One Family, three Companies and one shared Mission: to continue writing the history of Italian wine with love, determination and style
Whether we start from her career (more than forty years of experience in the world of wine, making her an international icon), the numbers generated thanks to her entrepreneurial vision (she started with a turnover of 100 thousand euros, taking it to 30 million by 2023) or the three estates she carefully selected and has developed in Veneto and Tuscany (Villa Della Torre in Fumane, Poggio Al Tesoro in Bolgheri, San Polo in Montalcino), the story of Marilisa Allegrini – the first Italian woman in the wine sector to win the cover of the prestigious American magazine Wine Spectator (2017), also nominated Cavaliere del Lavoro (Order of Merit for Labor) in 2020 – represents a singular role model of courage, tenacity, and the tireless desire to look to the future and to the new.
This is confirmed by the founding of her new family Group, announced today in Milan with a special unveiling of the brand, which – not coincidentally – is called ‘MARILISA ALLEGRINI’. A name that, in terms of identity and recognizability, is already an international brand.
Her story therefore continues, indeed evolves, with a brand-new chapter in which she takes a leading role together with her two daughters, Carlotta and Caterina, and in her beloved ‘homes’ in Fumane, Bolgheri and Montalcino.
“It is with great pride and emotion that I present this new venture that will see our whole family committed day after day to giving continuity and value to our history as producers and entrepreneurs who are deeply passionate about our winegrowing regions and Italian culture.
This group encompasses a set of values and resources: family, superb winegrowing areas, love for art, attention to environmental sustainability, and the privilege of experience in knowing how to read the evolution of the markets.
The goal is to continue to safeguard and improve the art of wine production, respecting tradition and embracing innovation, as my taught to me by my father.
Doing it together with my daughters, with their forward-looking perspective and energy, is a dream come true,”
explains Marilisa Allegrini, who is President and CEO of the new group.
The three historical family brands come together under the new corporate brand: three companies strongly championed by Marilisa Allegrini that over the years have embodied the essence of the lands in which they are rooted, becoming their authentic and exclusive ambassadors
VILLA DELLA TORRE: a 16th century residence in the municipality of Fumane and one of the most important monuments of the Italian Renaissance. Purchased by Marilisa Allegrini in 2008 and subsequently restored and providing luxury hospitality since 2015, it is the Group’s headquarters. The winery covers 25 hectares (15 in Valpolicella, in the municipality of Fumane, 10 in Lugana, in the municipality of Pozzolengo);
POGGIO AL TESORO: the Group’s Bolgheri estate, founded in 2001, today one of the largest in the appellation. It extends over 100 hectares, 64 of which are planted with vines, divided into four different estates (Via Bolgherese, Chiesina di San Giuseppe, Le Sondraie, Valle di Cerbaia);
SAN POLO: the estate in Montalcino acquired in 2007. It is located in the south-eastern area of Montalcino on the hill of San Polo in the district of Podernovi and extends over a total of 22 hectares. 16 of these are planted with vines, of which 8 are used for the production of Brunello.
Keeping faith with their own origins and identity, the three companies now compose a new eco-system, proposing an unprecedented round trip between Veneto and Tuscany to discover Valpolicella, Lugana, Bolgheri and Montalcino. A multi-layered dialogue that aims to integrate the world of wine with that of tourism, shining a spotlight on the experience that knowledge of the winegrowing areas and viticulture can offer.
And a way to tell the world about the uniqueness of Italy’s cultural heritage.
With a turnover of just over 10 million euros, MARILISA ALLEGRINI SRL, which exports to 62 countries worldwide, including the United States, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Germany, has 105 hectares of vineyards in production (64 in Bolgheri, 16 in Montalcino, 15 in Valpolicella and 10 in Lugana) and a current total of 840,000 bottles produced, of which 550,000 at Poggio Al Tesoro, 250,000 at San Polo and 40,000 at Villa Della Torre.
The latter number is set to increase notably, as the President herself explains, also confirming important investments on the hospitality side:
“Thanks to the total acquisition of the vineyard surrounding Villa Della Torre and the addition of further vineyards that will come into production as early as this year, Villa Della Torre will achieve production of 200 thousand bottles.
