Sommeliers, wine influencers, wine experts who seek new languages to communicate a subject as stratified and complex as it is fascinating, female professionals who make their way in a world still crossed by gender prejudices... who are the Italian wine professionals to keep keep an eye on today?
We have collected in a list the wine professionals who are worth keeping an eye on for us: in the specific nature of the characters, aspirations, languages and professions of each, they are all doing a great job to tell and make wine understood . That is, to bring him closer to people and make them love him.
And in bringing the magic of wine to everyone we see the most beautiful (and why not? also the most feminine) trait of the work carried out by the many wine professionals.
1. Laura Donadoni
Professional journalist, with a doctorate in Communication Sciences, sommelier and WSET 3, Laura Donadoni's career began as a columnist and food and wine reporter for prestigious Italian magazines such as Gambero Rosso. A radio news presenter, she also held her own food and wine program on the Mediapason television network.
After moving to the United States, she started writing about wine on her blog The Italian Wine Girl, but she is also active on Instagram, Tik Tok, podcasts and Youtube. Its social community has over 60,000 followers.
Among the few Vinitaly International Italian Wine Ambassadors in the world, she is specialized in Italian and Spanish wine, as well as the official wine judge for the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and for other international competitions; Between the few Italian women in the International Circle of Wine Writers in London e member of the Los Angeles Wine Writers Association. He directs Wine Education Program at the Pacific National Food and Beverage Museum in Los Angeles. AND collaborator and columnist for The Tasting Panel and The magazines SommJournal and among the official reviewers of the Slow international guide Wine. His book How Wine Changes You life was launched in June 2020 in Italy and the English version will be available soon.
He founded LA COM Wine Agency, a wine import company and strategic communication company for the food and wine industry.
2. Maria Elena Boggio
Graduated in Biotechnology, he has a background in university research in the oncology field. After his doctorate, however, he chose the counter of the wine shop over that of the laboratory. In his blog Lasecondadolescence he talks about natural wines, telling forgotten stories of wines and territories, with the lens always focused on craftsmanship.
His is a very direct language, which is reflected in an Instagram account with unfiltered photos and videos. Natural, as are the wines she particularly loves. There are many IGTVs on Instagram with interviews with winemakers, as is the highlighted Q&A section, in which he answers in a simple way on the most diverse themes, wines and territories.
3. Carlotta Salvini
Best Sommelier of Italy FISAR of the year 2019, WSET 3, she graduated in Agriculture and in Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Florence and works at Felsina. Very active on Instagram, especially in the story of the tasting, she knows how to combine her extraordinary expertise with a communication of rare pleasantness, which uses an inclusive, direct, never banal tone of voice. Two, the video interviews given by Carlotta Salvini to Marco Montemagno.
Last April he designed a selection dedicated to Siena wines for Sommelier Wine Box.
4. Cristina Mercuri
A very well-known face on the food and wine scene. Talented lawyer, Cristina Mercuri leaves the legal profession to dedicate herself to wine and her special passion for teaching.
WSET aims to become one of the 400 Masters of Wine in the world, as he told us when he curated a selection for us .
Very active on Instagram, she does weekly live broadcasts, with a technical approach, within the Wine Geek column. Also landed on Clubhouse.
5. Chiara Giannotti
Raised in a family of producers, Chiara Giannotti is a long-standing marketing and public relations expert experience in the wine and spirits sector. Graduated in Languages and Literature at the University of Roma Tre, she is the founder of Vino.TV and author at DoctorWine, Daniele's well-known online magazine Cernilli.
Very active on YouTube, with various videos and playlists that aim to educate about wine culture and spread wine curiosities.
6. Adua Villa
Sommelier and writer, food and wine expert and AIS teacher, Adua Villa is an Ambassador of Abruzzo wine. He has worked for a long time on TV (for Uno Mattina, Prova del Cuoco, Uno Mattina Estate, Tg5 Gusto, Sky Alice and with his program Le Stagioni). For years she was the female voice of Decanter on Radio2, while today she hosts Vinopop on the web radio Radio Kaos Italy and on Tagadà, an LA7 programme. For 9 years he worked as a taster for the Duemilavini guide.
In publishing, he took his first steps for VanityFair.it and with a column in the newspaper Libero Gusto. Among the books written, we mention Vino rosso tacco 12 , a wine novel.
