Alessandro Cellai, General Manager and Oenologist, Francesco Beni, the Agronomist, Erasmo Mazzone, the Cellar Manager, and Tamara Marini, the Hospitality Manager: this is the “Dream Team” of the Bolfo family with the shared goal of producing great wines and elevating the name of Vallepicciola around the world. Regarding the recently started Chianti Classico harvest, Oenologist Cellai states: “Slight increase in the quantity of the grapes and, above all, the quality is excellent.”
Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI), September 16, 2024 – In team sports as well as in the wine world, what makes the difference is cooperation: individual talents come together, and through daily training, they strengthen their unity and personality to achieve the common goal of finding the ideal formula for success, which is to create premium labels for the most discerning palates. To achieve this result, Vallepicciola, a winery located in the Chianti Classico hills, has assembled a true “Dream Team” led by General Manager and Oenologist Alessandro Cellai and composed of Agronomist Francesco Beni, who oversees and nurtures the vineyard from the first winter pruning, Cellar Manager and Wine Production Manager Erasmo Mazzone, and Tamara Marini, Hospitality Manager responsible for the wine shop and wine tourism experiences.
To uncover the secret of Vallepicciola’s success, it is essential to analyze the “X factor” that everyone brings to the team, discovering their added value.
THE OENOLOGIST IS AN ARTIST’S PROFESSION: FROM A GRAPE CLUSTER COMES A WINE OF GREAT ELEGANCE AND BALANCE.
Starting with Alessandro Cellai, who has been active at the company since the 2020 harvest as General Manager and longtime Oenologist, and “captain” of the entire Vallepicciola team. His path was shaped from a young age when his uncle passed on the passion for oenology, which was further refined through the teachings of his mentor, Giacomo Tachis, who instilled in him the values of passion and enthusiasm while expanding his awareness of his role. “My role as an oenologist represents a great responsibility both towards the team and the consumer,” Cellai explains.
“I always strive to infuse my passion into the creation process: the oenologist’s profession is that of an artist and, as such, must be able to create a masterpiece from a blank canvas with the intent of moving those who experience it. Vallepicciola is like this: we have a grape cluster that we choose to grow in a specific way, and that very grape must produce a wine that conveys great sensitivity, elegance, and balance to the palate.”
These are the fundamentals that the director applies when the goal is to create labels rich in the qualities sought during the plant’s vegetative cycle. “My philosophy is reflected in the team, with whom I engage daily for each step. We all walk the same path, with this clear idea in mind and with the same dedication, cohesion, and involvement. Every wine always has that component which is the oenologist’s trademark; this way, one can proudly claim to be a producer of wines characterized by the territory, the grape variety that originated them, and the soul of those who produced them. Also aided by the recent harvests, particularly the latest one, which sees a slight increase in quantity compared to last year estimated at 5-8% more, as well as the exceptional quality of the grapes. The rains after flowering and the beginning of fruit set, along with the hot summer and summer thunderstorms, have benefited the vegetative cycle, a crucial factor in allowing the grapes to express the best aromatic profile.”
THE CARE OF THE VINEYARDS, FROM A TO Z, AND THE STYLISTIC RIGOR ARE ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS.
The baton passes to Francesco Beni, who, for over seven years, has dedicated his experience and passion to vineyard care, overseeing every phase from winter pruning to harvest. Supervision and information sharing during the berry growth period are carried out in close collaboration with Oenologist Cellai. The greatest contribution occurs near the grape harvest with the evaluation of ripeness and the manual selection of berries, an essential factor for high-quality work. Key aspects of the job include collaboration with the team, resilience, and knowledge of the territory to anticipate issues related to working closely with nature.
“Family passion and tradition introduced me to this profession, and thanks to previous professional experiences and study, I have contributed to the development of innovative practices and new experiments at Vallepicciola,” says Agronomist Beni. “This world is in constant evolution, considering the weather and market trends. The estate covers 107 hectares, and it is crucial to understand every aspect of the Chianti Classico region—the terroir, soil, exposure slopes, and grape varieties—to adapt to its changes and the challenges we face. With the help of state-of-the-art machinery and analyzing the data it collects; we can expand our expertise in the field day by day. There is still much work to be done to find the perfect recipe, but guided by Cellai’s philosophy and his stylistic rigor, we have already made significant progress with excellent results.”
