Italy En Primeur

The Antinori family have been involved in winemaking for over 600 years, since Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild in 1385. Throughout 26 generations, the family has always managed the business making innovative and courageous choices, whilst respecting tradition and the land. Until the 1960s Antinori had in addition to vineyards cultivated cereals and fruit trees. The years following WWII proved hugely challenging for Italy, many historic vineyards fell into neglect and new plantings of poorer quality vines gave rise to poorer quality wines. In 1966 Piero Antinori, 25th generation of the Antinori family, took over from his father Niccolò and set his mind to reviving the fortunes of not just Tuscan but Italian wines in general. Two decades of big investments, bankrolled by several huge financial gambles, paid off and have seen the company blossom into Marchese Piero Antinori’s extraordinary vision. He has been a hugely influential and inspirational figure, and the catalyst for so many of the leaps and seismic changes in Italian winemaking. They have been a major force in getting Italian wine noticed and in bringing about the regulation changes that improved the quality of wine from Chianti. Antinori estates and vineyards can be found across Italy, in Chianti, in Orvieto (Umbria), Montalcino in southern Tuscany, and Franciacorta in Lombardy. After decades of Marchese Piero Antinori heading up the company, today his daughter Albiera Antinori is the company's president, closely assisted by her sisters Allegra and Alessia.