Who is the mathematics teacher who emigrated to Giglio Island, the new Winemaker of the Year according to Gambero Rosso

Ansonica has always been more than a certainty in his life: it was a choice from the start, one he has never regretted. He has been producing it for 26 years on Giglio Island, remaining firmly rooted in tradition. Three hectares in Altura, a microproduction that speaks plainly the language of the island. He is Francesco Carfagna, awarded Winemaker of the Year by the Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2026 guide.

Ansonica as a life choice

“Everyone does as they please,” Francesco tells us. “For me, Ansonica has stayed the same, and I make it in the old-fashioned way. I don’t care if my style is no longer fashionable. In fact, I think the opposite. Today it’s become fashionable — it’s an extremely trendy wine. I believed in it when no one else did. Now it’s gone mad — people even ask, ‘Are you heroic? No? Then next, please…’ to put it briefly.”

With a past as a mathematics professor — in its purest form — before settling permanently on Giglio Island, Francesco embraced a new life as a winemaker, in the most natural disorder. Born, raised, and matured in Rome, he had spent his summers on the island since childhood. It was precisely this Tyrrhenian island, with its magical charm, that inspired him to build his personal and professional life there. In discovering Ansonica, he ended up embracing — with immense joy and passion — the wild, solitary lifestyle that defines this land.

The award for Red Wine of the Year according to Gambero Rosso

Burly and not particularly affable, rough and blunt at times, yet endowed with a disarming empathy and a colourful spirit, Francesco has turned his passion into a way of life. His love for wine and for the island has always accompanied him, despite the difficulties. Today, the Gambero Rosso award arrives — a recognition of a lifetime spent as an unconventional producer.

“It’s an award that makes me feel less alone. I’ve always done what I believe in. If someone appreciates my work, that gives me great satisfaction. I started out with this idea, learning as a boy alongside my father. I was alone. Everyone else came later — at a certain point, I said to myself, let’s wake up the locals. They laughed at me; they thought I was a poor fool. The fact remains that no one lives here anymore — there are three of us, and that’s not a good sign.”

Climate change and the future

And on climate change, he replies: “I’ve changed too. I’ve become warmer, like the climate. And I don’t rain anymore. Ansonica stays the same; it hasn’t changed… it doesn’t make sense — it’s like asking if cherries have changed.”

Looking to the future and to fellow artisans, he adds: “The only advice I feel like giving is to cultivate your own original thoughts — whether in wine or any other field. In wine, you need to have a strong idea and live it to the full. Always do what you believe in, not what the market wants. It sounds like a cliché, but in reality, it’s much harder than it seems.”