John Matta at Castello Vicchiomaggio
IWSC Italian Winemaker of the Year 1997, 2002 and 2005.
The Matta family bought the estate in 1964, and it is now run by John and his wife Paola. John studied winemaking and agronomy at Alba (Piemonte), and now makes a range of different wines each from separate vineyards on the estate.
John's father, Federico Matta, who came from Piemonte, started a business in London in the 1950s selling Italian wine to restaurants. Those old enough to remember the fifties may recall those bottles wrapped in straw. He went public, was taken over by Beecham, and returned to Italy to purchase Vicchiomaggio.
Over the years, John has come to know the character of each vineyard, the soils, slopes, and drainage, and the different characteristics he wants to express in each wine. If you visit Castello Vicciomaggio, not only will you be charmed by John and Paola's hospitality, but you cannot fail to be impressed by John's knowledge, dedication and enthusiasm.
It is a fitting accolade that the International Wine and Spirit Competition have named him Italian Winemaker of the Year, in 1997, 2002 and again in 2005, and WineShare members who have tried his exceptional Tuscan wines will doubtless agree.
