Igor Gladich, the new director of the Soave Consortium
The objectives on the table include the qualitative development of the DOC and the dissemination
of the values associated with sustainability and protecting the landscape. Communication will play
a key role.
As of today, Igor Gladich is the new director of the Soave Consortium.
Gladich will work from the Casa del Vino di Soave, the Consortium’s headquarters, and will also act
as the director of the Lessini Durello Consortium, Arcole Consortium and Merlara Consortium.
Lucia Vesentini will be responsible for communications.
‘After a long search, we identified a highly qualified profile on whom the Board voted unanimously
in favour,’ explains Sandro Gini, chairman of the Soave Consortium. ‘Besides possessing
important technical skills, Igor Gladich is very familiar with the internal dynamics of the
appellations and the particular balances that characterise them. He is the ideal candidate to lead
the Casa del Vino and to continue the important work to promote Soave in Italy and worldwide,
with special emphasis on the projects to qualitatively develop the appellation and disseminate the
values associated with production sustainability and protecting the landscape’.
Born in Pordenone in 1983, Igor Gladich earned his degree in Forest Sciences before going on to
gain extensive experience in the wine industry, holding important public positions with AVEPA (the
Veneto paying agency), from 2010 to 2018, and with the Agri-food Directorate of the Region of
Veneto from 2018 until taking over his current role at the Soave Consortium. Gladich was also a
full member of the National PDO Wine Committee for the periods 2018–2021 and 2021–2024 as
regional coordinator, holding advisory and propositional powers concerning the protection and
qualitative and commercial development of PDO and PGI wines.
Lucia Vesentini, a journalist specialising in institutional and corporate communication, will support
the new director with communication, media relations and the press office. For Vesentini, it is a
return to the Casa del Vino di Soave as she already oversaw the press office for 11 years, from
2006 to 2017. In addition to having gained extensive experience in public relations and organising
events on both a national and international scale, in particular relating to the ‘Made in Italy’
brand, Vesentini has also managed the press office for the Social Doctrine of the Church Festival,
collaborated on CSR projects for the Cattolica Assicurazione Insurance Group and dealt with
political communication.
The Soave Consortium was founded in 1970 and represents wine companies, winegrowers,
bottlers and cooperatives.
The Soave DOC appellation — recognised with a Royal Decree in 1931, making it one of the oldest
in Italy — is made up of nearly 7,000 hectares under vine and includes 13 municipalities located in
the eastern part of the province of Verona. There are currently around 90 companies associated
with the Consortium, which boasts a representation of nearly 90% and is responsible for the
protection, promotion and development of the appellation and supervision.
