Joe Di Palma, Director

My grandparents were born in Marano di Napoli near Naples in the 1890s.  In the early 1900s, they established a profitable company of basket weavers which helped local farmers to collect fruit, grapes and olives.  With the help of their five sons, the family business grew from strength to strength and many farmers benefitted from their success.

Michael, the youngest son and my father, wanted to expand the business by producing good quality wines. He worked alongside local oenologists and wine producers to broaden his knowledge and understanding of the science of wine making.

He travelled extensively in Central and Southern Italy searching for a fertile area for vine cultivation. In the mid 1960s, he finally discovered an ideal piece of land on which to harvest grapes and he began to produce local organic wines called Piedirosso and Falanghina.

My Mum, Concetta, was very passionate about local organic produce. She baked bread and pizza for her family and the local community using traditional methods. She was very supportive of my Dad’s wine making business, which become very prosperous in the region of Naples, until my Mum sadly passed away in 1998.

As the youngest son, I inherited a real passion for fine wines, olive oil and local produce from the Campania region where I was born.  Since the age of eight years old, I had a very keen interest in learning English which developed into an affection for all things British, including its history and culture.

After years of researching Italy’s vast array of fine wines and olive oils, I used my knowledge, experience and expertise to establish my company, Villa Sofia Wine, in 2013 in East Sussex, England. I named my company after the little chapel in Benevent, called Santa Sofia, because of my mum’s devotion to it.

Our company has gone from strength to strength and today, we import a wide range of the finest quality Italian wines, spirits, beer and and the finest quality extra virgin olive oil to the UK and Ireland from individual, family-run vineyards in Central and Southern Italy. Our clients include many selective  wine bars, restaurants, hotels, wine shops as well as many private and corporate clients.

We provide a range of services to our clients including wine-tastings, advice on wine pairings and wine selections for those special occasions.