About Ferrari Trento

He saw it before anyone else did. But then … that’s what pioneers do.

Born and raised in the wine commune of Trentino, Italy (which, at the time, was still a part of Austria), Giulio Ferrari was already extensively trained in viticulture before he traveled to France in the 1890s to hone his winemaking techniques. He became entranced by Champagne and the precise, beautiful rhythms of ritual required to craft their traditional method sparkling wines. Giulio also began noting similarities between the marginal climates of northern France and his mountainous homeland and was convinced he could create an Italian sparkling wine to rival even the best Champagne. So, he quietly carried several Chardonnay vine cuttings back home and planted Italy’s first documented Chardonnay vineyard, Maso Pianizza, in 1897. It was the beginning of a new era for fine wine in northern Italy.

Despite the dubious locals (who’d want bubbles in their wine?), Giulio persisted and built his winery in 1902 in the heart of Trento, producing Italy’s first vintage of traditional method sparkling wine. With no children of his own, Giulio passed the Ferrari legacy on to his dear friend, local wine shop owner Bruno Lunelli, in 1952. An entrepreneur at heart, Bruno not only understood Giulio’s vision, he saw beyond it — over the next few decades, he and his children cultivated the Ferrari name into a symbol of celebration, luxury, and quality. (Bruno’s son, Mauro, even had a hand in the creation of the official Trentodoc region in 1993.)

Now stewarded by the third generation of Lunellis, Ferrari Trento is still the leading light in the region, thanks to the family’s tireless pursuit of excellence and devotion to the dreams of their founder. Matteo Lunelli serves as president; his cousin, Camilla Lunelli, heads up global communications while her brother, Alessandro Lunelli, an engineer by training, is responsible for planning and technical oversight.

Taking their craftsmanship to an exciting new level in 2023, Ferrari’s head of production Marcello Lunelli was joined by famed Champagne chef de caves Cyril Brun, who is now heading up enology full time.

As ambassadors of the “Italian Art of Living” and makers of Italy’s celebratory wine par excellence, the Lunelli family are clearly poised to take fine sparkling wine from Trentino to the next incredible level.