About us

Sergio, Daniela, Andrea and Giulia Zingarelli. This blog will be a way for each of us to stay in closer touch with you – our clients and partners – to talk to you about what’s going on behind the scenes in our company and to tell you about the work we are doing from day to day. It will also give you a way to keep in contact with us at all times and, moreover, will provide us with a way to get your input into what we do.

Valeria Canu, born 1971.  Having moved to the Italian mainland from my native Sardinia to continue my studies, and having realized that my future would be inextricably linked with wine…more than 10 years ago I arrived at Rocca, where I am now responsible for communications and marketing. I’m delighted that the blog affords us the opportunity to share our work with all those who are interested in what we do. I’m really happy that I’ll be able to get my colleagues and partners involved in this adventure, since I’m convinced that the success of the winery is the result of the effort we each put in, day in, day out. I’ll be mainly responsible for the posts in the blog, but mine will certainly not be the only voice you will hear. On occasion, I’ll be the spokeswoman for the Zingarelli family and for my colleagues and partners, whereas at other times they will leave their comments in the blog directly.

Here are brief snapshots of some of my colleagues who have kindly offered to contribute pro-actively to the success of Rockablog:

Luca Francioni, born 1965.  Luca hails from the Contrada dell’Istrice in Siena, so if you’re trying to get a hold of him at the winery during the Palio, it’s unlikely that you’ll find him here…He’s been our Chief Winemaker since 1989 – that’s 21 years of experience clocked up in the vineyards and in the cellars, skillfully co-ordinating the work of the winemaking team. Passionate about cooking, Luca is a lover of fine wine and good food, and (Tuscan, always Tuscan) cigars…he’ll let you all in on the secrets of our wines.

Giulia Zingarelli, born 1989.  She may be the latest arrival at Rocca, but she’s been here from the day she was born! This blog could not fail to benefit from her input and her contagious laughter: she is young and enterprising, and for this reason is already the link between Rocca and the Relais Riserva di Fizzano, the hub of our hospitality and the ideal place for all those who love wine, top-class cooking and the unique landscape of the Chianti Classico zone.

Rossana Bucciarelli, born 1976.  Behind her reserved manner and permanently wine-stained blouse there lies a radiant expert on winemaking. Appropriately, then, she is the right-hand-woman of our Chief Winemaker Luca Francioni. Born and bred in the Chianti production zone, she has been working with us since 1996, and although the laboratory is her realm, she is often called upon – thanks to her in-depth knowledge – to serve as the ambassador for our wines all over Italy. The bridge between the cellar and the end consumers, she will contribute to this blog by telling us what happens when you drink our wines…

Georgeta Perhald, born 1967. From Romania, via Luxembourg, to Italy…A sommelier and great wine lover, for more than 14 years she has been sharing her knowledge with all of the clients who come to see us at the winery or whom we go to visit in their countries, explaining enthusiastically – in Italian, English, French, German and even Romanian, on occasion – the colors, aromas and flavors of our wines. As our PR guru, her input will be crucial in enriching my posts.

Alfio Auzzi, born 1978.  If there existed native species of people rather than just of vines, Alfio would certainly be a case in point! Having joined Rocca in 1997, fresh from attaining his diploma as an agricultural technician, he immediately began to make the most of his innate love for the Tuscan soil and for its fruits, becoming in next-to-no-time the ‘go-to guy’ in the winery’s agronomics department. Despite his equally innate love for beer, in the end he plumped for the nectar of Bacchus, studying hard and applying all of his knowledge in the field. The stories whispered by our vine rows during the course of the year are known to Alfio alone.