undertone.

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The inventor of the most famous pruning school in Italy is increasingly looking abroad. Today Simonit & Sirch, or the Vine Master Pruners, are present in 14 countries and are also consultants for about 150 wineries. However, there is a strong belief that the center of gravity of the business has shifted across borders. Perhaps, due to the poor awareness of producers in giving the right value to vineyard management. Online lessons through the Academy, the first digital platform dedicated to training on pruning, are still always a reference.

Esselunga is perhaps the commercial chain that has most valued the wine bat in the supermarket over the years. Dozens of meters of shelves with wines from all regions. The current general manager Gabriele Villa, who has been in Esselunga for 38 years now, and who was a commercial director before taking up the current position, was among the promoters. Based on Nielsen data, it is conservatively estimated that Esselunga (with a turnover of 8.4 billion) has a 14% share in wine and sparkling wine sales. Therefore, over 200 million sales a year. A true bacchus.