The AUTARI vineyard was born from the vision of Alessio Tavecchio, Paralympic swimming champion at the 1996 Atlanta Games, who founded the Tavecchio ETS Foundation in 1998 after a life-changing accident led him to dedicate his life to the inclusion and independence of people with disabilities. Located in the Cristo Re district of Monza, within the Agriparco Solidale “Accolti e Raccolti”, the vineyard was made possible through the generous support of the Meregalli Group, one of Italy’s leading wine distributors. Here, agricultural work is not just cultivatio, it is a path of emancipation that restores dignity and a future to the most vulnerable.
After five years of passionate daily care, the 2022 harvest yielded the first 492 bottles of AUTARI Barbera, bringing this variety back to Monza after more than 150 years of absence. The Foundation defines it with perfect simplicity: “14 degrees of inclusion.” The wine is never sold, it is offered and shared at tastings, private gatherings, and corporate events, always in service of those who need it most.
Its name honors Autari, the ancient Lombard king and husband of Teodolinda, whose legend is woven into the very history of Monza. When he met his future queen, he asked her for a cup of wine to seal their union and the beginning of a kingdom. Centuries later, that same spirit lives on in a vineyard where every harvest is an act of inclusion, and every bottle a reminder that wine, at its best, brings people together.