They are called Josè Rallo, Vinzia Novara di Gaetano, Albiera Antinori or Elena Alberti Nulli. They live between the Alps and Sicily. They are strong and beautyfull and grapes and wine are their business.

More and more women are playing an important role in Italy`s wine business. One of three wineries has a woman on top.

Why ? There are a loto of reasons. But one of them is, that men have neglected wine for a long time. The “Marchesa” Antinori, who leads the famous Antinori winery in Tuscanywith her two sisters once told me, that making wine just hadn`t been sexy in the past. So it was left to the female partof the family.

As we know times have changed.

Elena Alberti Nulli who leads the winery Castelveder in the Franciacorta region in Northern Italy once told me : “I started because it was the family`s hobby and my husband was busy with his industry in Brescia and had enough money to invest”. Today the hobby has become a very profitable business for the entire family.

Donnafugata`s  Jose Rallo is a real star of the wine system. The energetic Sicilian woman, who also sits on company boards, even sings about wine. That is real Southern Italian passion.

Another passionate Sicilian is Vinzia Novarta di Gaetano. The elegant woman with the black hair leads Firriato with her husband after generations of male only leadership. And she is convinced: “If a woman takes over, she goes all the way to finish the job”.