Ep. 2158 Gus Zhu | Book Club with Richard Hough

In this episode, Monty Waldin meets Ettore Nicoletto, CEO of the Santa Margherita Group, owned by the Marzotto family since 1935. Ettore tells Monty about the evolution of Santa Margherita’s iconic pinot grigio and reports some of the Group’s achievement for 2018: 22 million bottles of wines across 6 different wine regions of Italy. Ettore talks about the Group’s penchant for white wines along with its most recent investments and plans for developments. Monty and Ettore discuss Santa Margherita’s presence in the U.S. market, their marketing strategy, and how they are facing the challenges posed by climate change. Ettore also tells Monty about his personal approach to leadership, his past career in motorbike races, and his passion for golf and volleyball (Ettore is 1.97 mt. tall!).

18 Maalis 201916min

March 10 2017 - March 10 2019: To celebrate the second "birthday" of the Italian Wine Podcast, we are releasing a special episode where podcast host Monty Waldin is interviewed by his son Arthur. In the interview Arthur asks Monty about his passion for wine, Biodynamics, and his favourite Italian wines and places to visit. Tune in to a fantastic interview and enjoy Arthur's flair for interviews, which -- of course -- runs in the family! Cin cin!

14 Maalis 20198min

In this episode Monty Waldin meets Tim O’Connell, Vice President of Vinitaly Wine Club. Monty and Tim talk about e-commerce for wine and the changed demographics of Italian wine consumers. Tim explains the ins and out of the e-commerce business for wine and the way Vinitaly Wine Club works, including the selection, logistics, and promotion of wines. Tune in also to find out which top wines are featured in the Vinitaly Wine Club and consumers’ latest trends for each season!

12 Maalis 201916min

In this short bonus track, the Italian Wine Podcast host Monty Waldin talks about the second anniversary from the release of the first Italian Wine Podcast episode on March 10th, 2017!

10 Maalis 20192min

In this episode Monty Waldin interviews Simon Taylor, wine merchant at Stone, Vine & Sun in Winchester, UK. Simon tells Monty about what is trendy in the UK market and talks about his passion for Italy’s wines. Simon talks about the appeal of the Italian wine industry to importers for Italy’s wine variety and quality. Tune in to find out Simon’s love for Recioto di Soave and his suggestions about potential pairing of Italian sweet wines and English cheese!

5 Maalis 201912min

In this episode Monty Waldin interviews Andrea Sartori, whose family owns Casa Vinicola Sartori in the Veneto region in the North of Italy, near Verona. Andrea is the fourth generation of the family that started in the wine business in 1898, thus celebrating their 120th anniversary in 2018. Andrea tells Monty about the family history since the very beginning over a century ago, when the family also managed a hotel and restaurant business in Verona. Fast-forward to 2019 Casa Vinicola Sartori is now one of the most important in the Veneto area, with top wines such as Amarone, Valpolicella Classico and Ripasso, Bardolino, and Soave. Andrea also presents additional brands in the Sartori group portfolio such as the organic wines from the Mont’Albano estate in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Tune in to learn about 121 years of oenological and viticultural passion in the Veneto region and beyond with Monty and his guest Andrea Sartori of Casa Vinicola Sartori.

4 Maalis 201910min

In this episode Monty Waldin meets Giovanni Mazzoni, manager at Podere Forte in the Orcia valley in Tuscany. Giovanni tells Monty about the origin of the estate, a 200-year-old “podere” that Pasquale Forte acquired in 1998 and developed as a biodynamic estate. Mazzoni talks about the biodiverse flora and fauna on the estate, its wheat production, Chianina cows, Cinta Senese pigs, and bees (among others!) which all contribute to a healthy vineyard ecosystem. Podere Forte produces Sangiovese-based wines, Petrucci, Petruccino, and Guardiavigna and its main market is Italy. Monty and Giovanni also go deep into technology for viticulture, such as the use of drones!

26 Helmi 201923min

In this episode, Monty Waldin interviews Matteo Lunelli who leads Cantine Ferrari and Gruppo Lunelli, both crucial and historic players in the Italian wine industry particularly with regards to sparkling wines. Matteo tells Monty about the incredible story of Giulio Ferrari, the man who brought Chardonnay to Italy at the turn of the twentieth century and devised the bottle-fermented Trento DOC. Matteo also talks about mountain viticulture and the influence of the Trentino mountains over Ferrari wines. The Lunelli family acquired Cantine Ferrari in 1952 consolidating the brand and also investing in sustainability by creating an official protocol for mountain viticulture for their winegrowers in Trentino. The Lunelli group also further expanded by acquiring an ancient grappa distillery (Grappa Segnana) and by producing still wines in the Lunelli Estates in Trentino, Tuscany, and Umbria. The most recent acquisition of the group in 2014 is Bisol, an iconic producer of Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene. Tune in to learn more about over a century of iconic sparkling wines from the north of Italy with Monty Waldin and Matteo Lunelli of Cantine Ferrari and Gruppo Lunelli!

25 Helmi 201914min