My story

My story

Gaetano Lanza is a creative and visionary entrepreneur with over thirty years of experience in hospitality, events, and digital innovation applied to food and wine.

He began his professional journey at the age of 22, while studying Physics in Bologna, driven by a strong sense of independence and a passion for places where people come together to share experiences.

From Osteria Marsalino to Agenzia Traccia, from the Gessetto brand to the Ristoo Method – Happy Restaurateurs, he has built projects that combine vision and impact. He was also among the founders of the startup Intelligenza Manageriale, where he now contributes as a lecturer.

In 2023, he launched Bottega Botlé, a concept store blending tasting, storytelling, and technology, developed as an experiential franchise. From the same vision came REWINE, a wine infotainment platform already adopted by numerous Italian wineries.

Today, he leads two innovative startups with the aim of transforming the wine experience into something personalised, engaging, and lasting, renewing the wine & food sector through the meeting of humanity and technology.

My Vision of Hospitality

“For me, being an entrepreneur means turning an idea into a place where people feel good.“

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Vision

My journey began in 1998, when, at just twenty-two, I opened my first osteria in the heart of Bologna—a city that has always embodied for me the perfect balance between culture and gastronomy.

In the years that followed, I created and opened several successful venues, giving life to two brands that became landmarks of the Bolognese scene: Il Marsalino and Il Gessetto.

Two different yet complementary projects which, still today—thanks also to the work of new collaborators, continue to reflect my original vision.

A vision that, over time, I came to express like this:

“We don’t just serve quality food and wine: we create experiences that speak to the heart. Every dish, every glass, every word, every gesture is designed to make guests feel welcomed, heard, and at home. Because in everything we do, people are always at the centre.”

At a time when the focus was almost entirely on ingredient quality and celebrating local produce, I felt the need to shift attention to what truly mattered to me: the experience, the care, the human connection. Speaking about guests’ emotions and wellbeing, back then, was almost a revolutionary act.

For me, hospitality has never been just a profession: it is culture, empathy, and a daily act of care.
Every element—from service to lighting, from the wine list to the story behind each dish—is crafted to create a genuine bond between the guest and the place that welcomes them.

Today, that original vision continues to guide every project I pursue: places where food meets culture, and where people remain at the centre of every gesture, every detail, every choice.

1998 – The Marsalino Adventure

In Bologna, Il Marsalino opens—an osteria that quickly becomes a cultural landmark in the city. With initiatives such as Marsalino Thursdays, the venue establishes itself as a meeting point for musicians, actors, and artists, contributing to a lively, welcoming atmosphere that reflects the city’s creative spirit. A timeless place, built on history and people.

2005 – The Birth of Traccia, a Creative Agency

Gaetano founds Agenzia Traccia, a company that blends communication and entertainment, curating major events such as ZeligLab, the Mille Miglia, and performances in Italy’s main squares. He signs and directs international street artist festivals and produces niche projects, including the Bologna and Ferrara editions of the Festival International des Très Courts, a Paris-based film event dedicated to ultra-short films.

2009 – Advanced Training and New Visions of Service

Gaetano undertakes a three-year Master in Neuro-Linguistic Programming under the guidance of Gianni Fortunato, considered one of the discipline’s founding fathers. During this journey, he develops a new perspective on service in hospitality: the course “Table Service: Like You’ve Never Thought of It Before” is born. It introduces a training approach focused not only on technique, but also on awareness, empathy, and the ability to create memorable customer experiences.

2011 – The Gessetto Project

Gessetto Wine Bar opens, followed in 2015 by Gessetto Ristorante. Conceived as true experimental spaces, these venues blend cuisine, hospitality, and staff development — evolving into hubs of ongoing research and innovation.

2015 – From Field Experience to the RISTOO Method

Direct observation of front-of-house and kitchen dynamics leads to the creation of a structured training model. Initially launched as the Gessetto Method, it later evolves into the RISTOO Method, complete with a dedicated digital platform. The approach is practical and replicable, designed to promote consistently high service standards.

2022 – Collaboration with Intelligenza Manageriale

Gaetano joins Intelligenza Manageriale, a training start-up that supports entrepreneurs and teams in their strategic growth. His contribution focuses on shaping solid operational models capable of responding to market challenges with structure and functionality.

