Elia Pellegrini

The Climb

The shift from football to wine in 2011 was less a reinvention than a transfer of responsibility into a family context. Taking ownership of Aia Vecchia meant Elia Pellegrini stepped into a role that asks for both long-range judgment and day-to-day precision. In wine, as in sport, results depend on what is done consistently, not theatrically. Since 2011, Aia Vecchia has been shaped by Elia Pellegrini through the overlapping work of owner and vintner. The estate’s identity has remained tied to continuity, with the winery’s place in Tuscany carried forward through careful stewardship rather than abrupt change. That balance between inheritance and interpretation defines the work.

Today

The family winery in Bolgheri is the center of Elia Pellegrini’s current work. In practical terms, that means tending a house whose name already carries weight in the region, and keeping the standard aligned with the wines that made it recognizable in Tuscany. The task is custodial, but it is also interpretive: to maintain a style, one has to read it closely. At Aia Vecchia, the pace is governed by vineyard and cellar rather than by the clock of competition, yet the same discipline applies. The habits formed in professional sport now serve a different craft, one built on observation, repetition, and restraint. The result is a working rhythm that keeps the estate moving without losing its sense of place.

Signature

Lagone, Sor Ugo, and Orleto are the signature wines associated with Elia Pellegrini at Aia Vecchia. Together, they map the range of the estate’s expression and mark the body of work he has helped carry since 2011.

In Their Words “Now I’m taking care of the winery of my family.”