Much has been written about Marilisa Allegrini and her entrepreneurial success as President and CEO of the Allegrini Group in Verona. She has been called “Lady Amarone” for her exuberant promotion of Italian wines.
Marilisa represents the sixth generation of her family whose name has become synonymous with Valpolicella Classico wines. As a young girl she spent summers play with friends at Villa Della Torre, a masterpiece of the Italian renaissance building era which she eventually acquired in 2008.
We sat down with Allegrini over dinner at Villa Della Torre in Valpolicella. Although we had read many articles about her, including a cover story in The Wine Spectator, we had never officially met. We jumped at the opportunity to visit not only Villa Della Torre but also San Polo, Allegrini’s wine estate in Montalcino.
In 2020, Marilisa Allegrini received the ‘Cavaliere del Lavoro,’ the highest honor from the President of the Republic (equivalent to the Order of Merit for Labor).
We decided to keep the conversation focused on our mutual zest for living life to the fullest rather than focus solely on the technical aspects of each wine we had with our dinner. At some point when the sun sets and the food comes out, the conversation needs to loosen up. We learned we share a mutual passion for exotic travel and hiking and for stepping outside one’s comfort zone. She likes to cook pasta at home and sip white wine, notably Vermentino Solesole from Poggio al Tesoro, her estate in Bolgheri.
Marilisa originally had dreams of becoming a doctor and worked as a physical therapist for five years, but her father, Giovanni Allegrino, urged her to join the family business which she did in 1981. When Giovanni passed away unexpectedly in 1983, Marilisa and brothers, Franco and Walter, were catapulted into leading the company. Franco handled production; Walter managed the vineyards, and Marilisa took over global marketing and sales. It was a natural transition given her vibrant personality and ability to make anyone feel at ease, a quality she says she honed while working with her physical therapy patients.
Marilisa told us it was difficult for the three siblings, “There were people who doubted our company would survive, but my father taught me that you don’t just inherit a company, you inherit family values and a legacy to continue and grow.”
Under Marilisa’s stewardship, Allegrini Group established itself as the leading producer in Valpolicella Classico whose labels have achieved international acclaim: Palazzo della Torre, La Grola, La Poja, and Allegrini Amarone. The company has championed appassimento – the partial grape-drying process for which Valpolicella is known, that concentrates the grapes juices over time and helps deliver a more complex and voluptuous wine.
The grapes of Valpolicella
It could have been “enough” to focus solely on the family’s success in Valpolicella, but Marilisa decided- in her words- ”to step outside her comfort zone.” In 2002 she founded Poggio al Tesoro in Bolgheri and in 2007 she acquired San Polo in Montalcino. In 2008 she acquired Villa Della Torre, a magnificent Italian-renaissance-era estate located in Fumane near Verona. Today, Villa Della Torre serves as Allegrini Group’s international headquarters and is a beautiful event space. Villa Della Torre also offers private cooking classes and 10 rooms for overnight guests.
And this is where we found ourselves sipping aperitivos in the garden with Marilisa and continuing our lively conversation over dinner well into the night. Valla Della Torre was designed by architects Giulio Romano and Michele Sanmicheli, and is spectacular in its details. Of note is its chapel and the four lion’s head fireplaces. We dined in front of one lion’s head for our evening with Marilisa. Our dinner was prepared by the Villa’s private chef.
One of the many unique design features at Villa della Torre are its four Lion’s Head fireplaces.
We tasted several selections from the Allegrini Group portfolio including Solesole Vermentino and Sondraia from Poggio Al Tesoro, La Allegrini Estate Grola, one their three single vineyard wines, and Allegrini Amarone Classico. The next morning we toured the Allegrini designated single vineyards before tasting a more extensive selection of wines and vintages.
Allegrini Vineyards
By the end of the evening and animated conversation, we felt like we were old friends. And that’s what Marilisa wants to achieve, a feeling of elegance and hospitality at Villa Della Torre. Because, as she told us, “My father used say, “When you come to our property you come with your last name but when you leave, we are all Allegrini.”
Marilisa Allegrini at Villa della Torre
Listen to our conversation with Marilisa Allegrini on The Connected Table LIVE!
Marilisa Allegrini, CEO The Allegrini Group, “First Lady of Amarone”
Marilisa Allegrini has been called The First Lady of Amarone.” As President/CEO of The Allegrini Group, Marilisa has continued her late father, Giovanni‘s, commitment to viticultural innovation and excellence, producing world-renowned Valpolicella Classico wines. She has also expanded the family footprint in Italy, founding Poggio al Tesoro in Bolgheri in 2002 and acquiring San Polo in Montalcino in 2007. In 2008 she acquired Villa Della Torre, an Italian-renaissance estate near Verona.