About Us

Aldo Di Filippo

Regional Sales Manager Pacific

Aldo was born in the Italian region of Abruzzo but raised in a small town in the province of Ascoli Piceno (in the region of Marche). His career in wine began in his early 20s when he worked for a leading wine and spirits distributor handling over 1,800 labels from around the world. Over the last 18 years, he has traveled extensively throughout various wine regions (Italy, France, Australia, and New Zealand ). He also worked a harvest at Auntsfield Estate (Marlborough, New Zealand) in 2019, an experience that expanded his growing knowledge of New World wines. He has completed Italian Sommelier Association certification levels I and II and is currently studying for his WSET level 3 certification. With Ethica Wines since 2021.

Alessandro Angelini

VP North America & National Key Account Manager

Joined the wine industry in 1996 as Export Director for a large Italian winery and has worked in the wine export business since. His focus territory is the US and Canadian markets, where he has extensively and frequently traveled acquiring deep knowledge from both markets. With Ethica Wines since the very beginning.

Alessandro Borghi

Marketing Assistant

Alessandro was born and raised in Veneto. His academic studies first brought him to Piacenza where he studied Viticulture and later to the Business School of Bologna to study Food and Wine Management. During the last years, he worked in the micro-vinification winery at the Mach Foundation in Trento, and he had the chance to visit Chile while working the harvest at a winery. To further enhance his knowledge of the wine industry he obtained his WSET 2 certification and attended the Alta Scuola del Sangiovese courses. For him, wine is a continuous exploration and ongoing adventure where he has the opportunity to merge his knowledge of both the technical side of viticulture/ winemaking and those of his management skills acquired. With Ethica Wines since September 2021.

Alessandro Malpassi

Regional Sales Manager Northeast

Alessandro was born and raised in Rimini, a seaside resort in Emilia Romagna. Like many other locals, he grows up being passionate about the hospitality industry and this passion lent itself to professional opportunities in both Italy and other European countries. Fueled with his knowledge and experiences, Alessandro followed his heart and moved to the US where he built a solid professional network for himself in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City. In September 2017 after 25 years in the restaurant business, he decided to follow his passion for wine. With Ethica Wines since 2017.

Alejandro Levya

Logistics Specialist

Alejandro was born and raised in Miami until 21 and moved to NYC for 5 years, where he grew professionally and personally by pushing his limits daily. Later in life moved to Denver and discovered a passion for hiking/outdoor activities that I enjoyed with his Border Collie, Harper. When he was younger he was curious about how great companies got to be so successful. He noticed that all of them had a strong supply chain system with a great products. So he decided he wanted to learn more about what made a strong Supply Chain in a company and spent years learning different aspects of supply chain & logistics. As a wine lover, it’s a joy to learn more about the great Italian wines. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Angelina Rosa

Logistics Specialist

Angelina Rosa is a native New Yorker and a recent alumna of the Fashion Institute of Technology. After several PR and marketing internships for a portable meditation module startup, she began working with one of her professors as an import coordinator at an apparel manufacturer. She has recently developed a passion for farming and pursued this by living in a treehouse on a small farm in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami. She is also currently a teacher’s assistant for a professor of an International CSR course at FIT as well as a contributor for an upcoming second edition of an Ethical Fashion and Corporate Social Responsibility Textbook for the State University of New York. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Barbara Micheli

Logistic Assistant – US Specialist

Barbara was born and raised in Italy’s Trentino region, surrounded by the mountains that she loves. Her passion for Italy’s mountain culture is what led her to her career in wine. After working in the export department for one of the area’s most iconic estates for nearly two decades, she decided to step outside her comfort zone and shift to the distribution side of the business when she joined Ethica Wines. With Ethica Wines since 2021.

Carolina Cossu

Regional Sales Manager Southeast

Carolina grew up surrounded by wine, as her father produces wine since 2005. After several years of experience in the fashion industry, she moved to the United States to reach new challenges and to share her love for Italian spirits and wine in a new market. First, she worked in the distillery industry selling Grappa, then she followed the steps of her father within the wine industry. She has since grown to become not only the Regional Sales Manager for the South East of the United States but also has received her level 2 WSET. With her love for wine and the industry propelling her, she is now studying for her level 3. With Ethica Wines since 2017.

