Ep. 580 Pierpaolo Guerra | Monty Waldin

Professor Attilio Scienza returns to the Italian Wine Podcast to share knowledge of Mavisias in a discussion with Monty Waldin that will surely interest scholars of Italian grape varieties. In part 2 the Professor shares the story of a real-life mystery surrounding Leonardo da Vinci’s ancient vineyard in Milan as well as a fictitious crime story involving the Professor himself as told by Giovanni Negri in his novel, Il Vigneto da Vinci (rest assured: spoilers have been removed). As always, discussions with Professor Scienza are recorded first in Italian then re-recorded in English with Rebecca Lawrence playing the English language voice of Attilio Scienza. Both Italian and English transcripts are made available to assist studious listeners. This is the English Language version of IWP Episode 272.

25 Helmi 20208min

Professor Attilio Scienza returns to the Italian Wine Podcast to share knowledge of Malvasias in a discussion with Monty Waldin that will surely interest scholars of Italian grape varieties. In part 1 the Professor gets into the various types of Malvasia and tries to clear up uncertainties surrounding the grape’s many names. Monty and Professor Scienza attempt to place the proliferation of the variety within a historical context and set out to explore its relationships with other varieties. As always, discussions with Professor Scienza are recorded first in Italian then re-recorded in English with Rebecca Lawrence playing the English language voice of Attilio Scienza. Both Italian and English transcripts are made available to assist studious listeners. This is the English language recording of IWP Episode 271.

24 Helmi 202015min

In this episode Monty Waldin meets Cristina Ziliani, daughter of Franciacorta creator and co-owner of Guido Berlucchi - Franco Ziliani. Cristina talks about his father’s dream in 1961 of making a great Italian traditonal method sparkling wine and illustrates the characteristics of the Franciacorta terroir and microclimate near Lake Iseo in Lombardy. Cristina tells Monty about the company’s goal to make their vineyards organic in full (at present 2/3 of their vineyards are organic) and their work with precision farming technologies. She also presents various Franciacorta styles—rosé, Satèn, and zero dosage—and a typical dish from the area, Manzo all’olio, paired with Franciacorta rosé. Tune in to learn more about Guido Berlucchi’s new project with the Erbamat grape variety and don’t miss out on Monty’s attempts to uncover the secret location of the only 2 remaining bottles of Berlucchi’s very first vintage in 1961!

18 Helmi 202020min

In this episode Monty Waldin interviews wine journalist Julia Coney to explore issues of race and language in wine communication in the US. Julia, whose work has been featured in Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, Plate Magazine and others, tells Monty how she got into wine writing after a career as a paralegal and blogging about beauty. Julia discusses her advocacy work that challenges limited assumptions about wine consumers and ethnicity in the United States and encourages further awareness of diversity among American consumers. Tune in to learn how to avoid stereotyping in wine advertising and how to communicate in a more mindful and inclusive way to consumers in the U.S.

17 Helmi 202025min

Maureen Downey, founding member of Chai Consulting (chai pronounced chez), walks Monty Waldin—and listeners of the Italian Wine Podcast—through her decision to start representing the interests of fine wine consumers and collectors who occasionally find themselves on the receiving end of deals gone bad. Maureen, having amassed loads of knowledge, skill, and industry experience, began to notice trends in fraudulent bottles appearing in collections and changing hands at auctions. She has called out famous wine sellers, collectors, and auctioneers, and has bravely backed up her claims against criminal organizations with facts and evidence. She’s even been tapped by the FBI and Department of Justice in the United States to assist in special cases requiring the highest authority on rare wines and wine scams. Tune in to find out how technology, observation, and logic combine to shine a light on fraudulent wines, and how Maureen and her crew seek answers to uncomfortable questions that media, industry professionals, and consumers often prefer to not ask.

11 Helmi 202030min

In this episode Monty Waldin meets volcanic TV personality Joe Fattorini, co-host of TV show, The Wine Show (now broadcasting in 100 countries and on Prime). Joe is also a wine merchant and wine writer. In the interview Joe tells Monty about his beginnings in the wine business and relates a number of funny anecdotes in his broadcasting career. Tune in to learn more also about the UK wine market for Italy and his future plans for a new series of The Wine Show set in Italy!

10 Helmi 202035min

Esteemed guest Lamberto Frescobaldi returns to the Italian Wine Podcast to further discuss Frescobaldi wines and associated social projects. Since 2012 Lamberto has been involved with a small vineyard on Gorgona Island, home to a prison, just off the coast of Tuscany. Here, select residents practice the cultivation of wine grapes, learn work ethic and skills, and earn money to ease their transition back into society. According to Lamberto, those that find success in the program develop a sense of self-worth and do not commit new offenses once free. Host Monty Waldin tries to imagine how one could commit a crime in a moment of blindness and live with the consequences for years afterward. Listen in to find out why Frescobaldi doesn’t seek reviews from wine critics and why the social side of the company isn’t a simple publicity stunt but an earnest investment in community and high-quality wine. We even manage to touch on grape varieties, wine composition, and organoleptic qualities.

4 Helmi 202021min

In this episode Monty Waldin interviews India’s first Master of Wine, Sonal Holland MW. Sonal, who is a wine educator, entrepreneur, and consultant, tells Monty how she got into the wine business after a career in the corporate world and how she got inspired to do so from Jancis Robinson. Sonal and Monty discuss the demographics of the Indian wine market and some of the changes that took place with regards to Indians’ wine drinking habits. She presents some interesting insights from the India Wine Insider market research, a survey she conducted on population segments of wine consumers such as “affluent drinkers”, “millennials” and “women”. Sonal also chats about her recent experience in the wine retail business with Vine2Wine, a chain of luxury wine stores in five big Indian cities. Tune in also for some advice about the way Italian wine producers should leverage India’s growing interest for wines.

3 Helmi 202019min