Oenologist, Sicilian, 38-year-old Pietro Russo is the third Italian Master of Wine to be awarded the title by the prestigious English institute. "The production chain will be able to count on a technical representative, who can give further visibility to Italian wine in the world."
Pietro Russo is the third Italian Master of Wine. After Gabriele Gorelli and Andrea Lonardi, with whom he shared the course of study, is the country’s first winemaker to be awarded the prestigious title by theInstitute of Masters of Wine, the world’s most influential and oldest wine organization.
“I had clear ideas from a very young age about what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I never imagined that I would reach this milestone,” declares the newly appointed Master of Wine. It has been a very difficult and at the same time rewarding course of study; I like to think that this is just the starting point for numerous other professional challenges.”
The final paper
Pietro Russo began his journey as a Master of Wine student in 2014. Having passed the first two stages brilliantly, as a final test he presented a Research Paper titled Comparative analysis of different tartaric stabilization techniques, including the impact of new ingredient labeling rules, for Grillo and Nero d’Avola wines from Sicily. A complex and topical study in which he compared the main methods of tartaric stabilization, the impact on the chemical and physical profile of wines and production costs. Also discussed within the paper is the possible impact on Sicilian production of the new labeling regulations.
“The course of study,” Pietro Russo continued, “has enriched me not only from the standpoint of acquired knowledge and networking, but it has also given me the opportunity to learn a rigorous and effective working method, essential to make a synthesis of my skills and to understand and communicate a wine with the aim of positioning it in a qualitative and commercial context.”
A Master of Wine winemaker
Pietro Russo is theonly Italian Master of Wine winemaker: from today, the production chain can count on a technical representative who can give further visibility to Italian wine in the international arena. “Together with Gabriele Gorelli and Andrea Lonardi,” he continues, “we constitute a team of compatriots who, with expertise, diversity and complementarity, act as authoritative ambassadors of national wine excellence in the world. Together we also edited the Italian chapter of the
Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia
, recognized as the Bible of world wine.”
Pietro Russo was born in 1985 in Marsala, Trapani. After graduating from high school in science, he moved to Conegliano Veneto (Treviso) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Enology and Viticulture. He then moved to Asti for his master’s degree and continued his international education with studies in Montpellier and Bordeaux.
Professional life
He is currently winemaker at Donnafugata, among the most important and well-known wineries on the Italian and international wine scene. “Donnafugata is an incredible gymnasium, where we are confronted daily with ever-new stimuli and needs and where one vintage is worth four,” Russo said.
“The Rallo family, to whom I am grateful, gave me the opportunity to continue my studies and work on ambitious and innovative projects on a daily basis,” Russo continued. I will continue to collaborate with the technical team on relevant projects to bring to light the still enormous growth potential of Sicilian wine and its territories. Looking to the future, I will provide my multidisciplinary skills to embrace new projects and challenges in the wine field.”
In addition to his path within Donnafugata, Pietro Russo is also a judge in numerous international wine competitions.
The Master of Wine pathway
In 2014 Pietro Russo took part in the residential masterclass organized by the InstituteMasters of Wine and supported by theIstituto Grandi Marchi at the Masi winery in Valpolicella. Once you have passed the entrance test, start the course from Stage 1. In 2015, his first seminar in Rust, Austria, and a brilliantly passed June exam opened the door to Stage 2, the most difficult phase. Three long years of travel, bootcamps of study and in-depth study of the countless topics in the world of wine, as well as relational and professional growth, enabled him to successfully pass the practical tasting test in 2019.
In 2020 the exams were suspended because of the pandemic, but in October 2022 the results of the theory part arrived: Pietro Russo officially entered the last stage of the course, Stage 3, which involves writing a research paper. The title of the thesis is Comparative analysis of different tartaric stabilization techniques, including the impact of new ingredient labeling rules, for Grillo and Nero d’Avola wines from Sicily.
TheInstitute of Masters of Wine
TheInstitute of Masters of Wine is an organization founded in 1953 whose mission is to promote excellence, sharing and knowledge among the diverse sectors of the global wine community. After passing the examination, Masters of Wine are required to sign a code of conduct before they can bear the title and use the initials MW. The code requires you to act with honesty and integrity and to use every opportunity to share your knowledge of wine with others.
There are currently 414 Masters of Wine and they come from 31 different countries around the world.
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