MARGIACCHI
A dynasty of wine brokers
In the age of the Internet, where young people in particular are inventing a thousand new professions, there are also those who prefer to embrace one of the oldest commercial activities such as that of, to use an old definition, wine broker.
This is the case of Giovanni Margiacchi, from San Giustino Valdarno in Arezzo, who a few years ago took over the business that belonged to his father Riccardo and his grandfather Gregorio, thus continuing a tradition that has now lasted seventy-four years.
In Dante’s Florence, the Florence of the 13th and 14th centuries, the Florence of the Major and Minor Guilds, brokers, primarily those involved in the wool trade, represented a very important profession. A profession to which Giovanni is proud to belong. A job, his grandfather Gregorio loved to remind his son Riccardo, that is “the most beautiful in the world because you buy other people’s goods by paying for them with other people’s money.”
“But it’s also true,” explains Giovanni Margiacchi, “that we equally invest enormous capital: morality and seriousness. When we negotiate the purchase of grapes and wine, we represent a company and naturally we must try to represent it as best we can!”
These days, we’re accustomed to discussing the world of wine from various perspectives. We’re familiar with the many figures involved, many key players, but never include the intermediaries, the brokers whose job it is to connect winemakers and bottlers. Yet this type of activity is also of great importance to the sector.
Gregorio Margiacchi
When Gregorio Margiacchi started what would become a true dynasty of wine brokers back in 1926, there were few bottling companies in his area (the provinces of Arezzo and Florence). Most of the wine was sold in bulk and transported directly in barrels or demijohns, and sometimes in flasks stacked inside huge horse-drawn baskets.
1926
Riccardo Margiacchi
In the early 1950s, his son Riccardo took over, steering the business in a new direction by expanding its scope.
Local produce was no longer enough to support the company, Giovanni recalls, so my father decided to enter new markets, purchasing wines in the south on behalf of companies in northern and central Italy. His business thus moved from a provincial to a national level.
For over twenty years, Riccardo Margiacchi continued to work primarily with high volumes; on the other hand, the entire sector at the time—even research—was geared more toward product quantity than quality.
1950
Giovanni Margiacchi
At the beginning of the 1980s came the turning point toward more sophisticated consumer demand, thanks in part to the very companies Margiacchi worked for. 'Once again,' says his son Giovanni, 'my father had the intelligence, and also the luck, to abandon certain markets and specialize in local products—both from Tuscany and other regions—seeking out market niches that could satisfy the needs of bottlers who were aiming for quality rather than quantity and price.'
1980
Ilaria e Laura Margiacchi
Riccardo Margiacchi personally continued his work until the early 1990s, after which, due to health issues, he passed the torch to Giovanni, the third generation of this dynasty of wine brokers.
With a large client portfolio, over a hundred companies in Tuscany and several dozen in other regions, his father also instilled in him important human values: reliability, practicality in business, and confidentiality.
``Better to work less,`` he said, ``but to monitor both the winemakers and the bottling companies more closely. Ours is a job where human contact and mutual trust are important.``
Today, this type of activity has changed further, as it requires knowledge of foreign languages and relevant legislation. It is also important to involve the parties involved in the documentation relating to inspections and the entire plethora of regulations to be followed.
Giovanni Margiacchi, who comes from an economic/commercial background, embodies this new professional figure perfectly.
We ask him if he is satisfied with his choice. ``Certainly! My father was a mentor in life, but also in work. Thanks to him, entering this business was not difficult, which is why I am grateful to him. It is a thank you that I also feel like extending to the wineries, producers, and bottlers we work with—some for several decades now—companies that have grown hand in hand with the development of Italian wine. This gratitude, both to my father Riccardo and to our clients, allows me to face the future with greater confidence.``