Inside Antinori: Native Grapes, Global Wines, and a New Era 🍇

How Antinori is Shaping the Future of Italian Wine

Saturday night I swirled, sipped, and smiled through another wine tasting with the American Women’s Association of Rome—the group I had the pleasure of leading as president last year and the year before that. Our monthly gatherings, curated with the wonderful sommelier Marco Lori, are always a highlight. Marco brings years of experience, having studied and taught extensively about Italian wines. His encyclopedic knowledge of native varietals and winemaking regions is matched only by his gift for storytelling, which makes each tasting feel like a journey through Italy.

Our theme last night was Italian bubbles—Franciacorta, Prosecco, and sparkling gems from various corners of Italy. We talked a lot about how sparkling wine plays a different role in each region, and the conversation soon turned—as it often does—to the diversity of Italy’s grape varietals. Did you know Italy has more than 1,000 native grapes? More than any other country in the world. Many of them are still unknown to most consumers outside of Italy, and even here, some are rare jewels cultivated in just one valley or village.

This botanical and cultural richness is part of what makes Italian wine so endlessly fascinating. But when it comes to tradition, vision, and global influence, one name comes up again and again: Antinori.