The New Zealand native, a champion of quality wines from all corners of Italy, leaves behind a remarkable legacy and an influential company.
Neil Empson, founder of Empson & Co. and a trailblazing importer of fine Italian wines into the United States, passed away on September 14 after a long battle with cancer. He was 85.
“My father won many battles but lost his most precious war, as he wanted to live and love the way he always had,” said his daughter, Tara Empson, the current CEO of Empson & Co., in a statement to *Wine Spectator*. “Even in his final moments, he insisted on sipping wine, his pride and joy, along with my mom, his beloved partner to the end.”
A New Zealander Bringing Italian Wines to the World
Born on March 16, 1939, in Waikato, New Zealand, Empson hailed from a family of farmers. He met his wife, Maria Gemma, in 1969, and together they founded Empson & Co. in Milan in 1972. Recognizing the untapped potential of Italian wines, Neil became a key figure in introducing American consumers to Italy’s emerging wine producers during the 1970s and 1980s. Among the many names he championed was Angelo Gaja, who went on to become an icon in the U.S. wine market.
Empson expanded his reach by founding Empson USA in 1991 and Empson Canada in 2000, further solidifying the company’s role in importing wines from Italy and beyond, including regions like California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Chile.
Dominic Nocerino, who founded Vinifera Imports in 1979, recalled meeting Neil in Chicago in 1974. “At the time, he was one of the few quality Italian importers in the U.S. He was a true pioneer who believed in Italian wine long before many others. He will be greatly missed.”
Guiding a Wine Legacy with Elegance
I first encountered Neil in 2008 when I moderated a seminar on Italian wines from his portfolio at Wine Spectator’s Seminar Series during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Two years later, I began covering the wine regions of Piedmont and Tuscany for the magazine.
In November 2010, I met Neil again during a visit to Piedmont, where we toured Luigi Einaudi and Marcarini, two of his producers. I had a few days in Milan before returning home, so Neil invited me to the Empson offices to taste through their Piedmont and Tuscan offerings. I was particularly impressed with the wines shaped by consulting enologist Franco Bernabei, especially those from Il Molino di Grace, a Chianti Classico estate recently acquired by American Frank Grace.
On a subsequent trip to Tuscany, Neil joined me and Bernabei for a tasting at Il Molino di Grace, followed by dinner. As we drove through the dark November night, navigating a steep gravel road, I realized we might be lost. When I asked Neil if we were headed in the right direction, he simply replied, “I don’t know—I’ve never been here.” (A fitting metaphor for the adventurous spirit of importing wines.)
After sharing the news of Neil’s passing, Frank Grace wrote, “It was Neil’s partnership that put Il Molino di Grace on the map in the U.S. His portfolio exuded Old World charm and, dare I say, grace.”
Neil was a warm, humorous, and compassionate man, known for his quick wit and storytelling. He will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife, Maria; his children, Tara Empson, Tracy Rudich, and Paul Empson; and his siblings, Heather, Margaret, and Graham.
