Our People - Podere Le Ripi

It may have been said before, but we don’t mind repeating it: we have become a community. And if there is one thing that has allowed us to overcome challenges—because there have been plenty—it is the quality of the people, our ability to empower, inspire, and make everyone feel part of something bigger than themselves.

Seeing people from hundreds of kilometers away choose to settle here, in a village that not long ago seemed on the verge of abandonment—turning an internship into a job, a job into a home, and then into new entrepreneurial projects—is what makes us proud.

More than the latest high-tech tractor or the finest oak barrel, we believe in the magic that only people can create. We believe there is another way to build a company, a different model—one driven by enthusiasm, participation, and a shared desire to be happier and freer to be ourselves through the work we do.

People are our superpower. Wine is not the final goal, but rather the instrument through which we cultivate a culture that has grown spontaneously among us—from the entrepreneur to the newest arrival.

In 2012, I quite literally tumbled into this chaotic and unruly estate. I had studied a lot, yet knew nothing. Back then, we were just a handful of people, and there were days when it felt like crying was the only option. I thought this would just be a job—something to do until I found something better.

Francesco was already a tsunami, and I was reckless enough to believe in him. He never told us what to do; he didn’t try to lead us—he just wanted to make sure we were happy and courageous, to help us see that happiness was already here, if only we chose to embrace it. One person’s dream became everyone’s dream.

"So yes, long live wine! But even more than that, evviva la vita!"

And then, over the years, more and more people tumbled in—young, messy, all a little different. Sure, we loved wine—still do—but what we loved even more was the feeling of being ourselves. The belief that we could decide how to live together, how to grow, and how to keep feeding the fire that kept us warm.

We’ve always been good at finding heroes—winemakers, projects, businesses, entrepreneurs, wines. We admired them like they had superpowers, never realizing we might have some of our own.

People have said a lot of things about us over the years. It’s the natural consequence of being a little different. We’ve gotten used to enjoying what we manage to build on our own, but also to transforming criticism into fuel for change.

At first, it was “too oaky.” Then, just “a rich man’s toy.” Then it was oxidized, bretty, reduced—sometimes all three at once. Then we were too inexperienced, too loud, too crazy. Suddenly, we were alternative naturists, then destructive radicals… At first, these things made us angry. But in the end, we are grateful for every critique, because it forced us to question, to improve, to evolve. (Maybe too much at times.)

In the past few years, we may have grown up a little. Some incredible things have happened—things that once felt impossible. Like telling our story at Chambers NY.

Moments like these don’t just make us feel like we’re in the right place; they make us look back—to where it all began, to everything we’ve been through, to everyone who has walked alongside us in this journey. For us, it’s never just about wine—it’s about life. About people we meet, people who grow, people who change us as we change them. Years slip by without us even noticing. Maybe we’ll never fully become the dream we have in our minds. But maybe that’s our strength.

In the meantime, we enjoy this wild, beautiful group—held together by feelings, passion, dreams, and the simple desire to create something bigger than ourselves. And we hope that others—even more different, even more disheveled—will tumble into this little hole in the ground. That our dream will become their dream.