Vittorio Fiore
Owner and Winemaker
Vittorio Fiore was born in Fortezza, nearby the town of Bolzano, in the region of Trentino Alto Adige. He attended the Scuola Tecnica in San Michele all’Adige and graduated from the Istituto Tecnico Agrario in Conegliano.
He spent the next 10 years working for several wineries in northern Italy before accepting the position of Director of the Italian Association of Enologists, a title he held from 1970 to 1978. In this position, Vittorio was deeply involved in all aspects of the winemaking business, including a variety of administrative, standard-setting and technical roles. He also wrote numerous informative and technical articles for specialized wine magazines.
In 1978, Vittorio moved to Tuscany, where he virtually invented the profession of consulting winemaker. For the last 30 years, he has assisted dozens of wineries in their efforts to produce quality wines. In addition to improving and promoting traditional wines, he has never hesitated to experiment with new varietals and winemaking methods.
Vittorio is an unofficial ambassador of high quality Italian and Tuscan wines, and is frequently called upon by the Tuscan regional government to present the region’s wines to the press and members of the wine trade in Italy and abroad.
He continues to work diligently to broaden even more his already vast professional knowledge, traveling several times a year to winegrowing regions in France, Germany, the US, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. He is fluent in French, English and German.
The slopes of the Greve Valley are indisputably one of Italy's most ideal locations for the cultivation of vineyards and olive groves. The combination of exposure and soil composition contribute to the excellent quality of the wines and the extra virgin olive oils of the area. Named for the river that passes through as it travels from a medieval hilltop town, this area happens to be one of the most important historical centers of the Chianti Classico region. Poggio Scalette takes its name from the landscape which is characterized by dry stone walls that support the terraces on which the vineyards and olive groves are planted. From a distance the impression is of a series of stairs climbing the slopes of Greve. After the death of the previous owner, Poggio Scalette remained abandoned for years until Vittorio Fiore, one of Italy's most famed winemakers, and his wife Adriana discovered the property in 1991. In 1996, 42 additional acres of land became available, enabling them to expand. It was discovered that the plot of land known as “Il Carbonaione” was the first area to be replanted after World War I (1914-1918). This translates into the fact that these vines, more than 90 years old, are a rare example of the original clone of the famous “Sangiovese di Lamole” variety in the Chianti Classico area. Il Carbonaione is the culmination of knowledge and experience and therefore an important message of quality. Vittorio Fiore dedicates this wine to Tuscany and to Sangiovese; the region and the variety that have allowed him to fulfill his aspirations to produce the highest possible level of quality wine.
