We had the pleasure of reaching Diva Moretti Polegato from Villa Sandi, an important partner of Bellavita Expo events around the world, in order to learn more about the new family product “Il Fresco” Prosecco DOC Rosé, the UK market and the challenges for the future.

Diva is a young professional who has very clear his roots, the Italian wine tradition and who daily faces the role of Brand Ambassador of the family business, aware of the responsibility to make our wine heritage and our excellence known abroad.

Diva, can you tell us the origins of your company and what you have become today?

Villa Sandi is a family love story.

It all started with my grandfather, already a wine producer; my father founded Villa Sandi in Crocetta di Montello (Treviso) in 1975, placing the Palladian Villa of 1622, unique in the panorama of the Prosecco area, at the center of the estate. My mother is in charge of the Marketing Department while my brother and I, who will join the company after his studies, are the third generation.

Without giving in to any compromise, my father immediately turned to the quality production with the help of the right and correct technologies available, such as keeping the must refrigerated at 0 degrees for 100% of the production, from Blanc de Blanc to Cartizze, thus giving quality, freshness and consistent perlage to our wines.

We have started numerous environmental sustainability projects for example the use of renewable energy thanks to a hydroelectric plant inside the property and solar panels, in the vineyard we follow the "biodiversity friend" certification which certifies sustainable practices to protect biodiversity, and the membership of the Wine Research Team, a network of companies with a specific focus on scientific and technological research in the vineyard and in the cellar, from a sustainable perspective.

We are present in 110 countries with our Group, and we are proud of the many achievements and eager to go further.

What exactly do you do in the company?

After attending university in London and obtaining a diploma as a Sommelier, I started collaborating with the company team as a Brand Ambassador for international markets with a special focus on UK, USA, Canada and emerging Asian markets.

I participate in events, tastings, meetings with customers and the international media, transmitting the values ​​of a family linked to the territory and a company whose roots are grafted into tradition, but with an international perspective and a strong innovative drive.

This work allows me to fully understand the market in which I work, the needs and their culture; my challenge is to find the right channels to make our company known, creating links, synergies and relationships within it.

Tell us more about your work in the UK market.

The UK market has been an important challenge and a great team success.

First reference market for the Prosecco world, it has been necessary to invest in communication regarding the production area. Villa Sandi is a reference company in the Prosecco world, with vineyards in all denominations. Strengthened by this, we have worked to promote Prosecco as a wine, but also as a territory, increasing our "brand awareness" as a company that is an expression of high quality and reliability, this for the insiders as well as the final consumers.

We have achieved this through investments and targeted marketing operations such as the Premium Wine Brands project, Fine Wine division of Annessa Imports, of which Villa Sandi was the main promoter with the aim of increasing the presence and visibility of my family's company in the most prestigious London restaurants.

The work of these years is bringing us many satisfactions, including - during this tough period - being selected by Selfridge's as the first Prosecco DOC Rosé and the only Prosecco with organic certification. But there are still many opportunities, this is just the beginning!

Can you tell us about Prosecco DOC Rosé?

Since the birth of the Prosecco DOC Consortium, my father - a member of the Board of Directors since its establishment in 2009 - has strongly supported the creation of the rosé version of Prosecco DOC. All the great appellations and important wines in the world have a rosé declination and Villa Sandi was among the first companies to have believed in the potential of this product.

After a process of about three years, the modification of the production specification was approved and became effective in 2020. Since the end of October it has been possible to put Prosecco DOC on the market in the new rosé version so we can compete in a category that has recorded double-digit growth in the last year.

A great opportunity especially now and an opportunity to keep the attention to the Prosecco world alive.

What, in your opinion, is the added value of Prosecco DOC Rosé and where can it be positioned?

The typology comes from the market itself and from the demand for rosé wines in the world.

The fact of being able to link the Prosecco Rosè to the production area, the Glera and Pinot Nero grapes must come exclusively from vineyards located in the Prosecco Doc area, is synonymous of quality and the origin gives value to the product. The presence of Pinot Noir (between 10-15%) allows this bubble to have a greater structure and body which lends itself very well to combinations of international cuisines, I am thinking of northern European and Asian cuisine, for example .

Living immersed in an international culture like the one I breathe in London, the occasions in which a bottle of Prosecco DOC Rosé can find its place are many, including the typical parties that are most felt abroad regarding love and women as Mother's Day or Valentine's Day.

Challenges of the future?

It will certainly be going back to meet and experience relationships in person.

As a company we have worked hard in 2020, creating new opportunities online - I am thinking of projects in the UK, in the USA with Ethica Wines or in Asia on WeChat - but I do not hide the fact that as soon as we can return to travel we will be ready to start again by treasuring of what we learned in this period and of the consolidated bonds that had been created by previous face-to-face meetings.

Usually I close with the classic question: what is your secret dream?

I am very attached to the latest company to join the Group: Tenuta Borgo Conventi in the Friulian Collio and I do not deny that if I were to leave London in the future I would really like to move there.