2023 – Rewine: The Future of Wine Tasting

Rewine is born from an idea by Gaetano Lanza, who designs every aspect and entrusts the technical development to a specialised firm. It becomes Italy’s first infotainment technology for wine: an interactive, multilingual system that combines the pleasure of tasting with the power of storytelling — turning each tasting into a personal, engaging experience.

2023 – The Opening of Bottega Botlé

In Bologna, Bottega Botlé opens its doors — an experiential boutique that merges food & wine, storytelling, and technology. Through Rewine, visitors can interact with multimedia tablets offering games and curated content to explore wines and discover their personal taste profile. Bottega Botlé rewrites the rules of wine retail by adding a crucial dimension: real-life experience, which goes beyond marketing and puts genuine pleasure at the centre of every tasting.

2025 – Rewine at Vinitaly

Rewine is officially unveiled to the public at Vinitaly 2025, generating strong interest from both the press and wine industry professionals. A milestone that confirms the project’s innovative value and its role within the future of wine tourism.

2025 – Botlé Franchising Srl is Born

The success of Bottega Botlé leads to the creation of Botlé Franchising Srl, the company guiding the format’s expansion to new cities. A model that combines territory, experience, and technology — offering an authentic and engaging way to promote Italy’s food and wine excellence.

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Botlé Franchising Srl

Botlé Franchising Srl is the company responsible for developing the network of experiential tasting spaces in Italy and beyond.
It coordinates the growth of the Bottega Botlé format, carefully selecting territories and entrepreneurs who share the values of the project.

Each new opening is supported with tools, training, and operational guidance — ensuring consistency, quality and innovation, while still allowing space for each Bottega’s unique local identity.
The result is a solid and replicable experiential franchising model, one that enhances local culture, puts the customer at the centre, and redefines how business is done in the world of wine and flavour.

Open a Bottega
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Botlé Srl

Bottega Botlé was born in the heart of Bologna with a clear idea: to put the experience before the product, and the person before the brand. It’s not just a shop, but a space where every tasting becomes a moment of discovery, connection, and care.

Here, choices are made with awareness. You taste before you buy, and every label tells a story. It’s not just about selling food and wine — it’s about offering experiences that stay with you.
Bottega Botlé moves beyond the logic of traditional marketing, offering a model where flavour is the true protagonist: no flashy packaging or big-name labels, only what the customer has truly tasted, felt, and understood.
A place where experience comes before branding, and the product speaks for itself.

Discover Bottega Botlé Bologna
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Rewine Italia Srl

Rewine is the company behind the first infotainment platform dedicated to wine, a system that’s redefining the world of wine tourism. Interactive, immersive and engaging, this technology is designed to celebrate wine, share its soul, and guide every individual in discovering their personal taste.

Discover Rewine
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The RISTOO Method

The training model designed to guide and support every entrepreneur entering the Botlé world. Grounded in Gaetano’s own experience, thoughtful hospitality and service organisation, RISTOO is a solid and engaging method developed to build a network of skilled, motivated professionals aligned with the group’s values.

Discover RISTOO
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Intelligenza Manageriale

A training initiative where Gaetano Lanza is a lead lecturer, founded in 2018 by Francesco Conti to inspire entrepreneurs and startuppers seeking a more human, conscious and transformative approach to leadership.

Discover Intelligenza Manageriale

Restaurants & Bars

"Restaurants and bars aren’t just commercial spaces, they are, above all, places built on human connection."

A venue is more than somewhere to eat and drink. It’s a space that welcomes, listens, and tells a story. It’s an idea brought to life, through gestures, across tables, in the light of a room designed to make everyone feel just where they belong.
A good venue speaks through its details: a chalkboard with the quote of the day, a glass of water offered without asking, a glance that anticipates a need.
It’s a living space, where food meets culture and service becomes an act of care.
An experience that lingers, even after the final course.

Explore Gaetano's hospitality

Events & Entertainment

"Emotion is a delicate dialogue between mind and heart — and nothing brings them into harmony quite like a great artist."

An event is more than a date on a calendar or a programme to follow. It’s a meeting of people, ideas and emotions. It’s the moment a space is transformed and takes on a soul, where beauty, creativity and attention to detail come together to create something truly memorable. A well-designed event speaks to all the senses: it engages, inspires, and connects. It’s a story told live, and one that stays with you, long after it ends.

Discover our events