Winemaker
Christoph Kuenzli
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Boca, Italy
i. Biography
The Honours
The central honour in Christoph Kuenzli’s story is the office itself: he took on the role of CEO in 2013, after co-founding the Boca estate in 1990. Running alongside that executive title is the longer, more intimate authority of principal winemaker, a position he has held from 1990 onward. Together, the two roles give his work a rare kind of continuity, joining boardroom responsibility with the daily decisions of vineyard and cellar. No awards are documented for Kuenzli, and in a region where the language of place often matters more than trophies, that absence only sharpens the picture. His distinction lies in persistence: co-founder, long-serving winemaker, and chief executive of the same estate. The point is not a prize list, but the steady shaping of wines named under his watch.
The Craft
Kuenzli’s craft is rooted in a close conversation between old and new vineyards, including replanted Nebbiolo and Vespolina plots. The estate’s wines are built from local grapes such as Croatina, Nebbiolo and Vespolina, a working vocabulary that keeps Boca’s varieties and parcels firmly at the centre. There is nothing ornamental in that approach; each decision seems designed to let site and grape speak with as little interference as possible. Maggiorina is perhaps the clearest expression of that philosophy. Made from Croatina, Nebbiolo and 10 other native grape varieties harvested in the Maggiorina vineyards and vinified together, it is a wine defined by accumulation rather than simplification. Its identity comes from many native voices moving through the cellar as one, an ensemble note rather than a solo statement. Mimmo follows a different blending logic, but one equally tied to place and timing. It is made by combining some earlier-maturing Boca lots with 30% Croatina, a detail that folds ripeness and structure into the finished wine. The result is not a formula for its own sake, but a precise adjustment of character. Piane - Vecchie vigne draws from the historic sites Montalbano, Traversagna and Santuario, and the old-vine provenance gives it a particular resonance. Its profile is described in dark berries, cherry, tobacco and ripe fruit, aromas that seem to gather weight from those named sites. In the glass, it opens with violet, ripe berries and pomegranate before easing into licorice and tobacco, a progression that suggests both lift and depth, both freshness and quiet seriousness.
The Career
The career begins in 1990, when Kuenzli co-founded the estate in Boca and started his role as principal winemaker in the same year. That dual beginning matters: the person shaping the wines was present at the company’s origin, linking authorship and execution from the outset. From there, the arc is one of sustained responsibility rather than a trail of outside appointments. He has remained the principal winemaker since 1990, working across vineyard material that includes old sites and newer replanted Nebbiolo and Vespolina plots. Then, in 2013, the leadership widened formally when he became CEO, adding executive oversight to the responsibilities he had already carried for years. Read together, the dated milestones form a single through-line: founder in 1990, winemaker from 1990 onward, chief executive from 2013, all centered in Boca, Italy.
Signature
Christoph's signature wines include Maggiorina, Mimmo, Piane - Vecchie vigne, and Boca Doc.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Christoph
What is Christoph Kuenzli's current role?
As of 2026, Christoph Kuenzli is CEO.
What is Christoph Kuenzli known for?
He works with both old and new vineyards, including replanted Nebbiolo and Vespolina plots, and the estate's wines are blended from local grapes such as Croatina, Nebbiolo, and Vespolina.