Cat Lee

Creative Designer

Cat was born and raised in Connecticut before soon moving to Boston, MA to pursue an education and career in graphic design. She has always been passionate for all things creative and likes to dabble in as many mediums as possible. Cat has experience working with small businesses as well as larger agencies creating both print and digital work. Her goal as a designer is to use visual communication in order to bring a deeper sense of connectivity to the world around us. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Damiano Sorato

Sales Director Eastern Region

Damiano was born and raised in Veneto, close to Venice, from a family working in the restaurant business. He grew up surrounded by wine and food at a young age. Wine has always been his passion and, after finishing hospitality school, he got a master's at Italian sommelier association in 2008. He worked as a sommelier in hospitality all around the world for 15 years, included several Michelin starred restaurants in Italy, the USA, UK, and Switzerland. In 2015, he left the restaurant business to focus 100% on the wine business. With Ethica Wines since 2015.

Daniele Carli

Logistic Specialist – Asia Pacific

Daniele was born and raised in Trento, at the heart of the Dolomites. After obtaining a degree in history and philosophy at the University of Padova, having always been fascinated by wine, he decided to dedicate himself to wine which led him to professional opportunities that kept him away from his hometown for 10 years, traveling through Prague, Verona and Barolo. Always willing to taste, learn, and continuously update his knowledge on the vast world of wine, he completed the sommelier course with AIS in 2013, following with the WSET Diploma Awards in Wines in 2019. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Dario Bergamini

Regional Sales Manager Japan & South Korea

Dario was born in Trieste and after completing studies in Oriental Languages in Venice, he went to the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies for a one year exchange program. Upon returning to Italy he had his first job in the wine industry working for a winery in the Chianti Classico area in Tuscany. This thirst for knowledge led him to undertake studies through The WSET then graduate with a Level 4 Diploma in 2014. After the experience in Tuscany he moved back to Japan, where he currently lives with his family.  Following several years of cooperation with a Japanese importer of Italian wines, he eventually joined Ethica Wines in 2020.

Delphine Constantin

Regional Sales Manager Eastern Canada

Delphine was born in Marseille, France.  At the age of 10, she immigrated with her family to Montreal, Canada. Spending every summer in Aix-en-Provence, South of France, at her grandparents' house. She always kept her Mediterranean roots and habits. She studied Political science and communications at the University of Montreal, and soon after graduating, she decided to take the challenge of entrepreneurship by co-founding a public relations agency. She was in charge of the sales department and her passion for this field has been determinant to her career. She joined the wine industry, with one of Canada’s largest wine agencies. She has taken up and completed the certification WSET Level II and completed MOOC Champagne certification. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Diego Todone

Regional Sales Manager Southeast Asia

Diego was born in Vicenza, right in the middle between the Valdobbiadene Prosecco and the Valpolicella areas. During his studies in International Economics conducted between Italy, Spain and South Korea he understood he wanted to live abroad and moved to Thailand in 2013. Since 2016 in the wine business as Brand Manager for leading importers and distributors. With Ethica Wines since 2020.

Elisa Calvello

Trade Marketing Manager

Elisa earned a laurea — the equivalent of a master's degree — in foreign languages with a focus on English, French, and Russian at the Università di Genova and an M.S. in strategic communication from Columbia University. She is based in New York City where she has been planning and implementing premium brand strategies since 2014. With Ethica Wines since 2019.

Francesco Ganz

Chief Executive Officer North America & Asia Pacific

Born and raised in the Veneto Dolomites, where he fell in love with the beer and wine industry. After many years of work experience and leading several key projects in this industry across Italy and later worldwide, Francesco continued to he's business endeavors in the USA. As the founder of Ethica Wines, his contributions are key in Ethica's success for the US, Canada, and the Asia Pacific markets. With Ethica Wines since the very beginning.

Gabriela Bakotova

POs & Invoicing Specialist

Gabriela was born in Moravia in the Czech Republic, where she grew up with her family. According to family tradition, she graduated from Hospitality School. After several years of experience in the Hospitality sector as well as in Beverage Distribution and Logistics Agency in Italy and the UK, she moved to Miami with her family. With Ethica Wines since 2015.

Gianluca La Venuta

District Sales Manager NYC

Gianluca was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily. His academic experiences, first in International Relations and then in Wine Export Management, brought him to Bologna, Birmingham, and Trento, giving him the chance to explore different realities and gradually enter the wine business. He is now facing a new challenge adventure as District Sales Manager in New York. With Ethica Wines since 2017.

