An Italian entrepreneur has died and left his winery to his stunned employees, who thought he had been “joking” when he told them his plan.

Piero Pittaro, from the Friuli region of north-eastern Italy, died on 24th March at the age of 89 and decided to leave his winery, which he founded in the 1970s, to his workers, including an agriculture expert, his accountant, his sales assistant, and the vineyard’s other workers.

Local media said that the ‘Vigneti Pittaro’ employees, who had worked for Pittaro for over 10 years, are now set to form a new company

The vineyard is spread out over 85 hectares and produces 300,000 bottles a year, including 100,000 bottles of sparkling wines and another 200,000 bottles of red and white wine, with 35 per cent of the wines being exported to the United States, to Singapore and to the EU.

The vineyard’s head winemaker Stefano Trinco told local media: “When we did some checks in the vineyards or tests in the cellar he told us, every now and then, in the Friulian dialect, ‘Us lassi dut a vualtris’ [‘I am leaving everything to you’], but frankly we thought Piero was joking.”

He added: “We are all very moved and very grateful.”