Our Story

Story

Family legacy

Family legacy
Family legacy tigre tolaini - mix-blend-mode

Pier Luigi Tolaini left his home in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Lucca, Italy and immigrated to Canada in 1956 at the age of 20.  After building a succesful transportation company in North America, he returned to Tuscany in 1998 with a dream to make great wine. He purchased land in Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost region in Chianti Classico, and founded Tolaini Winery.

Lia and Pier Luigi

For 22 years, he passionately crafted top-notch Tuscan wines with his daughter Lia. Pier Luigi passed away in 2020, and today, alongside her 3 children—Alex, Ali and Matteo—Lia carries on the delicate balance of tradition and innovation, continuing to transform her father’s dreams into Tolaini’s enduring legacy.

Lia and her children Alex, Ali and Matthew

The winemaking team

The winemaking team
The winemaking team The winemaking team
Francesco  Rosi

Francesco Rosi

Head Enologist & Director of Production

Francesco is our Head Winemaker and Director of Production. After earning his degree in Enology from the University of Florence in 2004, he joined Tolaini in 2011 and, over the years, worked under the guidance of esteemed consultants such as Michel Rolland and Luca D’Attoma.
Francesco is now solely in charge of our winemaking team, guiding every stage of production with his expertise and vision.

Marco Fattori

Marco Fattori

Assistant Winemaker

Marco graduated from the University of Florence with a degree in Viticulture and Enology in 2018, followed by a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Innovation in Viticulture and Enology. Marco joined the Tolaini team in 2022 and supports all cellar operations, including vinification, bottling, quality control, and laboratory analysis.
He works closely as a direct assistant to our enologist, Francesco.

The Agronomist Team

The Agronomist Team
The Agronomist Team The Agronomist Team
Eleonora  Piredda

Eleonora Piredda

Head Agronomist

Eleonora graduated from agricultural science and technology in April 2014 from the University of Sassari. She then attended the University of Torino and acquired a degree in viticulture and enology in 2017. Eleonora joined the Tolaini team in March 2020 as our assistant agronomist. In January 2022 she became our head agronomist. She is responsible for overseeing vineyard health and balance, from soil management to canopy care, to ensure the highest quality grapes.

Mattia Malanchi

Mattia Malanchi

Consulting Agronomist

Mattia graduated from the University of Florence with a degree in Viticulture and Enology in April 2012. In 2014 he joined the Tolaini team as an Assistant Agronomist and Cellarhand. In 2017 he took on the role of Vineyard Manager at Tolaini and as of January 2022 he is Tolaini's consulting agronomist.