Giovanni Panizzi, originally from Lombardia, was twelve years old when he first saw and fell in love with Tuscany. In 1979 Giovanni bought Podere Santa Margherita, just outside the city walls of San Gimignano, and he managed to sell his first bottle of Vernaccia di San Gimignano in 1989. The farm began to develop, and the original 4 hectares of vineyards eventually grew to the 30 that occupy the estate today, including 1 hectare of olive trees.

Today, Panizzi produces around 300,000 bottles. In 2005 the estate was acquired by Luano Niccolai, a member of one of the most prominent families in San Gimignano, and in 2008 his son, Simone, took over ownership of the company.