Simone Proietti

The Essentials Modern red winemaking, as Simone Proietti describes it, now starts with a moving target: phenolic maturity. Warmth shifts ripeness, and with it the practical balance between alcohol, tannin, and freshness. The work is split between vineyard and cellar, but the vineyard sets the terms. Fruit has to reach the right point of maturity, then the cellar has to handle that material without losing control. For reds, Proietti’s point is blunt: as seasons get warmer, alcohol rises, and the margin for correction stays narrow. Phenolic maturity is the standard Proietti returns to, because it governs what a red wine can carry after harvest. Phenols and tannins do not arrive ready by intention alone; they need to be built in the vineyard and protected in the cellar. In that register, his language stays technical and unsentimental. The measure of quality is not a slogan but the degree to which phenols and tannins have actually matured when the grapes are picked. Climate warming, in Proietti’s framing, has changed the job rather than the theory. The task is defensive now: preserve freshness, preserve structure, and keep ripeness from tipping too far. That is not a romantic reading of red winemaking, but it is a practical one. The response, as he presents it, is careful work at each step, with the cellar serving the vineyard rather than replacing it.

In Their Words “The data is there and the culprit is climate warming, fought in the vineyard and in the cellar, but for reds the battle is not easy, so an increase in alcohol level is inevitable.” “Our game is played on the defense of perfect phenolic maturation, which is fundamental for the maturation of phenols and tannins.”

FAQ What is Simone Proietti known for? He is known for phenolic maturation, alcohol, and climate warming. What is Simone Proietti's current role? Simone Proietti is a chef at Tenute Tomasella.