Choosing to dedicate oneself to the land today, even founding a new winery from scratch, takes a great deal—perhaps too much—courage. And yet, the number of young people deciding to tie their lives to wine continues to grow. Not so much in quantity, but in quality.

They are small yet great contemporary heroes, who see nature and the environment not only as an opportunity, but as a true way of life. A lens through which to interpret the present and imagine the future. And here they are, our 40 Under 40: most are under thirty, and more than half are women. A small army armed with expertise, passion, and that essential boldness without which one cannot truly be young.

Because today, in such a delicate moment, this choice is anything but obvious. Wine is going through a complex phase: consumption is declining, and the sector itself is being questioned at its core. Embarking on this path means embracing uncertainty: there are no guarantees, except those tied to unpredictable factors such as climate, and above all to one’s own ability, talent, and vision.

Yet this is precisely how the future is built: with feet firmly rooted in the vineyard and a free, open gaze capable of looking beyond. With new ideas and an approach that goes beyond traditional boundaries. A wine that is less and less confined within bottles and glasses, and increasingly open to dialogue with other disciplines—art, performance, ethics, and aesthetics. In a word, with the world. Italian wine cultivates tradition without fearing innovation; it looks with confidence toward new Asian and African markets; it increasingly becomes a narrative. It starts from people, yet is not afraid of marketing. It is not intimidated by new no- and low-alcohol trends, and it embraces mixology. It understands that drinking less but better is not a loss of identity, but rather a value.

This is the direction our young people are shaping: a long-term, enterprising vision, projected toward the horizon, hand in hand with culture, to redesign the future of wine. Without fear.

1989, Centovignali – Sammichele di Bari (BA)

Raised in an agricultural environment, she developed a genuine sensitivity to the value of the land. Today, she leads the winery’s marketing and communication, blending tradition with contemporary language.