Le Vigne Winery is the culmination of a love of food, wine and family shared by owners Walter and Sylvia Filippini. Walter Filippini spent his younger years at his parent’s home in the lakeside town of Como, Italy and spent many summers working with his grandparents on their vineyard in the agriculturally rich region of Valtellina. As Walter grew, he developed a passion for cooking and the kitchen – an important facet of Italian life. By the age of 15, Walter entered the Culinary Institute in San Pellegrino, Italy. During the summers he worked at the Excelsior Palace Hotel in Venice and the Grande Albergo Villa d’Este in Como. He specialized in “Gastronomia,” the artful presentation of cold food dishes. Walter is very talented in this field, and won Italy’s National Chef’s competition for a delectable display of pheasant pate in 1981.

Terry Culton