Winemaker

Michele Verzillo

Discipline: Winemaker
Venue: Aia delle Monache · Winery

Portrait of Michele Verzillo

i. Biography

Since 2016, Michele Verzillo has worked as winemaker at Aia delle Monache in Castel Campagnano, a position defined by vineyard, cellar, and the steady discipline of turning one site into wine. His path into the trade came through study for enthusiasts, then moved into vineyard ownership and cellar work, building a practical rhythm rather than a sudden break. That sequence matters: it places Verzillo’s work close to the place it comes from, and keeps the focus on making rather than on any spectacle around it.

The Path

The progression into winemaking for Michele Verzillo ran through study, then ownership, then cellar work. That order gives the career its structure: an interest became technical knowledge, knowledge became responsibility, and responsibility became a role at Aia delle Monache. The result is a line of work that reads as continuous, with each stage reinforcing the next through practice rather than through reinvention.

The Work Today

At Aia delle Monache, the winemaker’s task is place-led production, and Michele Verzillo has held that role since 2016. The work is framed by the vineyard opportunity that brought him into wine, which keeps the estate’s identity at the center. In that setting, the job is to shape what the site gives without overworking it, so the character of the wine can come through with clarity and restraint.

Career - Winemaker — Aia delle Monache, Castel Campagnano (2016–present)

Signature

Michele's signature wines include L'oca Guardiana Che Dorme Beata, L'Intruso Brillo col Naso All'insù Asprinio Frizzante 2018, Giusto un litro Bianco, Giusto un litro Rosso, and Radegonda. Taken together, the names show range inside one cellar: one vintage-dated bottling, several cuvées with their own identities, and a portfolio that stays tied to expression and place.

In Their Words “This approach easily led them into the world of natural winemaking, with their main focus on producing wines of place.” The line points to the center of the work: natural winemaking as method, and wines of place as the goal. For Verzillo, that means a cellar practice shaped by where the fruit comes from, not by abstraction.

Acclaim

The key dated marker in Michele Verzillo’s career is 2016, when his role at Aia delle Monache began. That date marks the point at which study, vineyard ownership, and cellar work converged into the present-day practice based in Castel Campagnano.

FAQ How did Michele Verzillo get started? He got started after taking courses for wine enthusiasts and joining the purchase of a vineyard in the Castel Campagnano area. What is Michele Verzillo best known for today? He is best known today for his work as winemaker at Aia delle Monache.