October 10 , 2008
Italian Estates to Sponsor the Construction of the US Embassy Wine Cellar

The name might not sound familiar, certainly not one of the usual places to visit in Rome. There are no tourists crowding its front gates, no stands or carts selling piedine or any indication of how to even get to the mansion. In fact, Villa Taverna is one of the best kept secrets of the eternal city. A good reason for this is that not many people have the chance to enter beyond its gates, not unless you work for the White House or have received a special invitation. Villa Taverna is in fact the official residence of the US ambassador in Italy, a landmark building that has hosted various US Presidents, Nobel Price winners, and a meeting place for US/Italy political and economic relations.  Recently, Villa Taverna has been receiving much deserved attention for a new and exiting project that bears true to its name (taverna means tavern in Italian): the construction of a very special underground cellar reserved only for the best and most sought after Italian labels.  Construction is set to officially begin today.

At seven walled acres, Villa Taverna covers an entire city block, and it contains the largest private garden in Rome. Located approximately one mile from the American Embassy on the northern edge of Villa Borghese, it is situated in the Parioli section of Rome.  Erected in 955 A.D. and used for 400 years as a seminary by the Catholic Church, it acquired its name when in 1920 Count Ludovico Taverna purchased it and commissioned its restoration.  The Villa was first used as temporary home for the US Ambassador in 1933, but was designated the official residence after World War II and purchased by the US Government in 1948.

Although part of the property was once a vineyard known as La Pariola, which acted as an entrance to an ancient network of catacombs, the Villa never had a wine cellar. Today, thanks to the initiative of US Ambassador Ronald P. Spogli and the financial support of a few elite Italian producers, marks the first breaking ground for a cellar showcasing more than 5000 bottles.  Among the chosen few estates called to represent the best of the “Made in Italy” are Biondi Santi, Antinori, Mastroberardino, Querciabella, Castello di Fonterutoli, and Frescobaldi who will share the spotlight with a few American estates during future diplomatic gala dinners and events.