September 20, 2023 — Bertani Chief of Winemaking Andrea Lonardi – COO of Angelini Wines & Estates since 2012 – has been announced Master of Wine by the most influential wine association in the world, the Institute of Masters of Wine, the leading and oldest organization dedicated to wine knowledge and business.
“Being a Master of Wine does not just mean knowing how to taste wine, recognizing its origin or being a good communicator. The Master of Wine is a journey that, once completed, makes you think about wine in different terms like its stylistic, economic, social and productive future. Wine is a means of dialogue with vinegrowers, sales networks and entrepreneurs. Wine is being able to listen and is a subject that requires time, dedication and lots of study, both theoretical and in the field. This is why I chose the path of the Institute of Masters of Wine,” affirms Lonardi. His final thesis was titled Pergola and VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) in Valpolicella: how labor demand and current challenges impact training system choices. Lonardi continues, “The comparison between training systems, such as VSP and Pergola, will become increasingly topical, considering climate change and the shortage of labor in Valpolicella.”
“We are glad to have supported Andrea Lonardi along this professional journey and we are proud of the results he has achieved,” commented Ettore Nicoletto, President and CEO of Angelini Wines & Estates, where Bertani is the flagship winery. He concludes: “the growth of his skills will be a further contribution to Angelini Wines & Estates.”
The Institute of Masters of Wine is the center of exceptional expertise in the wine world. What began 70 years ago as a wine trade exam in the United Kingdom is now a globally recognized qualification held collectively by a worldwide family of Masters of Wine. Today there are 414 MWs located in 31 different countries, each bringing their own contribution to the wine world.
After passing the exam, Masters of Wine have to sign a code of conduct before being able to use the title of Master of Wine and the initials “MW.” The code of conduct requires Masters of Wine to act with honesty and integrity and to use every opportunity to share their wine knowledge with others. Only 450 people have become Masters of Wine since the first exam took place in 1953, and today the Institute of Masters of Wine represents the highest ambition for wine professionals all over the world.
Lonardi is native of Valpolicella with a degree in Agricultural studies from Bologna University and a Masters in Management Control from the Grande Ecole in Montpellier, which opened the door to his collaboration with Washington State University, followed by a long career in management. After internships in Languedoc and
Sonoma, Lonardi joined the Top Wine Division of an important Italian Group, dealing with Marketing and Sales and developing important projects for the renewal of the vineyards. In 2012, he took on a new challenge, as Chief of Winemaking and Chief Operating Officer of Bertani Domains, today Angelini Wines & Estates, promoting the valorization of the Amarone Classico Bertani historical Library (The Library), the Valpolicella Crus development in the Novare Estate and Val di Suga repositioning, as an expression of three unique terroirs, on the three most suitable sectors of the appellation.
BERTANI – Founded in 1857 and synonymous with Amarone, Bertani is committed to terroir-driven wines that highlight the typicity of indigenous grapes with long honored winemaking traditions and state-of-the-art production facilities. Credited with producing the first Amarone style wine, Bertani houses an extensive historic library of Amarone Classico that proudly includes 45 vintages, all on the market today. Bertani’s inspiration is respect for tradition balanced with a unique innovative role and entrepreneurial mindset to achieve the greatest quality.
With over 500 acres in the Valpolicella Classica zone, Tenuta Novare in Arbizzano di Negrar is Bertani’s flagship vineyard and is considered the birthplace of Amarone Classico where Bertani welcomed its first vintage in 1958.
The estate extends over 500 acres, of which 160 acres are planted to vines. Grape varieties are those typical in the Valpolicella Classica area including Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara. In 2011 Bertani was acquired by Angelini Wine & Estates, holding a group of six wineries throughout Italy.
Bertani is imported to the US through Taub Family Selections, which represents a portfolio of fine wines produced by highly-regarded winemaking families with deep, long established roots. Their portfolio centers on true terroir-driven expressions that are benchmarks from the most heralded wine regions of the world.
ANGELINI WINE & ESTATES produces wines from different territories in Italy: the Val di Suga, Tenuta Trerose, San Leonino wineries in Tuscany, Cantina Puiatti in Friuli, Bertani in Veneto and the Tenute San Sisto and Fazi Battaglia in the Marche. Today, Angelini Wines & Estates totals 1,700 hectares of owned land, 460 of which are vineyards, with an overall production of about four million bottles a year.
