Italian wine bids farewell to Ampelio Bucci, noble father of Fivi and the Verdicchio revolution

Wine artisan, noble father of the qualitative turnaround of Verdicchio, one of the founders of the Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Fivi): Ampelio Bucci, a lifelong farmer and forward-thinking wine entrepreneur who made Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi famous worldwide in the 1980s with the Villa Bucci brand, has died at the age of 89. The news was announced in a press release by Confagricoltura Marche, of which Ampelio Bucci was a long-standing member.
“Ampelio”, says Federico Castellucci, president of Confagricoltura Marche, “was a forward-thinking entrepreneur who brought prestige not only to viticulture in the Marche region but to the entire national agricultural sector. He was an innovator in terms of quality, yet always remained true to tradition. He had the great merit of knowing how to communicate the longevity qualities of our Verdicchio, which made it comparable to the great international white wines. He was a true farmer, pragmatic but with an unparalleled vision of development and enterprise”. This venture took shape in Villa Bucci, which became a jewel of Italian wine and, in July 2024, entered the orbit of Oniwines, owned by the Veronesi family, entrepreneurs in the fashion industry with an affinity for sentiment and “craftsmanship” that immediately found common ground with the philosophy of Ampelio Bucci, who, at the time of the sale, said: “I am selling so that Villa Bucci can continue to be an excellent example of Italian craftsmanship”.
“The loss of Ampelio Bucci leaves an unfillable void in the world of wine in the Marche region and, above all, in Italy. With his tireless passion, he laid the foundation for elevating Verdicchio to a level of excellence recognized internationally. His vision, always bold and forward-thinking, will continue to be an inspiration for the entire Consortium”, commented Michele Bernetti, president of the Marche Institute for the Protection of Wines and entrepreneur at Umani Ronchi.
“Ampelio Bucci was one of the founders of Fivi, among the first in Italy to understand that independent winemakers needed a common home where they could share their problems and try to solve them together. His ability to engage in dialogue, and above all to listen and understand everyone’s reasons, was a fundamental characteristic for the maturation of all of us, who were often immature and inexperienced in collective endeavors”, says Rita Babini, winemaker and president of Fivi. “He often said that he was able to remain active and open to the world because he still felt like a child, curious and lively. We will greatly miss his intelligence and his sense of humor, which will be difficult to replicate, but we can only consider ourselves fortunate to have known him and to have walked this path with him. Tomorrow, even more so, we must be able to transform his memory into action, to ensure a future for winemakers and the Italian farming world: I believe this is his greatest legacy, which we will strive to honor every day”.
“Having Villa Bucci in Oniwines' portfolio is a source of pride and gratitude for the company towards a special man who believed in a project created to give continuity to his entrepreneurial and human vision: I am deeply saddened by the loss of Ampelio Bucci. He was”, explains entrepreneur Federico Veronesi, “a man capable of making an innovative and important contribution to the growth and success of quality Italian wine on the national and international scene, as well as a person of great culture and creativity. Together with Giorgio Grai, he created the myth of Verdicchio, a legend capable of living on through time. It will be our commitment to carry on his legacy and uphold the name of this great wine”.