i. Biography
Ernesto Abbona has been the winemaker at Marchesi di Barolo, Italy, since 2006. The work reads as a single line of responsibility: cellar decisions, estate continuity, and a steadily widened remit inside the same house. By the time that scope reached national representation, his profile had already been defined by consistency more than title-count.
The Climb
At Marchesi di Barolo, the winemaker’s brief and the CEO’s brief sit close together in Ernesto Abbona’s case. Since 2006, he has held the winemaking role; since 2019, he has also served as CEO. That pairing matters in trade terms because it links cellar practice to estate direction. Since 2017, his presidency of Unione Italiana Vini has extended that remit into the wider Italian wine sector, giving his career a second axis without changing its base.
Today
Since 2017, he has served as president of Unione Italiana Vini. The post places Ernesto Abbona in a trade-facing role alongside his work at Marchesi di Barolo, where practical vineyard and cellar concerns meet broader industry representation.
Signature
The named wines in Ernesto’s range map the house’s stylistic spread: Barolo Tradizione, Cannubi, Zagara Moscato, and Barolo Chinato. Read together, they point to a producer working across the structured end of Barolo, the aromatic register of Moscato, and the more distinctive profile of Chinato, while keeping the Marchesi di Barolo identity intact.
In Their Words “This ruling does justice to the work led by my family, which for decades has grown grapes and made Barolo produced from estate vineyards in Cannubi and was the architect of the promotion of this extraordinary hill.” “In any case, grapes are healthy, and we'll work as much as possible on quality: when professionalism meets love.” Those remarks frame the work in two parts: family continuity in Cannubi, and a vineyard-first insistence on quality. Ernesto Abbona’s language stays close to the ground—grapes, estate vineyards, professionalism—and treats recognition as something earned through sustained work on a specific place.
Recognition
The main markers here are duration and remit: winemaker from 2006, president from 2017, and CEO from 2019. For Ernesto Abbona, recognition is measured through sustained responsibility across Marchesi di Barolo and Unione Italiana Vini rather than through awards.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ernesto
What is Ernesto Abbona known for?
Ernesto Abbona is known as the winemaker of Marchesi di Barolo, Italy, a role he has held since 2006.
What are Ernesto Abbona's most notable roles?
His most notable roles are winemaker at Marchesi di Barolo and president of Unione Italiana Vini.
Where is Marchesi di Barolo based?
Barolo, Italy.