In general, if we look to the next five years and consider all the projects relating to hospitality in Tuscany,
we expect to double our turnover”.
The Brand and the Website
The new brand has been designed by NSG design: it stands out for its classic, elegant yet innovative and fresh style. It will be present on the Villa Della Torre wine labels starting with Amarone 2020, Valpolicella 2021 and Lugana 2022. Marilisa Allegrini’s signature, already present on the bottles of Poggio Al Tesoro, will also feature on the bottles of San Polo wines.
The launch of the new corporate brand is accompanied by the Group’s new website (www.marilisa-allegrini.com), developed by The Branding Crew. Users will be able to browse all three companies via a link to each website. The Villa Della Torre site has also been overhauled and has gone live: https://www.villadellatorre.it. we also highlight the presence of a shared online wineshop https://shop.villadellatorre.it.
The Team
Joining Marilisa Allegrini as vice-presidents are her two daughters Carlotta and Caterina, brand ambassador and marketing and communications director respectively, and their father Giancarlo Mastella, also vice-president and former director of Villa Della Torre.
The operational team, which will be further expanded, confirming the great attention that Marilisa Allegrini always pays to competence and managerial skills, is made up of Vittorina Caceffo and Marrico Toni for general coordination, Saverio De Luca as overseas sales manager and Michele Susini as sales manager for Italy. They are joined by Robin Shay, Export Manager for the American market.
Furthermore, evidencing the focus on production quality and the identity of the individual wineries is the renewed decision to have as many as three winemakers on the team, and not just one: Tobia Cenzato for Villa Della Torre, Riccardo Fratton for San Polo and Christian Coco for Poggio Al Tesoro. Additional support will be provided for the Tuscan estates by the experience of Luca D’Attoma, who continues to ensure constant monitoring as well as total dedication to the vineyards in question.
Distribution of Villa Della Torre wines within Italy will remain in the hands of Pellegrini Distribuzione while the Tuscan wines will be managed internally.
For overseas markets, where the Group wants to grow by expanding into all the most attractive markets, an alliance has been signed with Edoardo Freddi International, the leading export management company in the wine sector. The common objective is to distribute the best of Italian winemaking on an international scale by launching even more important projects with Villa Della Torre and the two Tuscan companies.
Debut at Vinitaly 2024
The MARILISA ALLEGRINI Group will make its official debut at Vinitaly 2024 where it will be showcasing the Group’s wines at its stand in Hall 9 (space C10).
Confirming one of the most eagerly awaited appointments of the week, the Mastella Allegrini family will open the doors of Villa Della Torre for two gala dinners by invitation only, on Sunday 14 and Monday 15 April, respectively. Both appointments will be hosted by Chef Giuseppe D’Aquino.
During Vinitaly, the Group will be a major player at the following events:
- As part of the Vinitaly and the City program, Saturday 13 April 2024 at 15:00, Sunday at 11:00, and Sunday at 15:00: three tasting sessions of Villa Della Torre Valpolicella at the end of the guided tour ‘L’Uomo e il vino’ at Verona’s Museo Archeologico Nazionale;
- Sunday April 14, 2024, at 13:30-14:30, the Masterclass ‘Iconic Women in Italian Wine: Bolgheri Meets Three Italian MWs with the 2021 Vintage’ will be held in the MAINSTAGE Room - wine2digital - Palaexpo, entrance A2 where, among the wines tasted, there will also be Poggio Al Tesoro’s Dedicato a Walter 2021;
- Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 16:30-17:30, the Masterclass ‘Amphora Revolution- Vinitaly 2024 Preview’ will be held at the Business Point, Tensostructura (Tensile marquee) D, conducted by Helmuth Köcher, The Wine Hunter where, among the wines tasted, there will be San Polo’s Amphora Vignamasso Toscana IGT 2022;
- On Tuesday 16 April 2024, at 14:30-15:30, the Masterclass ‘Best Wines to Drink Now’ will be held in Room VIA - wine2digital - Palaexpo, A2 entrance where, among the wines being tasted, there will be San Polo's Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2021.