Winemaker Bio

Elisa Dilavanzo

Winemaker Elisa Dilavanzo’s foray into the world of wine production began by chance in 2010. Recruited by a hotelier who had just acquired an estate in the gorgeous Euganean Hills in Italy’s Veneto region, Elisa was asked to help restore the estate’s vineyards, which had been abandoned for decades.

Elisa says that she was immediately fascinated by the diversity of the land, the steepness of the hills, the varying exposure of the vines to the sun, the particularities of the microclimates, the temperature fluctuations and the incredible variety of fruit trees in the area. She was inspired to express all of those elements in her wines. She discovered that Fior d’Arancio, a unique variety of Yellow Muscat (Moscato Giallo) found in the area, grows particularly well in the volcanic terroir of the Euganean Hills.

One of Elisa’s main goals has been to promote the versatility of the sweet sparkling wine, which is traditionally served as a dessert wine. She proposes it as an aperitif as well, given its marked minerality. To achieve her goal, Elisa has involved owners of restaurants and wine bars, sommeliers and opinion leaders in the world of food and wine in her project, as well as anyone with the talent and imagination to make a contribution toward demonstrating the versatility of the Moscato Fior d’Arancio grape and driving her innovative project forward. Two people who were key to the success of Maeli are Gianluca and Desiderio Bisol, respectively the CEO and winemaker of the eponymous Prosecco winery in Valdobbiadene, who believed and invested in the project from the beginning.

In addition to the award-winning Maeli Moscato Fior d’Arancio DOCG, Elisa also produces a still white wine, Bianco Infinito, made from her favored Moscato Giallo. The wine stands out for the aromatics and structure that are the result of the grapes from which it is made. Rosso Infinito, a red blend, and Dila, a traditional method sparkling wine, complete the Maeli portfolio.

Elisa has already gained important recognitions from acclaimed international critics, including Tom Stevenson, who awarded the Maeli Moscato Fior d’Arancio the coveted gold medal at the 2015 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.