Master Winemaker 100: Francesca Giuggioli
The winemaker at Tuscany’s San Felice features in this year’s Master Winemaker 100 guide and won the title of Sangiovese Grand Master. She tells db about knowing when to step aside, pairing wine with suckling pig and winemaking with her daughter in mind.
Born in Siena and raised in the beautiful region of Monteriggioni, where viticulture has always been a fundamental part of local culture, Francesca Giuggioli was understandably drawn in this career direction.
After graduating as an oenotechnician, she continued her studies with a degree in Viticulture & Oenology from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Florence. Her thesis here focused on the plant physiology of an indigenous Tuscan grape variety, indicative of Giuggioli’s commitment to understanding her local terroir.
After building experience with several prestigious wineries, Giuggioli joined Chianti Classico producer San Felice in 2008.
A wise person once told me: “Listen to understand, not just to reply.”
A great wine should reflect the soul of its origin, carrying identity, grace and emotion.
A great winemaker should be sensitive and intuitive, knowing when to act and when to step aside. Walking the fine line between emotion and science is the key.
The thing I’d most like to change about the wine world is the overly complicated words, the too-serious approach. We’re sharing emotions, not saving lives.
I wish I could tell the consumer who drinks my wine that this glass is the result of a journey crafted by many hands, and now you are part of the story. Every sip completes what we began in the vineyards.
The last time I asked a sommelier for advice, I ended up with a glass I never would have chosen – and he was right. It was a traditional Sardinian porceddu [suckling pig], paired with Vermentino, an unexpected but delightful combination.
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If I couldn’t be a winemaker, I’d probably be a singer.
I wish our vineyards could speak. I think they would have nice stories to tell, offering their own point of view and maybe even teaching us something. Wine is the voice of many different things, so why not theirs too?
My next ambition is to make a wine my daughter would appreciate.
If I won the lottery, I don’t know what I’d do. Maybe I’d keep working just to avoid the sad fate most people meet when they win.
If there were more hours in the day, I’d spend them with people who make my heart smile.
When it’s all going wrong, I stop and look at nature, especially the sea. Things usually find their way again. And if they don’t, I remind myself: “You have done it many times before, and this time won’t be any different.”
My desert island wine would be the one that brings back beautiful memories. There’s one above all: a 1999 Vinsanto del Chianti, handcrafted by my grandfather and rediscovered by chance in the cellar. It was un tuffo al cuore – a skipped heartbeat – like a journey back in time.
Perfection is a boring illusion. I leave it to those who believe in it. I prefer harmony.
Francesca Giuggioli’s Master medals
Poggio Rosso Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2020, The Global Sangiovese Masters 2025
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