Vintage Intelligence: In Conversation with Gioia Giacomelli
By Kristen Oliveri
Gioia Giacomelli has built a career at the intersection of hospitality, culture and storytelling. As the founder of Atelier Gioia, a PR and marketing consultancy specializing in hospitality, lifestyle, wine, and food, she works with some of the most celebrated properties and brands across Europe and the United States.
Her portfolio includes iconic destinations such as Il Borro Relais & Châteaux and Il Borro Wines in Tuscany, Borgo San Felice Relais & Châteaux, the newly opened Palazzo Talia in Rome, and luxury resorts in Sardinia, along with international groups like the Younan Collection.
Below, she answers Wealth Reimagined’s burning questions on all things wine.
Q: When you think back on your life, when was the moment you fell in love with wine?
A: At 21, I was living my parents’ dream—working a solid, prestigious job at a bank in Italy. But the universe had something else in mind for me, and during one lunch break, I wandered into a restaurant owned by Anna Beltrami, a powerhouse regional sommelier. One captivating conversation later, I signed up for a sommelier course. Within a year, I left the bank behind and leapt into the world of wine journalism, following the spark ignited by that extraordinary woman.
Q: What is your latest wine obsession?
A: My latest wine obsession is amphora wines. I don’t always want big reds, and what I love about amphora wines is how they drink, how it reshapes the experience, even with the most stubborn, full-character grapes, like Sangiovese. There’s a breeze to them, the structure remains, but the wine feels more open, and easier to return to glass after glass and I can chill it, which I love to do with red wine.
Q: Are there any under-the-radar Italian wine destinations that might surprise people?
A: While Etna is better known today, it’s still underestimated. What excites me about Etna right now is its reds and sparkling wines. The elevation, volcanic soils, and long growing season create bubbles with incredible natural acidity and a deep mineral core. Whether made from Carricante or Nerello Mascalese, the bubbles are taut, saline, and layered.
Q: What’s something in your cellar that’s surprising?
A: If a wine makes it longer than two months, that is surprising! But what I really enjoyed lately is the Champagne Saint-Chamant made in very small production barely present here in the USA. I tasted with my friend Sommelier Ferdi from Brentwood Wines here in LA, he is a true wine finder!
Q: What global wine destination is next to visit on your list?
A: Oregon. I’m drawn to what’s happening with Pinot Noir there right now. The wines feel focused and restrained, with an emphasis on site, freshness, and nuance rather than power. There’s a confidence in Oregon Pinot that doesn’t need to announce itself, and that quiet precision is what makes the region so compelling to visit next. I’m also very interested in the Finger Lakes. While known for Riesling, there’s a broader conversation happening around balance, acidity, and site that feels very forward-thinking.
Q: Favorite cocktail when you need a break from wine?
A: I love Mezcal-based cocktails that are fresh and clean. Something citrusy and very light, but with that smoky edge that mezcal gives. Mezcal is really the only agave spirit I enjoy. I’ve found it sits better with me, feels lighter, and I genuinely love the way it drinks.
Q: And any books on wine that you consider essential reading for those in the industry?
A: I’ve always lived with wine more than read about it, but on the other hand, MondoVino has been an interesting and inspiring documentary shot in the early days of digital filmmaking - gives you a feeling about the absurdity of the wine industry when wine is merely treated as a luxury product and it is interested to watch it today bc we are right in the opposite direction.