Giovanni Oliva

Founder & Managing Director Asia-Pacific

Giovanni was born and grew up in a tiny village not far from Venice. Just before he graduated from the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Giovanni continued to cultivate his great passion for wine and obtained a Sommelier Certificate. He also completed a Master in “Wine Marketing and Winery Management”. In the same year, he started his career in the wine business, working as Export Manager for famous Prosecco producers. In 2007 he moved to Singapore, where he still lives with his family, having accepted a job as Sales & Marketing Director for Asia for a private Consortium of family-run and owned Italian Wineries. In 2014, Giovanni decided to start his own company together with our CEO Francesco: Ethica Wines Asia Pacific. With Ethica Wines since 2014.

Giulia Pedrina

Digital Marketing Manager

Giuseppe Blanco

Regional Sales Manager -Midwest Region

Giuseppe was born and raised in a small town in Niscemi, in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily. In his late teen years, he ventured off to various countries including England, Spain, Chile, Mexico, and the United States, to gain experience in the restaurant business. After living in US for years 7 years and discovering his newfound passion for wines within the restaurant business, he took up a job opportunity as a sales in the Italian wine division of a leading wine importing and distribution company in Illinois in 2001. This fully immersed him into the wine business and led him to become sales manager of the Italian division in 2012. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Hailey Beike

Trade Marketing Specialist APAC

Helen De Cesare

Executive Assistant/Brand Ambassador

Helen was born in Thailand, with Thai and Italian roots. She grew up immersed in the hospitality industry. And her wine education began early on thanks to her parents, who were importers of wines and spirits. At age 13, she began traveling worldwide as a professional international tennis player. This gave her the opportunity to learn valuable skills that extended beyond her career as an athlete. After tennis, she dove headfirst into the world of luxury yachts. But she ultimately decided to follow her roots back to the wine industry where her passion and curiosity only continued to expand. Her diverse and truly unique life experiences have proved to be extremely useful in the dynamic world of wine. With Ethica Wines since 2021.

Juhee Ryou

Regional Sales Manager South Korea

Juhee was born and raised in Seoul. While she studied Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management at the university, she fell in love with wine and started working in the wine industry in 2005. She worked as a wine buyer and marketing manager in the leading wine importers in South Korea for 17 years and she had been worked with many Italian wineries as a brand manager. Over the years, she has visited various wine regions including Piemonte, Toscana, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Sicily. She also has experience as a jury of international Wine competitions such as the Berlin Wine Trophy, Asia Wine Trophy, and Visiasia Awards. Passed WSET Level 3 in 2016 and French Wine Scholar in 2019 and now studying Italian Wine Scholar. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Lara Lona

Purchase Manager

Lara was born and raised in-between the mountains of the Trentino region and lives in Valle di Cembra. Surrounded by the wonderful hills of vineyards, she naturally became passionate about the food and wine industry, loving the beauty of nature. Later, her extraordinary organizational skills brought her to the Purchase departments of wine companies, including Ethica Wines. With Ethica Wines since 2013.

Linshu Hu

China Business Developer

Linshu was born in Wuhan China, in the heart of the China Mainland, after high school she went to France to study, where she studied tourism and hotel management and began her wine studies in Bordeaux. It was in France where she experienced the wine business profoundly. With Ethica Wines since 2018.

Marcello Becagli

Office Manager

Marta Besurga

Operation Manager

Born and raised in Milan, Marta followed her mother’s footsteps into the shipping industry. Over the course of her career, she has worked with some of the world’s leading specialized shipping firms, building her experience and portfolio along the way. Four years ago, after moving to Miami to work for Alisped, she fell in love with the diverse cultural scene she found here in the “Magic City.” With her transition to Ethica Wines, her goal is to bring a fresh new perspective to the company. With Ethica Wines since 2021.

Niccolò Saltarelli

District Sales Manager Texas

Nick was born and raised in Milan, Italy, but he started globe-trotting around Europe since he was 14 years old, moving to Australia at 18. Nick attended the prestigious Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland and got Certified as Sommelier (Wine and Sake). He worked in some of the finest wine sections in Malaysia, Switzerland, and the UK before taking on a new challenge as F&B Manager and Wine Director for New York City's Masterchef Geoffrey Zakarian. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Nicola D'Incà

Accountant

Nicola was born and raised in the heart of the Dolomites in Italy's Veneto region. He lives in the city of Belluno. His passion for winemaking stretches back to his childhood when he would help his grandfather produce wine for personal consumption. He graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Venice Ca' Foscari. His years in the professional sector have given him extensive experience in business management. With Ethica Wines since 2021.

