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INTRODUCTION
With the elections held on February 13th, the new National Board of FIVI (Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers) has taken office, led by president Rita Babini, a winemaker from Romagna. Babini, elected during the FIVI members’ assembly in Imola, quickly formed the new executive team by selecting from the newly elected board members in preparation for the meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry, Hon. Francesco Lollobrigida.
THE NEW FIVI NATIONAL BOARD
The following were elected to the FIVI National Board for the 2025–2028 term:
Clementina Balter – Trentino
Fabio de Beaumont – Campania
Ludovico Maria Botti – Lazio
Camillo Favaro – Piedmont
Francesco Mazzone – Puglia
Pietro Monti – Piedmont
Ninive Pavese – Aosta Valley
Désirée Pascon Bellese – Veneto
Andrea Pieropan – Veneto
Stefano Pizzamiglio – Emilia Romagna
Carmela Pupillo – Sicily
Valeria Radici – Lombardy
Alessandro Starrabba – Marche
Stefan Vaja – South Tyrol/Alto Adige.
The new FIVI Board promptly met for its first key tasks. On the proposal of president Rita Babini, the two vice presidents were appointed: Carmela Pupillo, a winemaker from Sicily, and Pietro Monti, a winemaker from Piedmont.
The national secretary will be Clementina Balter, a winemaker from Trentino. Ludovico Botti, a winemaker from Lazio, also joins the executive committee as the liaison for relations with CEVI.
WHAT IS CEVI?
The CEVI (Confédération Européenne des Vignerons Indépendants) is the only organization representing and defending the interests of independent winegrowers at the European level. Independent winegrowers are entrepreneurs leading small to medium-sized, often family-run businesses. They manage the entire process from vineyard to bottle, producing and selling their own wines directly to consumers.
At the end of March, right in Lazio, presidents of various European winegrower associations will meet to elect the new president and the executive committee of CEVI, in an assembly to be held at the MUVIS – Wine Museum of Castiglione in Teverina.
INDEPENDENT WINEGROWERS MEET MINISTER LOLLOBRIGIDA
The winegrowers wasted no time and, just days after the elections, a FIVI delegation represented by president Rita Babini and executive committee member Ludovico Botti met with the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Hon. Francesco Lollobrigida, in Rome on February 18th, 2025.
President Babini presented the reality of Italian independent winegrowers to the minister: medium to small businesses deeply rooted in their territories, managing all stages of production, from vineyard to vinification and direct sales of their wines. The meeting was also attended by the Lazio Region’s Councillor for Budget and Agriculture, Giancarlo Righini, who emphasized the value and strategic contribution of winegrowers to the growth of Lazio’s wine sector.
Several crucial topics for the future of the wine sector were discussed during the meeting, including:
- Simplification of bureaucratic procedures
- Facilitating small businesses’ access to the OCM Wine Fund measures
- Greater representation of FIVI within the wine supply chain
President Rita Babini expressed satisfaction with the minister’s willingness to listen and stressed the importance of ongoing dialogue with institutions, especially in this time of significant political and climate challenges, to ensure the growth and protection of Italy’s independent winegrowers.
CONCLUSION
The FIVI Lazio Delegation reaffirms its commitment to a more efficient and representative regional wine sector, putting the needs of independent winegrowers at the heart of national and European policies.
The confirmation of Ludovico Maria Botti on the National Board and his appointment to the Executive Committee as CEVI liaison represent an important step towards strengthening dialogue with institutions and enhancing the diversity and quality of Italian independent wines.
FIVI – LAZIO DELEGATION
