ANTON F. BOERNER'S WINNING BET - FOUNDER OF ÔMINA ROMANA

by Maria Carla Magni

Anton F. Boerner, a German entrepreneur of Bavarian origin, has had Italy in his heart since his childhood, when he used to spend his summer holidays there at the age of 5. His passion for Italy then transformed into an endless love for archaeology, history, philosophy, art, and culture, leading him to create a company that could gather all his knowledge to realize a dream: the creation of Ômina Romana, a wine estate in an area that was still little known at the time. By his side in the realization of the company has always been his family, but above all his wife Anna Maria, obviously Italian and always his alter ego in entrepreneurial choices. Today, the company is also led by his daughter Katharina, the CEO, and an extended family consisting of his trusted and valuable collaborators.

- Since you founded the Ômina Romana project in 2007, can you say that you have finally won a bet that seemed very ambitious at the time? In reality, I feel that we are simply on a good path. We have not yet reached all the foreign markets we intend to open, but I admit that much has been done since the beginning, but just as much still needs to be done.

- What were the main difficulties and the greatest satisfactions achieved during these 16 years? Initially, the greatest difficulty was certainly staff training. To create the company we envisioned, it was a priority to have prepared collaborators, and it was a rigorous commitment on which we focused heavily. First and foremost, the work of our agronomist, Dr. Paula Pacheco, was fundamental. She managed to transform all the scientific know-how, gathered in close contact with the University of Florence, achieving what initially seemed difficult. Today I can say I am proud of our team, capable of working with sophisticated techniques, managing to create a final product of excellence, combining manual skill and scientific knowledge. This satisfaction is further rewarded by the qualitative achievement of our wines when compared to the level of major international labels, which is constantly attested in various "blind tastings" that confirm these results. This satisfaction is not only personal but shared with all our collaborators, from the cellar to the field, and to the distribution sector in Italy and abroad. We all feel like a big family, and commitment is the result of our success, without hierarchies.

- Ômina Romana is a family-run business; your daughter Katharina has taken over as CEO, and you collaborate with expert professionals. What is your role in the company today? Personally, I spend the whole year promoting the brand in Italy and Europe, aiming to make known the history and passion of our company for what it produces. People, in turn, become curious because they want to get to know closely the "spiritus rector" of who is truly behind the product and concretely understand how much meticulous work goes into a label and the work of Ômina Romana. I get very passionate when, during the various masterclasses, tastings, and events, people become curious about our history and culture as an essential background to our wine. In this process of product knowledge with various clients, my daughter Katharina and I have divided the different market areas: I stay between Italy and Europe, while she handles the markets in Asia and the United States.

- You have always been passionate about Italian art, history, and culture: how have you managed to combine this passion with your love for wine, and what is the added value that characterizes the concept of Ômina Romana? My passions for art and history perfectly align with the concept of Ômina Romana, as it represents the renaissance of Etruscan-Roman wine. Through my studies, I discovered that the Etruscans initiated viticulture in the territory, which the Romans then continued by planting the most prestigious grape varieties of the Roman period in our area, near Velletri, later transported to all conquered areas of the empire. Our project is precisely to revive the spirit of what was the great wine of ancient times and make it known throughout the world. We work on a wine that has deep roots in history, extending to the present day, thanks also to new technological tools and the most innovative scientific research. We also establish this connection through the names of our labels, which derive from the classical Greek and Roman periods. The philosophy of the early Christian centuries also plays an important role, which we express through the concepts of "mens et manus" (mind and hand) and "ora et labora" (pray and work). All of this has a strong connection for us with the manual skill of viticultural work in the company and is peculiar to our territory.

- How has the wine sector in the territory changed, if at all, during this journey? I consider the Ômina Romana project for our region to be somewhat of a white fly, meaning everyone follows their own path. We have decided to follow the one we feel best expresses us.

- How do you see future prospects and what are the next steps you intend to take in the company? Our goals remain the same: to work meticulously and continue to make our brand known in unexplored markets. And of course, to continue working on product quality together with "our family of collaborators." In the future, there is certainly the desire to double the winery's production capacity and reach the maximum potential of the available land.

- Is there a particular wine for 2023 that you want to bet on? Yes! We started a test last year with the production of a pure Merlot Rosé. It was so popular that it sold out in just a few months. With the new harvest, we have increased the production capacity of this wine, and we will present it at both the upcoming Vinitaly and Prowein. So, it will certainly be a big gamble and a new product for us to launch, but a very interesting one thanks to its characteristics: freshness and extraordinary aromas of grapefruit, cedar, and citrus. Absolutely ideal for the coming summer. I therefore invite everyone to try it and hope to meet many Ômina Romana enthusiasts soon, both at the winery for a visit and in various parts of Italy and Europe at our Masterclasses.