i. Biography
Viviana Malafarina has been winemaker at Basilisco in Barile, Italy, since 2010, and the work sits on accumulation rather than flourish. The grape at the center is Aglianico, which gives the cellar its frame and the wines their place-specific weight. The chronology is stated without decoration: “I started 2010 and my first vintage is 2011.” That timeline points to the basic discipline of the trade: watch the seasons, mark the vintages, and let the work build its own language over time.
Where They Are Now
Before Basilisco, the work moved through other forms of attention and service. Viviana Malafarina was a teacher at Kyiv and a guide at Orient Express, roles that demand observation, restraint, and the ability to read a situation quickly. Those are different fields, but they train the same habits: presence, timing, and the discipline to work without display. At Basilisco, that carries into the cellar. Since 2010, the winemaking has centered on the vineyard, the harvest, and the slow adjustment of Aglianico into wines that register place and season. In Barile, Italy, Basilisco provides the fixed ground for that method, and Viviana Malafarina’s name stays tied to the estate through the years. The approach reads as measured rather than performative, built on chronology and the repeated work of each vintage. The facts are simple: years, seasons, acreage, and the steady conversion of fruit into wine.
Signature
Viviana's signature wines include Teodosio, Cruà 2017, Storico 2013, and Basilisco Aglianico del 2009. The range shows a clear relationship to naming and vintage, with Teodosio carrying a formal cadence and Cruà 2017 and Storico 2013 marking the work by year. Basilisco Aglianico del 2009 keeps the emphasis on the estate and the grape, which is where her practice is most legible: rooted in site, shaped by patience, and defined by the demands of Aglianico.
In Their Words “I started 2010 and my first vintage is 2011.”
Recognition
Viviana Malafarina has received Old Vine Hero Awards, Winemaking (2024).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Viviana
Where did Viviana Malafarina work before?
Viviana Malafarina's earlier career included Kyiv and Orient Express.
What is Viviana Malafarina known for?
Aglianico.
