Greve in Chianti, April 2026 – Vignamaggio (link) is entering a new phase of its journey with a clear goal: to build more integrated approach that brings vineyard, cellar and market into closer alignment. In pursuit of this goal, the estate has expanded its technical team with the arrival of Lucia Minoggio, Head of Winery & Cellar Master, and Andrea Dondoli, Wine & Olive Agriculture Manager, tasked with contributing to the definition and implementation of a vision grounded in quality, agronomic sustainability and a contemporary reading of Sangiovese.
In a context marked by climate change, shifting consumer trends and growing operational complexity, the estate is revisiting its organisational model to reinforce consistency and direction across the entire production chain. The starting point is to move beyond a fragmented approach to individual stages and develop a more integrated system. A necessary step for a property like Vignamaggio, a 400-hectare estate between Greve and Panzano in Chianti, where wine production is part of a broader agricultural project that includes olive groves, woodlands, crops, livestock and widespread hospitality.
The challenge: resilient vineyards for a changing climate
The starting point is the vineyard. Vignamaggio works with a strong Sangiovese genetic base, built over time and now central to its future. But that future has to contend with a changing context: greater climate variability, rising production costs and labour shortages. The company’s response rests on three pillars: the introduction of a precision viticulture programme based on detailed soil analysis, allowing for georeferenced vineyard management from fertilisation to plant protection; the extension of supplementary irrigation, not to drive yields but to safeguard balance and quality in dry vintages; and the planning of new plantings and vineyard restructuring with a long-term perspective, reaffirming Sangiovese as the defining variety of the appellation.
Leading this journey is Andrea Dondoli, who holds a degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of Florence and has gained experience across leading Tuscan estates, as well as with the Simonit&Sirch group (link), internationally recognised for its expertise in pruning. His approach is centred on vineyard longevity, with particular attention to pruning, canopy management and planting density, aiming to achieve a balanced relationship between growth and yield as a prerequisite for quality. „We’re living through a moment of change – in climate and in the way we work. My philosophy is to design vineyards that are as versatile as possible: resilient to climate change, cost-sustainable and manageable even in the face of a growing labour shortage.“
The direction: Sangiovese in purity, territorial identity, dialogue with the market
Vignamaggio has chosen to narrow its focus on Sangiovese, with a stylistic approach that favours elegance and expressive purity, moving away from blends and the muscular structures of a certain tradition. This philosophy takes shape in three interpretations — Chianti Classico DOCG Terre di Prenzano, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Gherardino e Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG Monna Lisa — each with its own profile and positioning.
Bridging winery, vineyard and market is Lucia Minoggio, a graduate in Oenology from the University of Florence, who joins Vignamaggio as Head of Winery & Cellar Master. Her mandate is to ensure continuity and coherence between agronomic choices, winery decisions and commercial requirements — three worlds that converge under a single direction. The decision to entrust this role to a technical figure, rather than a purely commercial one, is itself a clear statement: the product comes first, and quality is the starting point. „Wine is the expression of the work that goes into maintaining and shaping a place – and this is not an easy landscape to manage. There’s a real sense of energy around communicating what makes this place unique and the work behind it, and we want people to recognise that in the glass. „
Vignamaggio is among the 33 founding members of the Chianti Classico Consortium, with a continuous presence in the area since the 14th century. „We were here 700 years ago and we are still here. Our ambition is clear: to bring Vignamaggio back among the first estates that come to mind when one thinks of Chianti Classico.“
ABOUT VIGNAMAGGIO
A new vision of Chianti Classico: this is Vignamaggio, a 400-hectare estate located between Greve and Panzano in Chianti. A place that is in harmony with the surrounding landscape, inserted within a polyculture vision that considers the centrality of wine and includes tending to the forests, cultivating olive groves, cereals, vegetable gardens, and the breeding of Cinta Senese pigs and sheep. Vignamaggio is one of the oldest agricultural estates in Italy and is among the founding companies of the Consorzio del Chianti Classico, which it proudly represents all over the world thanks to excellent products such as Chianti Classico Riserva Gherardino and Gran Selezione Monna Lisa. Vignamaggio’s widespread hospitality is an immersive experience where guests can enjoy every element within a harmonious system designed to “make the day wonderful”: a celebration of the pleasure found in the little things and the great gifts of nature.
