Page 7 - Code de Vino, #4/09, a/w 2009

6 Wine club Code de Vino #4 Code de Vino #4 A Talk with Marchese Piero Antinori 7
A Talk with Marchese

Piero Antinori

Interview by Oleg Cherne

Antinori is one of the largest winemaking companies
in Italy, and is fully deserving of the title of Wine
House: the winemaking traditions of this old
aristocratic family from Florence date back
to the 14th century, when Giovanni Antinori became
Head of the Art of Winemaking city guild.

The Antinoris' wine history is inseparable from the
Tuscany region, and began even before the family
moved to Florence. From the ancient chronicles
of Tuscany we learn that back in the 12th century near
the town of Calenzano there were vineyards that
belonged to Rinuccio di Antinoro, the remote ancestor
of the current company president Piero Antinori.
Over the past centuries, the Antinori wine house
has become a symbol of both Italian quality, and
of Tuscany and Florence. Anyone who has visited
Florence has certainly seen the famous Palazzo
Antinori, the beautiful palace in the city center
purchased by Giovanni di Piero Antinori at the
end of the 15th century.

The Antinori live in perpetual growth and development
with the high quality inherent to the aristocracy,
and express it in their everyday hard work and efforts
to make the best wine. Out of all the generations
of Antinori marcheses, a special place now belongs
to Piero di Niccolo Antinori, the current president
of the company. It is he who inspired significant
changes in Italian winemaking, took it to new heights
and made Italian wine exceptional, recognizable
and sought after.

They say it is much harder to stay on top than reach it
in the first place. Editor in chief of Code de Vino Oleg
Cherne interviewed Marchese Piero to find out whether
this it also true for the traditions of aristocratic families.