Nicola Ermilani

Business Analyst

Nicola is a world traveler. Born in Vicenza, a city a couple of hours from Venice, he moved to the States when he was 18. In the US he studied Business Administration, with a focus on Management Information System. His uncle owns a winery in Tuscany, he would visit during the summer and learn about winemaking. Thanks to Ethica he can now combine his love for wine with his passion for information management. With Ethica Wines since 2019.

Paola Lena

Chief Financial Officer

Paola was born in the beautiful Tuscany. After spending her childhood surrounded by those legendary landscapes, she moved back to the small village in the Dolomites her family originally came from. Gained lots of experience in retail and distribution. With Ethica Wines since 2015.

Paolo Bressan

Sales Director Western Region

The winemaking university in Conegliano Veneto is where Paolo started his path in the wine industry. After working in the cellar for a few harvest seasons in Sicily, California, and Veneto, he decides to move to London and learn how to promote and sell wine. In 2009 Paolo met Francesco (CEO of EW) and soon after that, the idea of promoting premium Italian wines in Asia and North America was born. With Ethica Wines since the beginning as Co-founder.

Paolo Cressi

District Manager Southern California

Paolo is a native of Bergamo, Lombardy Region, a beautiful town located in the North part of Italy. He grew up and intensively lived his youth time working at his family restaurant in Sarnico, a picturesque village on the river of Lake Iseo. He fell in love with the food and beverage business and later started his own company by opening two stores in Bergamo, selling high-end Italian food products. He moved with his family in 2015 to Los Angeles, where he built a solid professional network in the wine business, working with an importer of boutique wineries. Paolo has attended and completed the three levels of the Italian Sommelier Association in Italy and now holds a Level 3 WSET qualification. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Patricia Casanova

Sales Director Canada

Patricia was born to Italian immigrants in Vancouver, Canada.  She studied Economics at the University of British Columbia, and soon after graduating, she stumbled quite accidently into the wine world, working for one of Canada’s largest domestic commercial wineries. Her love of wine continued, progressing forward with other agencies, and throughout her 29 years in the industry, she has moved from sales representative to managing Western Canada. Joining Ethica Wines is undeniably the highlight of her career – everything she has experienced seems to have perfectly prepared her for this role of Sales Director for Canada. Persistence, passion, curiosity and great attitude are what she lives by,  as well as one of her favorite quotes from wine legend Robert Mondavi, whom she met in 2003:  “Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life”. With Ethica Wines since October 2021.  

Patrick La Viola

Regional Sales Manager Mountains Region

Patrick was born in Lombardia, on the southern shore of Lake Maggiore. After moving to Colorado and graduating from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Hospitality Management and Business Administration, he moved to Piemonte and obtained a Masters in Italian Wine Culture from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. He worked for two prestigious wineries in the Barolo appellation before joining the Ethica Wines team. With Ethica Wines since 2019.

Roberta Picco

Regional Sales Manager Greater China

Roberta was born and raised in Piedmont and currently resides in Hong Kong. She received a master’s degree in Chinese Language and Economics from Ca' Foscari University of Venice as well as a master’s degree in Wine Culture, Communication & Management from the Gastronomic Sciences University of Pollenzo. Roberta gained significant experience in the international wine business while working for leading wineries and wine importers in Italy and Hong Kong. With Ethica Wines since 2017.

Robert Zaun

District Sales Manager Central and North Florida

A Florida native, Robert began his journey and wine nearly 15 years ago at a small, fine dining restaurant in the north of the state. It was here that he studied and worked as a sommelier, eventually running highly acclaimed wine programs. From there, Robert made the jump into distribution, working for two prestigious suppliers of small estate fine wines and craft spirits. His love for the world of wine and thirst for knowledge has taken him to many points over the globe; traveling extensively in the agricultural regions of Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the United States. Always learning, Robert is currently studying for his WSET Level III. With Ethica Wines since 2022.

Vera Malisani

Sales Director Asia Pacific

Vera grew up harvesting, tasting wines in the most prestigious wineries and Venetian hotels, meeting people from all over the world; hence her passion for wine, food, and traveling. She studied simultaneous interpreting for the European Union and got a sommelier master's degree. Living in the UK, Spain, Australia, and Asia she, even more, realized the unique Italian biodiversity so she decided that promoting authentic Italian wine culture would be her mission no matter where her house would be. With Ethica Wines since 2014.

Veronica Zonta

Product Marketing Manager

Veronica was born in Veneto and after obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Management in Venice, she moved to New York and had her first experience in the wine business. Back in Italy, she completed a Master's Degree in Global Entrepreneurship and she finally moved to Miami to follow her passion for the wine industry. With Ethica Wines since 2019.