Master of Sangiovese 2014: Ottavio Venditto

Ottavio Venditto, young Venetian sommelier, won the prestigious Master of Sangiovese competition

The edition number 13 of the “Romagna Wines Consortium Trophy – MASTER OF SANGIOVESE 2014” took place.

The young Venetian Ottavio Venditto triumphed, who in the course of an exuberant final test preceded Luca Degl’Innocenti of Arezzo. In third place, Federico Scarponi of Perugia.

The three A.I.S. Sommelier finalists of this 2014 stood out in the written tests, and in the evening the final test was staged.

The final tests of Masters of Sangiovese were very demanding: tasting of three wines with Sangiovese recognition; Sangiovese pairing to a complex dish; combination of three Sangiovese wines to a menu of meat and a menu of fish; illustration of a Sangiovese–based wine list; description of the activities and history of two companies producing Sangiovese and of the Romagna Wines Consortium; service and decanting of a wine.


The illustrious jury of Master of Sangiovese

To confirm the high profile of Master of Sangiovese, the qualified jury: Giordano Zinzani, President of the Romagna Wines Consortium, Gian Carlo Mondini, President of A.I.S. Romagna, Pierluigi Zama, President of Assoenologi Romagna, Giammario Villa, master taster e professional sommelier of the North American Sommelier Association, Annalisa Linguerri, winner of the 2013 edition of the competition, Maurizio Zanolla, co–responsible of A.I.S. national competitions.


Ottavio: awards and future


Venditto, who in the past years had already earned the second and third place, has proven skill and professionalism:

“Having finally won Master of Sangiovese, after my two previous participations, is a great satisfaction and a starting point for facing other competitions. Firstly, that for the title of Best Sommelier in Italy”.

Ottavio is working at the family restaurant at Lido in Venice, and in 2011 had already won the title of Best Sommelier in Veneto, and in 2012 the Master of Friulano.
Venditto has earned 2,500 € and will decide whether to change it with a great professional experience: an eight–day trip to Los Angeles, joining the Master of Sangiovese course held by the North American Sommelier Association (NASA) in the city of angels.

Master of Sangiovese was organized by the Romagna Wines Consortium and by AIS – Italian Sommelier Association, in collaboration with Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna.