Giancarlo Moretti Polegato, President of Villa Sandi, has received the Meininger Award – Excellence in Wine & Spirits in the category International Wine Entrepreneur of the Year, one of the most prestigious international honours in the wine and spirits publishing world. For the first time in the award’s twenty-year history, the title goes to a producer from the Prosecco area, underscoring the decisive role that Veneto’s sparkling wines have played in driving the growth of Italian wine exports in recent years. The award was presented by the German publishing house Meininger Verlag, which uses this recognition to celebrate figures who combine entrepreneurship, quality and cultural promotion of wine.
The motivation highlights the entrepreneurial path through which Giancarlo Moretti Polegato has interpreted the potential of Prosecco, transforming commercial success into an international narrative that embraces Italian lifestyle, landscape, hospitality and territorial identity. At the centre is the ability to make wine a credible ambassador of Italian craftsmanship, strengthening over time the global positioning of Veneto’s sparkling wines.
A hall of fame of great wine families: the Italian continuity from Angelo Gaja to Giancarlo Moretti Polegato
Now in its 20th edition, the Meininger Award has honoured over the years some of the most influential families and personalities in the international wine world. Among the names in its hall of fame are Angelo Gaja, Gaetano Marzotto, the Lunelli family of Ferrari Trento, the Frescobaldi family and the Planeta family—figures who have helped shape the contemporary image of Italian wine in global markets and in the culture of wine worldwide.
The inclusion of Giancarlo Moretti Polegato in this group confirms the continuity of an Italian leadership built on quality, vision and responsibility toward the territory.
Giancarlo Moretti Polegato: “A result that belongs to an entire territory”
Upon receiving the award, Giancarlo Moretti Polegato stated: “Receiving this recognition is a great source of pride for me. It is an award that does not belong solely to Villa Sandi, but to an entire territory and to all the people who, over the years, have helped make Prosecco known and appreciated around the world. Our sparkling wines are extraordinary ambassadors of beauty, culture and Italian know-how, and today they represent one of the most dynamic expressions of Italy’s wine exports. This achievement is the result of a shared commitment, built over time thanks to the collaboration between producers, institutions and local communities. By working together, we can continue to enhance and share this unique heritage with the world, with the responsibility of preserving it and passing it on to future generations.”
The collective dimension of the message—linking business growth with cultural roots—reflects the trajectory of Prosecco as a category capable of representing a distinctive wine landscape and hospitality style, expanding its consumer base without losing its connection to its origins.
From winery to wine tourism: a pioneering vision that opened the doors of the territory
Alongside his work in production, Giancarlo Moretti Polegato has been a pioneer of wine tourism. As early as the early 1990s, he opened Villa Sandi to visitors, anticipating the hospitality model that today drives much of Italy’s wine tourism growth. The 1622 Palladian villa and its historic underground cellars have become, over time, an international destination for enthusiasts and travellers, helping to spread knowledge of the Veneto hills’ wine landscape and of Italian wine culture.
Today the winery is a benchmark for hospitality: over 20,000 visitors per year and more than half a million total visits since opening, offering an experience that integrates tasting, architecture, history and territory into a coherent and immersive narrative.
Meininger Award: criteria, jury and cultural significance
Established in 2006 by Meininger Verlag—publisher of Weinwirtschaft, Wine Business International, Sommelier, Fizz and Weinwelt—the award is assigned by a jury of journalists among the most influential in wine publishing. The Meininger Award – Excellence in Wine & Spirits identifies figures who, in Italy and worldwide, have made tangible contributions to the development of the sector: from production to trade, cultural promotion and innovation.
In this context, the title awarded to Moretti Polegato recognises his leading role in elevating Prosecco as a category and in promoting Made in Italy as an ecosystem of quality, landscape and hospitality.
