Amid a pivotal transition for the wine world—where global dynamics are shifting at unprecedented speed and consumption patterns are changing—Marilisa Allegrini observes the sector with the clarity of someone who has lived it all her life. She recognizes the ripples of the present, but also the underlying force driving wine to reinvent itself.
2025 marked the first fully operational year of the new structure of the Group that bears her name—a decisive test after the profound transformations of 2024. With the renowned producer from Verona, who today divides her time between Veneto and Tuscany—already the first Italian woman to appear on the cover of Wine Spectator and honored as Cavaliere del Lavoro—we reviewed the past 12 months and outlined the horizons for 2026.
Marilisa Allegrini, let’s start with a hot topic: Is wine really in crisis, as we often hear?
The sector is going through a complex phase—that’s clear. Domestic market dynamics and international balances have led us to a stage that requires careful analysis and clear thinking. But wine has faced delicate challenges before, and each time it has emerged stronger. I believe this moment will also push us to evolve and renew ourselves.
2025 was the first full year under the new Group structure: What’s your assessment?
We’re in the final stretch before drawing up the definitive balance sheet, but I can already say I’m very satisfied. This second year consolidated the foundations laid in 2024: we invested in infrastructure, redefined processes, launched new projects, and activated strategic partnerships.
The team has made an extraordinary contribution. Seeing tangible results—and above all, watching people grow and believe in this vision—is what makes me most grateful and proud.
2025 opened and closed with Villa Della Torre and Peaks&Valleys, now ready to debut in the U.S.: How were they received in Italy, and what does the leap overseas represent?
In Italy, there was great curiosity and interest: these two projects speak a contemporary language, capable of showcasing the territories they represent in a new way. The United States—a market I know well and look to with confidence—is a natural step in our business journey. Bringing Villa Della Torre and Peaks&Valleys there with a top-tier partner like Wilson Daniels Wholesale is a precious opportunity.
But before exporting wine, we want to share our story—offering an authentic experience that conveys our identity. Today, that truly makes the difference.
Peaks&Valleys speaks to young people, inviting them to experience wine as discovery and sharing: Is this the key to boosting consumption?
We need to understand that wine is not just a product—it’s about relationships and encounters. We can’t expect young people to know it as we professionals do. We must tell its story in a language that truly reaches them and reveal its authenticity.
With Peaks&Valleys, we also speak to those approaching wine for the first time—“young consumers” seeking freshness and spontaneity. Winning over young people is a central challenge.
I don’t believe the right path is simplification or, worse, a price war: quality must be preserved, while remaining accessible and embracing a more direct, immediate, and engaging way of communicating. If we can make ourselves understood by young people and welcome them properly, they will become our ambassadors.
One of Poggio al Tesoro’s flagship labels, Dedicato a Walter, had a special year: debuting at NY Wine Experience and soon at Opera Wine 2026. What does this journey mean?
It has double significance. On one hand, the thrill of seeing a wine recognized among the most appreciated, with a crescendo of accolades from Italian and international critics. On the other, it confirms an entrepreneurial challenge that began 25 years ago, when I fell in love with Bolgheri and decided to build a new adventure there—beyond the borders of Valpolicella—founding Poggio al Tesoro.
Bringing Dedicato a Walter to New York was a moment of great pride. Opera Wine 2026 will be even more meaningful: “our” Bolgheri meeting “our” Verona on an extraordinary stage celebrating the excellence of Italian wine. A remarkable recognition, in a legendary showcase whose debut was made possible thanks to my personal contribution.
2025 also brought major innovations at San Polo: How has the soul of the wines changed, and what does Brunello represent today?
From this year, we use only concrete tanks for vinification, aging, and storage—a deliberate and well-considered technical choice. Concrete, thanks to its thermal inertia, allows gentler macerations and natural micro-oxygenation that enhance the verticality and purity of Sangiovese.
Moreover, since it doesn’t conduct electricity, it isolates the wine from charges that could interfere with the balance of tannic structure, preserving qualities acquired during barrel aging. Using concrete doesn’t change the identity of our wines—it sharpens it, making it clearer.
This year also closed the cultural alliance circle with Palazzo Te: Why is it so important for you to go beyond wine?
Because wine is not just what’s inside the bottle—it’s culture, beauty, and the story of a place in all its expressions. The cultural alliance with Palazzo Te allows us to place it within a broader ecosystem.
In 2025, we celebrated this partnership with a series of major initiatives: the third wine created together, a goose game inspired by the journey between Villa Della Torre and Palazzo Te and designed by artist Flaminia Veronesi, a Gala Dinner with Carlo Cracco in the Courtyard of Honor in Mantua, and finally, the presentation at the villa of Isaac Julien’s film installation, on view at Palazzo Te. These are pieces of an active journey that doesn’t end—on the contrary, the circle will continue to expand, creating new experiences and connections between wine and art.
What are the horizons for 2026?
We aim to strengthen our international growth, with special focus on the United States and the introduction of new Veronese wines. In Italy, we will continue investing in hospitality and wine tourism—I consider them the most important strategic lever for our country.
For this reason, I hope for a simplification of administrative procedures that currently hinder sector growth, making the development of these activities more agile and sustainable.
Marilisa Allegrini, what image do you carry from 2025 as a lesson for 2026?
The image is that of a company in motion, with the courage to open new paths thanks to a young, cohesive, and motivated team. My daughters, Carlotta and Caterina, play a fundamental role—their energy and innovative outlook enrich my operational model and way of working.
I look to the future knowing I have built something that can endure and be passed on to future generations. My legacy is not only defined by the work done, but by the ability to face every challenge with enthusiasm and confidence.
