Vittorio Frescobaldi, a leading figure in Italian wine, dies aged 97

The passing of one of the architects of the modernisation and international success of Tuscan wine

The Italian wine world has lost one of its leading figures. Vittorio Frescobaldi passed away in Florence during the night of 25 to 26 August 2026, at the age of 97. A representative of the 31st generation of a Florentine family whose winemaking history stretches back more than seven centuries, he profoundly shaped the second half of the 20th century, contributing to the transformation of the family business and, more broadly, to the growing international prestige of Tuscan wines.

Born in Florence on 30 November 1928, Vittorio Frescobaldi graduated in agricultural sciences from the University of Florence in 1953 and joined the family estates alongside his father, Lamberto. Following his father’s death in 1959, he gradually took over the management of the company with his brothers Ferdinando and Leonardo. Together, the three brothers oversaw a decisive period in its history, marked by the modernisation of the vineyards and cellars, commercial development and an increasing openness to international markets.

This evolution, however, did not come at the expense of local identities. One of the guiding principles championed by Vittorio Frescobaldi was precisely to highlight the diversity of Tuscan terroirs and the individual character of each estate rather than seek to standardise the wines. Castello Nipozzano, Castello Pomino and Tenuta Castiglioni all contributed to this approach, built around a mosaic of different territories. In 1989, the acquisition of CastelGiocondo further strengthened the family’s presence in Montalcino and opened a new chapter in its development. But one of the most emblematic episodes of Vittorio Frescobaldi’s vision was undoubtedly his meeting with Robert Mondavi in the early 1990s. The encounter between these two great wine families led to the creation of the Tenuta Luce project in Montalcino in 1995. The ambition was particularly innovative at the time: to bring Tuscan winemaking experience together with an international vision while remaining deeply rooted in the terroir of Montalcino. Luce would gradually become one of the emblematic wines of this new Tuscany, increasingly open to the world.

The collaboration with Mondavi would later extend to Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, in Bolgheri. These decisions illustrate Vittorio Frescobaldi’s ability to recognise very early on the importance of internationalisation, at a time when Italian wine was undergoing a profound transformation in both its image and its positioning on foreign markets.

Appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro in 1977, Vittorio Frescobaldi also held various positions within the Italian agricultural sector, notably serving as vice-president of Confagricoltura from 1986 to 1990. Over the years, he gradually handed responsibility for the company to the next generation. His son, Lamberto Frescobaldi, now heads the family business and serves as president of the Unione Italiana Vini.

Following the announcement of his death, the Unione Italiana Vini paid tribute to an important “protagonist in the history of Italian wine”, highlighting his role in the development of Tuscan winemaking and in strengthening its prestige on international markets. Numerous tributes have also been paid across Italy to a man who, for more than seventy years, accompanied the profound transformations of the country’s wine industry.

With the passing of Vittorio Frescobaldi, the wine world loses one of the major witnesses and protagonists of a generation that succeeded in bringing together family heritage, the identity of individual terroirs and entrepreneurial vision. A generation that contributed significantly to taking Italy’s great wines into a new international dimension. Vittorio Frescobaldi is survived by his wife Bona and their four children, Fiammetta, Angelica, Lamberto and Diana.