About the Winemaker

Alberto Antonini, one of the most prominent winemakers working in Italy today, trained at the University of Bordeaux and the University of California, Davis. He was Director of Oenology for Piero Antinori in Tuscany where in the 1990s he was responsible for making Tignanello and Solaia, two of the most celebrated wines in the world.

Alberto's approach to winemaking has appealed to me for many years. So in my search for the right person to help me bring Ananda to life, I was delighted when he agreed to work with me.

When Alberto and I select the final blend it is a result of a blind tasting that we do together. Alberto assembles five samples and we then taste and evaluate together. This is because the style and personality of the wine is determined both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

We blended our very first vintage in 2001 and I will always remember Alberto's words: "You certainly do like Bordeaux," he said with a smile, as I seem to have selected the same blend in three different blind sessions—the one that had the most elegance and finesse.

Alberto's values are what I call "modern elegance" in crafting balanced "real" wines that exhibit both character and charm along with serious structure.

—Judy Beardsall