Albiera Antinori is a leading figure in the world of fine wines and winery hospitality in Bolgheri and across Italy. At the helm of her prestigious family business, Albiera, along with her sisters, Allegra and Alessia, upholds the Antinori legacy while expertly guiding it to the future. Their efforts have helped position Antinori as a global symbol of “Made In Italy” excellence. Today, Albiera serves as the President of Marchesi Antinori and holds significant leadership positions on the Corporate Board of Gruppo Vini of Federvini (Italian Federation of Industrial Producers), and the Consorzio of Bolgheri DOC and Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC. A well-respected figure in Italy’s viticultural and enological circles, I interviewed her to explore the relationship between wine, tourism, and regional identity.
A small territory in the province of Tuscany that is known and respected worldwide for the high quality and excellence of wines produced here. It almost seems like a miracle. As an expert in this sector, how do you explain Bolgheri’s success?
Bolgheri is a relatively recent appellation that will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. From the very beginning, this denomination was not based entirely on traditional Tuscan grapes but experimented with and embraced other varieties that thrived in Bolgheri’s terroir, a perfect place to produce great wines. A combination of ideal climatic conditions, soil composition, and the commitment of Bolgheri’s producers to craft outstanding wines without compromising their values, with a pioneering spirit, while continuing to research and innovate has created this small miracle in Italian viticulture. Over time, a mix of new personalities and winemakers came to Bolgheri giving the area new momentum, helping us boost the spirit and philosophy of this small appellation. Our common denominator is quality.
Bolgheri is recognized worldwide for wine, but it is also synonymous with beautiful rural landscapes and authentic nature. Together with the support of the Consortium’s vice-presidents, Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta and Cinzia Merli, can you tell us what your vision is on strengthening wine tourism in this area?
Currently, consumers are showing great interest in visiting, understanding, and experiencing the exceptional wines this area has to offer. Up until 10 years ago, there were very few wineries that offered wine tastings or accommodations for guests while today wineries have reorganized to provide hospitality. Things are changing, one step at a time, and we believe that professional training is an essential element at all levels including who presents the wines, who sells them and who coordinates the entire organization. Building professional skills and training should be an integral part at all levels from the most basic positions to upper management. It’s important to protect the quality, dimensions, and excellence of this territory.
Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy, and the rest of the world: Marchesi Antinori has gained worldwide recognition, a winery that can offer prestigious and unique experiences that everyone can readily associate with your company. You have estates throughout Italy. Can you give us details of how your hospitality business has developed in Italy?
We have adopted a gradual approach to the hospitality business. Our winery, Antinori nel Chianti Classico, was a turning point that allowed us to gain experience and gradually organize and improve the management of our hospitality experiences. Afterward, we began offering some options in our other estates, for example at Tenuta Guado al Tasso in Bolgheri, as we realized the importance of having open and direct conversations with people passionate about our wines. We wanted to be able to introduce them to the different wine producing areas where we have estates through wine tasting experiences.
Being unique also means being able to differentiate the various experiences that ultimately enhance the territories. Can you tell us some of the details that define the hospitality experiences that your wineries offer in Italy?
Respect for the land, an expression of the territory, specific details for authentic experiences that reveal the different production areas in all their complexity expressed in coherent, transparent language. Cultural and eno gastronomic experiences that faithfully reflect winemaking traditions in Italy, of the different territories and our family history.
Antinori is an important, efficient, and well-structured winery. In your company’s organizational chart, where does hospitality appear? Are there synergies and relationships with the Marketing and Communications departments?
We have team members responsible for our restaurants and hospitality department in our head office who work together with staff on the estates that are open to the public. These activities are managed directly by my sister Allegra; synergies, relationships, and exchanges of opinions between departments are carried out on a regular basis.
You have been leaders in the wine business for many years and have consolidated experience, have you ever promoted market segmentation strategies or segmentation of customers who are interested in wine tourism and visiting your estates?
Over the years, we have noticed that consumers and clients have an ever- increasing interest in learning first-hand about the story behind a bottle of wine. Besides any particular strategies, our goal is to guarantee that their experiences exceed their expectations.
Your historical traditions have never prevented you from innovating. What future projects or investments do you foresee in terms of wine tourism and hospitality?
In the future, we plan on continuing to follow the same guidelines, always improving the quality of our winery experiences, showcasing the unique qualities of our estates and providing what wine enthusiasts are looking for: authentic experiences avoiding anything that is not the best quality.
In closing, could you describe your point of view regarding the future of wine tourism and Marchesi Antinori’s role in it?
The future outlook of wine tourism is promising and far from reaching market saturation. The pandemic has created greater demand and momentum. It’s also important to remember that Italy is a country with a vast and impressive cultural, gastronomic, and viticultural heritage. The ability to provide hospitality in a professional and contemporary way while upholding traditions will be increasingly important. We can see this happening today as there are many courses of study to train professional figures, focusing on communication skills and highlighting territorial tourism.