Meet the team

I was born in Milan in 1979, but from an early age I left the skyscrapers and traffic to embrace the tranquility of the countryside and the slow rhythms of the hills of Lake Garda, where my mother has always lived.

The contact with nature also translates into contact with the vine and its fruits; I carry in my heart magnificent childhood memories, when with my father we used to go on trips to the Venetian countryside, where Uncle Ernesto, a farmer and winemaker, produced his wine; a red made with wisdom and simplicity, which colored the glasses of deep purple and smelled of fruit and friendship.

My curiosity and passion for wine then led me to undertake various experiences in the industry: from grape harvests as a boy, to experiences in various wine shops, to years as a sales agent. This path allowed me to deepen my knowledge and come into contact with numerous extraordinary winemakers.

One day, on a beautiful sunny day, while Lake Garda shone under the blue sky, Francesco invited me for a bubbly on the terrace of his Villa Sostaga; that’s when he proposed me to collaborate in the creation of I Tesori di Villa Sostaga. To such a project I could not resist.

I am Marco Vivaldi, born in Rovereto, in the province of Trento on 22 September 1959, the son of an Italian father and a Dutch mother.
This dual cultural heritage has certainly influenced my life and worldview.

I grew up in a family hotel and restaurant in Garda Trentino, in what is the lowest pass in Europe, the San Giovanni pass.

I remember the smell of wood, the sound of keys going into the locks, the hustle and bustle of tourists.This place gave me indelible memories and opened the door to a world of encounters and adventures.

I fondly remember Sunday lunches in the dining room, surrounded by the smell of food and the laughter of customers. These were precious years during which I made lasting friendships and discovered the beauty of human relationships.

My father was a true expert on local wines.
I was lucky enough to grow up with him, absorbing his passion and learning to appreciate the nuances of each glass.

At the age of 16, driven by a visceral passion for agriculture, I decided to embark on a training course at one of the most prestigious agricultural schools in Italy, the Istituto Tecnico Agrario di San Michele all’Adige, and oenology was my specialisation.

Among the vineyards and cellars of the institute, I discovered the secrets of winemaking and learnt to appreciate the complexity of each individual wine; this experience confirmed my vocation for this beautiful world.

Having successfully completed my studies in the field of oenology, by 1980 I was already managing the family restaurant, where I offered my customers a wine list of 60 different labels, the result of careful and rigorous research aimed above all at small producers, many of whom I had met through trips organised together with the prestigious agricultural institute of San Michele all’Adige.

Managing such an extensive wine list, especially in the 1980s, certainly required great dedication and organisation.

In 1984, I met Gianpaolo Girardi, who proposed me to collaborate with the company he had just set up, Proposta Vini, which gave me the possibility of minimal purchases, especially from winemakers, reserved for restaurants with weekly delivery, a revolutionary idea for the time that allowed me to offer my customers a unique and always up-to-date wine and food experience.

In 2000, after finishing my experience in the family hotel restaurant, I joined the sales team of this company that I had appreciated over the years, with which I still collaborate after almost 25 years, in the area of northern Lake Garda, offering myself as a consultant in drawing up the wine lists of hoteliers and restaurateurs who wanted to offer something unique and personal.

In the meantime, I have also been joined by my son Alessandro, who has approached this wonderful world with great passion and attention.

Over 20 years in the world of wine. A passion that led me, as a student, to travel around Italy and France to select those small wineries that best represented my idea of wine: wines without superstructures, faithful to tradition, but above all capable of conveying emotions.
An important commitment, to create my own distribution from nothing and, above all, to make those lesser-known products known, but which could truly mirror their territories and give my own customers the opportunity to have a truly unique and original offer.
A universal formula for doing this job well certainly does not exist, but if I had to summarise mine I would say: curiosity, a desire to go beyond the obvious and to be a collaborator and consultant for the people who choose my products.