SACRIFICE, DEDICATION, AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL: ONLY IN THIS WAY CAN EXCEPTIONAL WINES BE PRODUCED.
After Francesco’s crucial work, Erasmo Mazzone steps in, whose role in the team is managing the entire wine production process: from the meticulous selection of the grape clusters that enter the cellar to bottling. Since his arrival in 2016, coinciding with Vallepicciola’s first harvest, he has been actively involved in handling the wine to execute the best oenological practices. With tasks such as blandings, racking, and daily analysis in the internal lab, sharing and communication with the team are standards of the production chain, which become even more crucial as harvest approaches.
“I become more actively involved during the harvest,” says Erasmo, “and decide day by day, together with Alessandro Cellai, when and where to harvest. I walk around, taste, and take samples to analytically assess the condition of the grapes, to develop a harvest plan focused on achieving the company’s goals. Achieving results requires sacrifice, dedication, precision, and great attention to detail: only in this way can well-crafted wines be produced. To make a difference, it’s not enough just to have technique; one must keep up with current times and working methods, and also understand the uniqueness of each individual vineyard.”
Mazzone adds, “The spacious areas of the estate allow us to carry out special vinifications, work with small batches, and select them. The more choices we have, the greater the chance of creating valuable wine. Over the years, we have refined our approach to create wines that meet market demands while remaining true to our identity and philosophy. Thanks to Cellai’s expertise, we have confirmed that the path we have taken is the right one.”
VALLEPICCIOLA OPENS ITS DOORS TO EXPLORE THE CHIANTI CLASSICO DESTINATION.
Finally, it’s Tamara Marini’s turn, the winery’s Hospitality Manager. With her twenty years of experience in the hospitality industry, her role is to open the doors of the Bolfo estate and guide visitors on a unique and customizable wine journey in a highly sought-after wine tourism destination like Chianti Classico. The role demands a lot, but wine lovers are welcomed throughout the year by a young and determined staff, led by Tamara’s distinctive personality, ready to delight them with firsthand stories about Vallepicciola combined with tourist information about Val di Picciola and the Sienese hills.
Her role is defined by qualities such as empathy to anticipate needs and understand customer tastes, creativity, and problem-solving skills, essential for meeting last-minute or unusual requests.
“To perform my job well, I ask myself: how would I like to be welcomed if I were the customer? The answers lie in a warm smile and transmitting warmth, along with wine tourism expertise to provide a light, enjoyable experience that leaves pleasant memories and makes the customer feel good. In short, we must not be boring,” Tamara says. “The philosophy outlined by Cellai is also reflected in my area. We must be extremely sensitive towards customers to offer top-quality services, considering even the smallest details. Every proposal has a precise purpose as we are aware of the final goals. In other words, we aim to fully satisfy those who appreciate the world of wine, the effort, and the quality behind every bottle. We continually raise the bar to establish Vallepicciola as a brand of quality recognized by global critics and to move forward in the same direction: the company guidelines mark the path, but we are always committed to keeping up with the times and listening to current trends.”
The Vallepicciola team, along with the Bolfo family, has found a perfect blend with these four personalities who, dedicated to their craft through their deep knowledge of the territory, step into the field every day aware of their expertise. Their goal is to lead the company to ever-greater heights, making Vallepicciola an excellence recognized worldwide.
Currently, Vallepicciola spans 275 hectares, of which 107 are planted with vineyards, featuring 6 varieties of international grapevines. This allows for an annual production of 500,000 bottles divided into 15 labels. In addition to the vines, this picturesque and representative winery and agricultural estate in the Chianti Classico region also produces Vin Santo, grappa, champagne, and extra virgin olive oils, thanks to the 4,000 olive trees.
