Marilisa Allegrini has been given the 2026 “Pino Khail Award” for her work promoting Italian wine

Marilisa Allegrini, “Lady Amarone”, is a leading symbol in Valpolicella and a key figure in internationalizing Italian wine. She began working in the industry in 1983, leading to developing the Allegrini Group, including investments in Bolgheri and Montalcino. She was the first Italian woman to grace the cover of “Wine Spectator” in 2017. Three years later, she was named Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of the Republic. These are the reasons that the wine producer (now Villa della Torre Estates in Valpolicella, San Polo in Montalcino, and Poggio al Tesoro in Bolgheri are also included in the Marilisa Allegrini Group), was awarded the “Khail Prize”. Alessandro Torcoli, director of “Civiltà del Bere” created the prize reserved for personalities who have made a decisive contribution to the growth and affirmation of Italian winemaking worldwide. The prize commemorates journalist Pino Khail, founder of the magazine and a pioneer in the promotion of quality Italian wine.
“Marilisa Allegrini has succeeded in establishing herself an international wine celebrity. Through her tireless passion, she has not only promoted the regions in which she works, but has also helped raise the bar for Italian wine communication worldwide. She has successfully conveyed the rich elegance that is one of the hallmarks of Italian style through initiatives curated with extraordinary attention to detail”, Alessandro Torcoli, editor of the historic Italian wine magazine “Civiltà del Bere”, explained, presenting the award at “VinoVip Cortina” 2026, held recently in the “Pearl of the Dolomites”.
The Khail Prize has been awarded, over the years, to prominent producers, journalists, and scientific communicators in the wine world, celebrating the excellence of the Italian wine sector and promoting the culture of quality wine. To date, the winners have been Lucio Caputo, president of the Italian Wine & Food Institute (2011), Lucio Tasca d’Almerita (producer, 2013), Piero Antinori (producer, 2015), Pio Boffa della Pio Cesare (producer, 2017), Cesare Pillon (journalist, 2018), Piero Mastroberardino (producer, 2019), Chiara Lungarotti (producer, 2022), Attilio Scienza (professor and science communicator, 2023), Marina Cvetic (producer, 2024) and Luigi Moio (producer and former International Organization of Vine and Wine president, in 2025).