TACHIS IS THE “GARIBALDI” OF ITALIAN WINE: THE WINE WORLD (SOMMELIERS) PAID TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE GREATEST WINEMAKERS OF ALL TIME AT BIBENDA DAY. WINENEWS: “HE IS THE CREATOR OF ITALIAN WINEMAKING AND CHANGED THE COURSE OF ITALIAN WINE IN THE WORLD”

Audio winenews.tv:
“Giacomo Tachis invented the modern philosophy of Italian winemaking by introducing “bordeaux” into our way of thinking about winemaking”, said Danielle Cernilli, one of the top experts in the Italian wine world

With deep affection, but above all unanimous consent about the greatness of the man considered, rightfully, one of the creators of Italian winemaking: Giacomo Tachis, the father of Sassicaia, Solaia, San Leonardo, Tignanello, Turriga, Solengo, Pelago, Mille e una notte, d’Alceo, Terre Brune and many other wines that have made Italy famous in the world, is the star of the Sommeliers “Bibenda Day”, organized by the duo Maietta-Ricci.
Many have paid tribute to the exceptional winemaker: the famous TV personality (and also dedicated wine fan) Bruno Vespa, defined him “the Garibaldi” of the Italian wine renaissance; Piero Antinori, with whom he collaborated for 32 years, said of him ”the history of Italian wine would certainly have been completely different without Tachis”.
Angelo Gaja defined him “a true maestro, which is a word we often abuse, but not in this case. He studied at the school of oenology in Alba, but his talents were wasted there, he was much better suited to classic studies. He is a harmonizer of wines: he combines them in an absolutely extraordinary way. He knows how to make great wines and together with Antinori he made Tignanello and the Supertuscans symbolic wines, without using the appeal of a denomination because they were created as “table wines”. He was one of the architects of the “spring” of Italian wine and has an excellent palate. He was a consultant in many wineries and creator of the renaissance of Sicilian and Sardinian wines. He is a man of great vision as well as a forerunner”.
The journalist Daniele Cernilli, one of the most influential palates of the Italian wine critics, remembers that at the beginning of his career he considered Tachis a “god”, while Tachis considered himself a “mixer of wines”, but he was the first modern winemaker in Italy”. Luca Gardini, the top sommelier in the world remembered the emotions that Tachis’ wines aroused. Aldo Brachetti Peretti, wine producer of the “Il Pollenza” winery in the Marche region, remembered how Tachis made him understand that “he was an oil man “playing with wine” which was the wrong approach both morally and economically. I tried every way possible and succeeded, thanks also to Massimo Bernetti (Umani Ronchi, Ed.) in getting Tachis so he could show us the right choices for the Marche”.
The journalist Carlo Cambi emphasized Tachis’ double strength as a top technician and a man of great culture, qualities that are reflected in his wines: “his wines have a soul, a meaning and they are a concentration of culture and sensitivity”. Professor Amedeo Alpi of the Department of Biology of Agricultural plants at the University of Pisa revealed Tachis’ love for culture and his “passion for Greek and Roman culture”.
“Sardinia, more than any other region, owes everything to Tachis,” added Antonello Pilloni, President of Santadì Winery and great friend of Tachis, ”he changed it from being considered the “Cinderella” to becoming one of the top wine regions in Italy”. A great expert on Sardinian wines, Argiolas, also confirms that one of Giacomo Tachis’ great merits is “having the ability and knowing how to transmit choosing new directions”.
“I have been extremely lucky in my life,” said Graziana Grassini, the “new face” of Sassicaia, “to know Tachis and to enjoy his esteem and his genuine, sincere and true friendship. I thank him deeply for giving me the possibility to be near him and breathe in his immense knowledge, experience and culture that distinguishes him, allowing me today to continue making one of the greatest wines in the world: Sassicaia”.
The Italian wine world has expressed all its gratitude to a man who dedicated most of his life to his passion for wine. Winenews opinion- Giacomo Tachis, one of the “maestros” of Italian wine
He is among the authors of the “renaissance” of Italian winemaking and the creator of some of the most important wines in Italy. After many years, his choices are still among the most valuable contributions to the success of Italian wines in the world. His methods are now “coded”: clone selection, high-density planting, low yields, malolactic fermentation and aging in small oak and make it possible for the Italian winemaking tradition to converse with the French one, just like Tachis conversed with his mentor Emile Peynaud.
Tachis came to the Antinori Winery in 1961 (where he remained for 32 years and created great wines such as Tignanello and Solaia) and was also the forerunner of the “Italian style winemaker”. San Guido Estate, San Leonardo Estate, Argiolas, and Umani Ronchi are just a few of his “greatest” wineries.
He is first and foremost a winemaker, but also a strategy consultant, capable of de-provincializing the entire sector and undertaking tasks such as upgrading Sicilian wines, Nero d’Avola and Sardinian wines, Carignano. He is one of the “founding fathers” of Italian winemaking, among those men who changed the course of Italian wine, de-provincializing it and delivering it to world wide fame.
Alessandro Regoli

Comment- the sensitivity of a choice: Franco Ricci’s tribute to Giacomo Tachis
Many people have, rightfully so, thanked Giacomo Tachis for the immense work he has done with and for Italian wine. I think that it is right to also thank and applaud Franco Ricci, the entire Bibenda staff and the Association of Sommeliers for the warmth they showed by dedicating “Bibenda Day” to one of the greatest Italian winemakers of all time who never asked or looked for glory and riches. As a matter of fact, Tachis defined himself a simple “mixer of wines” in the era when the role of the winemaker had almost an aura of mysticism around it. There could have been a myriad of other reasons, celebrations, praise for this or that example of excellence, perhaps for a still working winemaker, to reap the benefits. Ricci, instead, partly because of his friendship with Tachis but, above all, because of his indisputable greatness, decided to dedicate the Sommeliers’ celebration to a great man of the recent past to whom many owe their success of yesterday, today and probably tomorrow. Bravo, encore!
Alessandro Regoli