23 october 2025
Memories from New York
“Twenty-five years are the best years. They are also called the ‘heroic’ years: the years in which you see the meaning of every choice and effort. In fact, when I think of my Poggio al Tesoro, I feel proud and grateful for having believed in a project that seemed so bold and almost impossible at the start. Today, it represents the quality of Italian wine and speaks prestigiously to the whole world”. This is how Marilisa Allegrini, president of the Group of the same name and holder of the Order of Merit for Labor (Cavaliere del Lavoro), commented on the debut of her Bolgheri winery at the Wine Spectator Wine Experience, speaking with a smile and a hint of emotion in the spotlight of international critics and to the applause of the American public.
This debut comes just a few months before the start of Poggio al Tesoro’s 25th anniversary celebrations. The recognition comes from across the Atlantic, in the heart of the Big Apple, where the winery has been selected and invited to participate for the first time in the prestigious event dedicated to global wine excellence, which brings together producers and enthusiasts every year.
“Dedicato a Walter,” a 100% Cabernet Franc that has become the winery’s flagship wine, was thus the star of the Critics’ Choice Grand Tastings held on October 16 and 17 in New York, in an atmosphere typical of great occasions, made unique by a succession of raised glasses, heartfelt hugs, and numerous congratulations.
“Being here, with our wine and our history, is an emotion I cannot contain. It is a wine that is particularly dear to me because of the name it bears: that of my brother, Walter, with whom I shared the intuition and vision behind this project. I see in the eyes of those who taste it the same curiosity and passion that drove me, years ago, to travel to promote outstanding Italian wine”, confides Marilisa Allegrini. “America has always been a second home to me: it is the place where I have built relationships, friendships, and a network of trust with those who love and value our work”.
What emerges, when reading between the lines of this journey, is the renewed importance accorded to physical encounters, to direct and close presence, which has, once again, assumed strategic value.
“Wine tells its story through people, not just labels. Those who choose us are looking for authenticity; the humanity behind the story of a wine makes it interesting and, as they say here, ‘appealing’. These are things that I have always considered fundamental: we must make ourselves known and enable those who taste our wine to become aware of our identity, even before they taste our product.”
And it is precisely this humanity that has made the New York experience even more special. “This year, I wanted to bring part of my team with me to share such an important moment and give them the exclusive and highly educational opportunity to learn about and taste the most interesting wines on the global scene. You always have to be open and ready to learn new things. I hope to experience new milestones together, year after year. Because, in the end, that’s what wine is: a collective story made up of people, passion, and dreams that come true”.
The trip to the United States – which began with the announcement in Chicago that Poggio al Tesoro had been chosen among the wineries for Opera Wine 2026 – also allowed Lady Amarone to make a lucid observation about the market and the complex international situation.
“The current context is a delicate one. I feel that the tariffs imposed on European importers are not just an economic issue, but a cultural challenge that we must continue to overcome. Inevitably, there will be a fall in consumption in 2026, with increased costs of up to 30% for the end consumer. We must take note of this”, explains the entrepreneur. “But what I saw, in Chicago and in New York, really struck me: on restaurant menus, over 45% of wines are high-end. That means the American public may buy less, but will continue to choose quality. And it is on this basis that we will continue to meet the upcoming challenges, producing wines of absolute excellence”.
“Perhaps this is, after all, the secret of twenty-five ‘heroic’ years: to continue to be amazed. Every award, every hug, every raised glass is an invitation to look ahead with the same curiosity and passion as always. And if we are celebrating an important milestone today, it is only because we believed that wine is never just a product: it is a shared dream that has the scent of the future. It is the strength of those who deeply love what they do and never stop putting themselves out there”, concludes Marilisa Allegrini.
