In the traditionally male-dominated wine industry, more women are making their mark. Annabel Tan speaks to five inspiring winemakers and winery owners from both the Old and New Worlds.
Federica Boffa
Owner of Pio Cesare
Federica Boffa had always known she would take over the family business one day, but never expected that day would come before she even turned 23. In April last year, she suddenly lost her father, Pio Boffa, the fourth- generation owner of the renowned Pio Cesare winery, to Covid-19- related complications.
There was no time to even think about whether she felt ready to step up to the plate; the business demanded that Boffa immediately fill her father’s shoes. Thankfully, the elder Boffa had been training his daughter for the role since she graduated from high school by taking her with him to meet important guests, partners, distributors and press. Together with her cousin Cesare Benvenuto, she now leads the company and takes care of everything inside the vineyard and out. No two days are the same and she has relished each new challenge.
“The feeling of losing my father was indescribable,” says the now 24-year-old. “But I have to admit that I was not really thinking about myself. Instead, I was simply thinking about going on with all my different projects because we had so much to deal with. At the same time, I was very confident I could do the job because I had a great team with me. All of us at Pio Cesare were so determined to continue our work on this path because we believe it was what he would have wanted for us.”
Located in the town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, Pio Cesare has been a family business since its founding in 1881 and is best known for its elegant, award-winning Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Boffa’s late father was credited for being the visionary that transformed Pio Cesare, having led its transition from being a negociant (wine merchant in French) that bought grapes to make wine, into an estate winery that produces from 100 per cent estate-grown grapes across over 75ha of vineyards.
“The most important thing my father taught me is to never yield to the trends of the moment but instead remain focused on our own way of making wines,” elaborates Boffa, adding that the family is involved in every aspect of the winemaking, including tasting every week and calling the shots at each step. In order to ensure quality and strict control over the wines, Pio Cesare limits its annual production to just 40,000 cases across 15 wines, with no plans to expand.
She also hopes to respect tradition the same way her father did: “He said tradition is a starting point, but should not be something that holds us back. It’s something we have to keep in mind and not forget about what the previous generations have done, but at the same time, we must look to the future and innovate.”
With his words in mind, Boffa is determined to not only carry on her father’s legacy but also take the family business to greater heights. “When I face a problem, I first think about what my father would do, then I form my own opinion and finally I try to find a solution that meets in the middle,” she says.
While she is committed to keeping most things at Pio Cesare the way her father had left them and upholding its reputation, certain things have changed under her guidance. In comparison to before, Boffa says the working environment and culture at Pio Cesare have loosened up a little.
“To my father, his work was his life. He was a good man but very strict and enforced a traditional way of working, which has brought Pio Cesare to where we are today,” she adds. “But now we are a new generation and doing things in a more modern way. Not to say we don’t work as hard, but the atmosphere is more relaxed.” Next year, Boffa plans to start expanding Pio Cesare’s currently limited cellar space to allow for more efficiency in its processes.
She is also grateful that Pio Cesare has received more media attention and brand recognition than ever before. Since she has taken the reins, Boffa has been featured in many important wine publications around the world. “It is a great honour and I hope my father would be proud. At the very least, I know he would be happy that I am putting in 100 per cent of my passion, love, care and commitment every day.”
This story first appeared in the July 2022 issue of Prestige Singapore
The post Women in Wine: Federica Boffa, Owner of Pio Cesare appeared first on Prestige Online – Singapore.
