Giancarlo Voglino: Learning from the Past, Understanding the Present, Shaping the Future
As an agronomist and oenologist, Giancarlo Voglino has always been a champion of Italian agri-food products, with a particular focus on the world of wine. From his early days at the Consorzio per la tutela dell’Asti DOCG to his position as an executive within the National Office for the Promotion of Agri-food Products at ICE, Voglino has crafted a career driven by his unwavering commitment to bringing Italian oenological excellence to international markets.
It’s a story of shared intent and vision that binds him to Michele Chiarlo: in the early 2000s, together with him and 18 other prestigious Italian producers, he founded Istituto Grandi Marchi, an organization dedicated to promoting Italian wine culture and tradition – to this day, a beacon for the identity and recognizability of Italian wine worldwide.
I met Michele many years ago, when I was still involved in the activities of the Consorzio per la tutela dell’Asti DOCG. I was already familiar with his work, and I immediately felt a profound respect for this determined entrepreneur: he was pursuing a tough goal, impressively ambitious for those times – the challenge of bringing Italian wine, especially Barbera and the wine of Piedmont, outside of national borders. At that time, the Italian wine world was still far from understanding the vital importance of territory and cooperation. Michele, always ahead of his time, had realized that the world of wine was in great need of a shake-up, and he was determined to dive into the challenge headfirst.
Michele came from a family of winemakers, but it was he who truly wrote the history of the family business, paving new roads for the entire Italian wine movement. I always looked up to him: he had a sharp commercial vision and his point of view was unexpected, attentive, measured and crystal clear. He had developed his innate understanding of the importance of positioning in the market. That was the guiding light to all his work, and the reason behind the success of his endeavours.
Our relationship started in a professional setting, but soon evolved into a strong friendship, built on mutual respect and a deep sharing of intentions and visions. We agreed on the need to work on better positioning for Italian wines abroad, and we often debated on what would be the best approach to tackle the challenge. Every discussion was an opportunity for me to learn and question myself: I knew I could rely on the honest and patient perspective of a man with great insight and extensive experience.
It was this deep respect and commonality of ideals that gave shape to the idea for the adventure that would become, in the early 2000s, Istituto Grandi Marchi, which I still follow to this day: together with some of the greatest producers, stellar names written on the pages of Italian wine history, we undertook this ambitious project with the aim of promoting the culture and tradition of top-range Italian wine in the world.
Michele was an invaluable mentor and a precious friend. We spent a lot of time together, traveling and attending fairs and meetings. With him, boredom was out of the equation: our conversations ranged from analyzing the geopolitical situation of Europe and the world to life stories, from art to wine, of course. He was a master in the art of sharing, always eager to involve you in his experiences – he was a great storyteller – and to listen to yours. Superficiality was not an option: every stimulus had to be taken into consideration, every opinion was an opportunity for growth.
His contemporaneity was astonishing. Michele was a man of his times and had a unique ability to adapt to change not only in the market but also in culture and society. It was thanks to this predisposition that he could be so practical in his vision: his knowledge of the past and understanding of the present made his outlook on the future all the more brilliant.
He was a man of great elegance, charisma, and integrity; but he also knew how to entertain and let go. One of the fondest memories I cherish is linked to the Symposium of the Masters of Wine in Florence, an event we sponsored in 2014 with the Grandi Marchi Institute. I still giggle at the recollection of the moment when, at the end of the evening – a huge success – we burst into an impromptu disco party where Michele surprised everyone with his great moves!
Michele was a true blessing in my life. Encounters with such extraordinary people are by no means common; he was much more than just a colleague or mentor – Michele was a companion in thought and travel, a sincere and reliable guide in every challenge and decision. His extraordinary sense of the present, combined with an unwavering confidence in the territory and its potential, meant a lot for my understanding of the world of wine and beyond. His legacy of integrity, passion, and openness of spirit will continue to inspire me and those who had the privilege of crossing his path.