Beyond the Vineyard: How Italian Wine Reaches Your Glass

By Michele Longari IWA | Guest Contributor

In fact, one of the most fascinating lessons I’ve learned as a wine professional is that a bottle’s journey doesn’t end with the producer, it continues through an intricate network of exporters/importers, logisticians, marketers and retailers who make sure it finds its way to our tables across the world.

I was reminded of this recently during a conversation I had with Cecilia Longo, third generation of Longo 1961, on Episode 2105 of the Italian Wine Podcast. Listening to her describe her work convinced me that the “other side” of wine, the commercial and logistical side, deserves just as much attention as what happens in the cellar.

After all, a great Barolo without an export partner is like a rock star without a tour manager: the talent is there, but will anyone outside the rehearsal room ever hear the music?

Cecilia Longo

From Wine Shop to Corporate Hampers

Cecilia’s family story begins in 1961, when her grandfather founded a wine company in Milan. At that time, production was geared toward quantity as much as quality, a reflection of Italy in the 1960s. But in the 1980s, something shifted. As Italy embraced a new corporate culture, gift-giving became big business, and Cecilia’s family spotted an opportunity.

The Longos pivoted towards creating elegant Christmas and corporate hampers, using their expertise and the family wine shop in Lainate as a base. What started small has grown into a remarkable business: today Longo 1961 produces over 400,000 gift boxes a year.

I admit, before speaking to Cecilia, I used to think of hampers as an afterthought, two dusty bottles and a box of crackers tossed together in a wicker basket. But Longo’s approach is different. Each product is carefully selected, its story understood, and the whole package is designed to communicate culture, value, and generosity.

As Cecilia told me, “Since we are not producers of fine wine or food, our role is to transform these products into memorable gifts.” That idea stuck with me. It reminded me that the commercial side of wine isn’t just about moving boxes, it’s about adding meaning and sharing values.

Exporting Wine, the Smart Way

Since 2006, Longo 1961 has also become a major player in export logistics, representing more than 40 Italian wineries in over 30 countries. Their focus is on family-owned estates, typically mid-sized, but always authentic, terroir-driven, and true to their own roots.

Longo 1961 Distribution in the world

Photo Credit Longo 1961

What struck me most was their use of groupage shipments. Cecilia described it perfectly: “It’s like car-pooling for wine.” Instead of an importer in Puerto Rico, Malaysia, or the Cayman Islands struggling with ten separate suppliers, invoices, and customs forms, Longo consolidates everything. The importer places one order, receives one invoice, and makes one customs declaration.

It sounds simple, but the impact is huge. Smaller markets that could never handle complex logistics suddenly gain access to an incredible diversity of wines, from Valle d’Aosta Petite Arvine to Sicilian Grillo, all in the same shipment.

A Wine Shop as a Laboratory

Back in Milan, more precisely in Legnano, Longo 1961 still runs its original wine shop. Cecilia calls it “the tip of the iceberg”, a place where they can observe consumer behaviour up close.

The shop itself is striking: nine huge windows fill the space with natural light, making it feel more like a concept store than a traditional, dimly lit enoteca. Bottles under €15 are displayed in the windows to invite casual customers in, while the staff, young, knowledgeable sommeliers, act more like consultants than shop assistants.

When I asked Cecilia about sales trends, I was surprised: their best-sellers aren’t Barolo or Amarone, but sparkling wines: Franciacorta, Oltrepo Pavese and Trento DOC. Partly that’s linked to their strength in the gifting market, but it also reflects a broader trend I see everywhere: sparkling wine is increasingly about celebration and joy, and not just formal occasions.

In a way, this small detail shows how wine culture is evolving. Sparkling isn’t just for New Year’s Eve anymore, it’s for Tuesday evenings when you finally finish a project, or for Sunday lunches with friends.

As some of you may already know, I was born and raised in Emilia, a.k.a. ‘The kitchen of Italy’. This is one of the Italian regions with the highest concentration of ‘fizz fanatics’ like me, so you can imagine how this shift in the consumption of sparkling wines is making me feel… finally, we’re not alone!

Creating Experiences, Not Just Sales

One thing Cecilia said really stayed with me: exporting wine is not just about moving products, but about educating clients. Many of her customers come from industries completely unrelated to wine: bankers, corporate managers, entrepreneurs, etc. Her job is to show them why these wines matter, what stories they tell, and how they create value beyond the bottle.

This philosophy is most visible in their flagship event, Longo al Chiostro, which transforms a Milanese museum into a showcase of Italian wine and food. Producers don’t just serve samples; they demonstrate their craft, often recreating part of their production process on site. Clients, often first-timers in the world of wine, get to taste, experience and learn.

As someone who has spent years trying to convince people that wine is more than just a price per case, I found this approach refreshing. Experiences, stories, and education turn a product into something that resonates personally with the buyer.

Lessons for All of Us in the Trade

After my conversation with Cecilia, I came away with a renewed appreciation for the “invisible” side of the wine industry, of which I too am a part. Without people like us, distributors, exporters/importers, logisticians, many of the wines we cherish would never make it to our own domestic markets.

For me, the biggest take-away was this: just as vines need careful tending to express their best, so too does the commercial life of wine. It requires creativity, patience, and a vision that goes beyond the bottle.

Next time you open a glass of Etna Rosso in London, or a Gavi di Gavi in Toronto, remember, someone had to make sure that bottle boarded a plane or a ship, with the right paperwork, stored at the right temperature, and consolidated with other wines to make the shipment feasible. That’s not just logistics, that’s part of the wine’s story.

So, here’s my toast, not only to the winemakers, but also to the professionals who bring those wines to us. Because without them, the vineyard’s song might never reach our glass.

And if you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a disappointing, mass-produced corporate hamper, two bottles you’ll never drink and a panettone that tastes like cardboard, just imagine what Longo 1961 could do. Trust me: you’d be fighting over the Franciacorta instead of re-gifting the biscuits!