High in the Valpolicella hills above Verona, where rows of vines trace the contours of the land, siblings Diego ’14 and Lucy Todeschini ’15 are building something that did not exist before—not exactly.

The 25-acre vineyard has been in their family since the late 1960s when their grandfather purchased the land in Mezzane di Sotto, his ancestral hometown. For decades, his estate produced wine the artisanal way. It has always been known for the uncommon quality of its terroir, but never branded and never scaled, as he sold only to local restaurants and neighbors.

Today, Diego and Lucy are bringing their grandfather’s vision to life in Palmonte wines. Diego is based full-time in Italy, tending the vines, running the cellar, and managing production with a small team of enologists and agronomists. He is also a filmmaker, working on projects across two continents. Lucy splits her time between Verona and New York, where she works as an interior designer with a growing roster of high-profile residential clients. Here, she also built the entire visual identity of the Palmonte wine brand from scratch. Together, they are doing “two full-time jobs each.”

What they are creating is not just a wine, but a system. Not just a cellar, but a space shaped by intention. Not just a brand, but an identity that reflects who they are and where they come from. It is a life built carefully, collaboratively, and with a deep respect for what came before.

That approach—thoughtful, curious, and grounded in community—began, in many ways, at Millbrook.