Get To Know Emilia

Emilia Aiello is an Oakland, CA native, born to an immigrant Italian family. Unknowingly, she began her wine career in her cousin’s restaurant in their hometown of Oakland, California. In 2012 she moved to New York City and in 2016 she accepted a Wine Director position at Lupa Osteria Romana in Greenwich Village.

Emilia’s love to learn, combined with her interest in discovering her Sicilian roots, led her to take a profound interest in southern Italian wines. In 2016 she passed the rigorous Vinitaly International Wine Ambassador exam which only led her further down the rabbit hole. In 2018 she embarked on a grape harvest adventure on Mt. Etna, Sicily, where she worked with Ciro’ and Stef Biondi. Since then, she frequently travels to the region and in 2021 made the first publicly accessible (and accurate) map of the Etna DOC wine region.

After a pandemic harvest in Ciro’, Calabria with Francesco and Laura De Franco of ‘A Vita, Emilia began her current business endeavor, Cittavino & Co.- an online wine company dedicated to the study and promotion of lesser known southern Italian wine regions. She speaks Italian fluently and travels to Italy regularly, as working with producers, walking their vineyards and cellars, has become fundamental to her documentation of the rich viticultural history of the South. Her choice to focus on smaller producers is based on her belief that wine is food and that farm work should be respected, revered, and earn a livable wage.

Emilia is constantly in awe and in search of the intersectionality of cultures. She is so excited to share the cosmopolitan history of Italy with you!

In addition to being a Vinitaly International Italian Wine Ambassador Emilia is a WSET Diploma Candidate.