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Enotria director receives knighthood of the Order of the Star of Italy

Published:  12 November, 2019

Enotria & Coe’s director of buying for Italy, Sergio De Luca, has received the decoration of the Order of the Star of Italy (OSI) on behalf of the president of Italy.

De Luca, who has extensive experience in promoting Italian wines on the British market and has fostered co-ordination with Italian institutions in the UK, received the knighthood in recognition of his contribution to British-Italian relations in the field of gastronomy and hospitality.

His knowledge and experience were “invaluable, and he continues to shape and develop an outstanding range of Italy’s most relevant and covetable wines”, said Enotria & Coe CEO Troy Christensen.

“We are immensely proud that Sergio has been recognised in this way – a hugely well-deserved honour and a tribute to his passion for, and commitment to, not only the industry to which he has dedicated his professional life, but also to his native Italy,” he said.

De Luca’s impact on the development of the quality Italian wine category in the UK could "not be underestimated", added Christensen.

“We are fortunate to have had him on board for over 30 years.”

De Luca said: “This is a great honour for me, and I am thrilled that the Italian government has seen fit to bestow upon me this award. I am grateful to work in an industry I love, and I am a hugely proud Italian.

“I have seen the industry morph and change, but have remained steadfast in my commitment to the success and growth of Italian wine throughout my Enotria & Coe career. To be recognised for combining two of my greatest passions is an enormous honour.”

Sergio comes from a rural area in North East Italy which, over the years, has evolved at pace, and is now one of the world’s major sources of Prosecco. He studied Winemaking at the Oenological School of Conegliano Veneto, and obtained his degree in Agricultural Sciences through Padua University.

After working a couple of vintages in the local co-op, he secured a job with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, working abroad for the Marketing of Italian Wine. He has spent time in several countries, including a stint at UCLA in California where he studied for a Masters in Viticulture and Oenology.

He came to London in 1981, leaving California before completing his Masters, and has been London-based ever since, joining Enotria in 1985.

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