7. Eleonora Galimberti
Marketing and Communication Specialist and Food & Wine Consultant, with experience in multinational luxury, fashion and wine companies, Eleonora Galimberti is also a journalist in the food, wine, travel, hotel and fine dining sectors. AIS Sommelier, he has studied in particular the techniques of food-wine pairing and also deals with collecting fine wines, with consultancy activities.
His is the Enozioni blog, dedicated to the “senses they give life to emotions” and to the “emotions that give meaning to life”.
He collaborates as a freelancer for various national newspapers: Style Magazine (Corriere della Sera), Elle, Marie Claire (Hearst), James Magazine, Vision 3.0, Kyoss.
8. Simona Geri
AIS sommelier, WSET 2 with merit, wine tourism operator, guest taster, media partner, wine blogger with The Winesetter and wine consultant, Simona Geri also curated a selection for us, dedicated to the women of wine .
A wine influencer, she is widely followed on Instagram, where she uses a young and simple language, with great attention to the aesthetics and colors of posts and reels, as well as simple and pleasant communication (and tasting).
9. Laura Bertozzi
Accountant and sommelier, Laura Bertozzi has been a friend of Sommelier Wine Box since the beginning and has curated two selections for us. She offers consultancy to wineries, wine shops, restaurants, bars for strategic development, communication and training, combining the solidity of an esteemed economics and finance professional with that of a passionate sommelier.
Active as a blogger for years, with Divino Senza Glutine, she has recently been developing video production a lot, especially to promote small wine artisans.
Keywords: valorization of people's experience and respect for the environment.
10. Elisa Fiore Gubellini
Blogger, YouTuber and Instagrammer, informant and influencer in the food and wine sector, Elisa Fiore Gubellini organizes events related to the world of wine and wine tours in Italy and France.
AIS Sommelier, has long experience as Fine Wine Merchant.
Since 2018 she has managed an Instagram page made up of an all-female group of sommeliers, the Wine Angels. With numerous communication activities, her ultimate goal is "to explain to everyone in simple words what is my greatest passion, we all have smell and taste and we can have our say in a tasting, I myself know I don't know, but what matters is the desire to learn... and to taste”.
11. Clizia Zuin
After a degree in Oriental Languages obtained from the Ca' Foscari University of Venice and some important international experiences, he moved to Tuscany, where he began working in the world of wine.
Sommelier since 2011, WSET 3 graduate, AIS speaker, she decides to embark on a career in competitions, becoming the best female sommelier in Italy in 2019.
Editor of the Vitae guide and Intravino.
12. Camilla Rocca
Editor-in-chief at So Wine So Food, he writes about food and beauty as a freelancer for numerous sector and national publications. Among these: Il Sole 24 Ore, Il Giornale, Repubblica, Man in Town. He is also involved in the editing of books such as the latest on recipes by chef Carlo Sadler ( My new menus ), published by Giunti in 2017.
It organizes numerous sector events, in particular for the Le Soste Association.
13. Marta Curtarello
Graduated in Foreign Languages for International Relations, she is a sommelier and has the WSET 2 diploma.
A blogger, she is very active on Instagram, with wine tastings, advice and stories. Sales Partner of The Winesider.
14. Valentina Papandrea
Graduated in Law, with a passion for wine that led her to attend the Master in Food and Wine Business at the LUISS Business School, she deals with social media and marketing for various Italian wineries.
As well as on Instagram, she is active on Tik Tok and Club House, where she talks above all about wine, food and art. Here, he is co-founder of Wine Room Club (which aims to connect workers in the world of wine, and therefore producers, content creators, managers, gourmets, event organizers, tourism experts...).
Dream of a more inclusive world.
15. Arianna Vianelli
Graduated in Conservation of Cultural Heritage, his work revolves around Franciacorta.
After leaving the Consortium for the protection of Franciacorta, she began working as a freelancer and communications consultant and social media manager. Arianna Vianelli also has a great passion for organizing food and wine events.
16. Giulia Sattin
Architect, urban planner and sommelier, Giulia Sattin is widely followed on Instagram, where she adopts a very simple communication tone. On her blog, Wine Girl Friend, she talks about wine, also describing places, wineries and gastronomic combinations.
