CRAFTMANSHIP
Our Masters
The MARTINI formula is the result of a history that continues to evolve with ancient and new recipes. Behind each recipe there is always the touch of one or more people, the experts who ensure the best quality over time and the brand’s reputation.
Those people are Martini & Rossi’s masters who, starting from our co-founder Luigi Rossi, guarantee the continuity of each vermouth and sparkling wine bottle. Today, the responsibility of this legacy is in the hands of Beppe, Alessandro and Livio.
Master Blender
Beppe Musso
The Master Blender is the oenologist who creates MARTINI vermouths, combining technical expertise and creativity. His role is a mix of craftsmanship and innovation. At the heart of his work is the supervision of production at the Pessione plant, a daily activity carried out together with a team of around 30 people, whom the Master coordinates like an orchestra conductor.
Beppe Musso, who has been with Martini & Rossi since 1993, has been Master Blender since 2011.
In addition to overseeing production, the Master Blender is committed to researching and developing new products, satisfying the demands of an increasingly innovation-oriented market. This part of the work goes hand in hand with the selection of raw materials; in fact, the Master Blender visits the territories of origin of the base wines, checks the grapes and talks to suppliers. Finally, he is an ambassador of the brand, telling its story and production techniques during events, including international gatherings.
An invisible thread running through 160 years unites all the Master Blenders. There are nine personalities who have taken over as MARTINI production managers. Each one, starting with Luigi Rossi, has received a legacy of technique, style and taste, passed to the most suitable apprentice. Thanks to this direct passage, the sense of an extraordinary theoretical and practical ‘savoir-faire’ has been maintained through the ages.
This legacy of technique and style is constantly updated, maintaining a perfect balance between tradition and innovation.
Master of Botanicals
Alessandro Garneri
The Master of Botanicals is the keeper of the secrets of the herbs that bring MARTINI products to life, combining the knowledge of a botanist with the care of a gardener. He knows every detail of the aromatic herbs, skillfully selecting flowers, leaves, seeds, bark and roots to extract unique aromas, fragrances and colors.
Alessandro Garneri, with Martini & Rossi since 2006, was appointed as Master of Botanicals in 2024.
Each botanical component used in MARTINI products, sourced from the four corners of the world, is examined by smell and then submitted to chemical analysis and tastings to ensure impeccable quality. Therefore, the Master of Botanicals is the bridge between a centuries-old Piedmontese vermouth culture and the present, working with the Master Blender to preserve the original formulas. His work embraces the seasonal rhythms of agriculture, building trusting relationships with local and international suppliers, thus guaranteeing the excellence of raw materials.
Today, the role of the Master of Botanicals is enriched by innovation and science: research into new extraction methods and systematic information management allow tradition and modernity to be combined. This is possible thanks to a team of high-profile technicians, who are also dedicated to quality control. So, between tradition, craftsmanship, and scientific approach, the essence of the MARTINI brand is preserved and renewed.
The winemaking tradition merges with the origins of humanity and is rooted in all cultures. During the ancient age, winemaking expanded throughout the Mediterranean, particularly in Phoenicia and Greece. From these people the ancient Romans learned the art of making wine and perfected it, improving production techniques and consumption methods.
Wine in ancient times was characterized by a bitter flavour, a high alcohol content and a dark colour: it was necessary to dilute it with water and mix it with herbs and resins to make it lighter and more pleasant on the palate. Wormwood and other bitter essences were added to the wine to stimulate the appetite; after that the liquid was filtered. Numerous scholars described how to make and flavor wine, but after the fall of the Roman Empire these winemaking techniques were mostly forgotten in the West. They survived in the East, where they were developed and improved.
SPARKLING WINE MASTER BLENDER
Livio Prandi
The Sparkling Wine Master Blender oversees every single aspect of the MARTINI sparkling wine production process. Using traditional methods and innovative technologies, he ensures that each bottle meets the quality standards of the entire range: freshness, fragrance, and balance.
Livio Prandi, with Martini & Rossi for over thirty years, has been Sparkling Wine Master Blender since 2017.
Experience is the main quality a Sparkling Wine Master Blender must have. In-depth knowledge of the territories and vineyards, the trust of the winegrowers, technical skills that have been refined from harvest to harvest are essential characteristics: secrets of the trade that are acquired through long apprenticeships in the field.
His task is to create products that maintain the style and taste characteristics of the MARTINI brand. This result is only possible thanks to expertise: the aromatic framework of musts can change radically depending on the grape harvesting areas, and every vintage is conditioned by the weather.
Having assessed all the elements and selected the musts, the Master Blender proceeds with the blending that will give, once fermentation is completed, a perfect product.
MARTINI Asti is the product that most represents the company’s wine tradition, and the Sparkling Wine Master Blender follows all the key stages: the work in the vineyard, the harvest, the processing phases.
Composed of about twenty people, the team dedicated to sparkling wines in Pessione is animated by the spirit of a large family, sharing passion and commitment to this work 365 days a year.
