Ep. 18 Monty Waldin interviews Deborah Brenner of Women of the Vine and Spirits | Italian Wine Personalities

Welcome to Episode 2221 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode Juliana Colangelo interviews a wine merchant and president of US Wine Trade Alliance, Benjamin Aneff. Key Takeaways:  How tariffs affect all levels of 3-Tier System The impact of tariffs on Italian wineries The impact of recent US Presidential elections on tariffs DST - Digital Services Tax Importance of US Wine Trade Alliance More about the guest:  Ben Aneff is the Managing Partner of Tribeca Wine Merchants in New York City, named one of “America’s Best Wine Shops” by Food & WineMagazine, and an “Editor’s Favorite” by Wine Spectator. Ben’s voice has been in the fight against wine tariffs from the beginning. Prior to the formation of the US WTA, Ben worked on campaigns that led to over 28,000 letters to Congress through work with the National Association of Wine Retailers and other constituents. He has led discussions on tariffs, testified on their effects at the International Trade Commission, and worked with a range of allies, from Congressional offices to wine trade members. Connect: Website: https://www.tribecawine.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benaneff/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aneff-b2582232/   More about the host:  Juliana Colangelo is a leading communications and marketing professional for the beverage alcohol industry. Currently, Juliana is a Senior Brand Manager at Frederick Wildman, where she is focused on building their Italian wine portfolio. Prior to that, she led the California Division as a Vice President at Colangelo & Partners, the leading wine and spirits communications agency in the U.S. for over 10 years. During her tenure at C&P, Juliana led the development of the California office, growing the agency’s domestic presence to a dedicated office of 15 people with representation of leading wine companies such as Jackson Family Wines, Far Niente, Charles Krug Winery, Foley Family Wines and more. Juliana has completed her WSET Level 3 and her eMBA in Wine Business with Sonoma State University. In 2021, Juliana was named one of PR News’ Top Women in PR in the “Rising Stars” category. In 2022 Juliana became a Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Ambassador. Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julezcolang/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/jules.colangelo/ Twitter: https://x.com/julezcolang?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliana-colangelo-mba-04345539/  _______________________________   Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast    If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/   Until next time, Cin Cin!

20 Jan 31min

Welcome to the Next Generation and Episode 2220 of the Italian Wine Podcast. Today, Karla Ravagnolo interviews Gregoire Desforges of the Baglio di Pianetto winery in Sicily. Key talking points: The New Era of Baglio di Pianetto: a new ownership Sustainability beyond organic practices: the social commitment Enotourism and the need for authentic, immersive experiences Sicilian wines: altitude, innovation and evolution More about today’s guest:  Born and raised in Paris to an Italian mother and a French father, Grégoire Desforges is part of the fourth-generation winemaking Marzotto family on his maternal side. Having lived in five countries and traveled to over 75, his global outlook is complemented by prior experiences in management consulting and entrepreneurial ventures in the F&B sector. Recently, he acquired his family’s winery and hotel, located in the mountains of Palermo up to 930 meters asl. The estate, a distressed asset, and is unprofitable. Grégoire’s challenge is to breathe new life into both businesses (winery and hotel) placing humans and nature at the core of the transformation, with a vision that combines innovation, sustainability, and a deep respect for tradition. Connect:  https://www.instagram.com/bagliodipianetto_official/?hl=en More about the host:  Born in the Dominican Republic, Karla Ravagnolo holds the WSET Level 3 Certificate and has an endless curiosity for all things wine and beverage. Her never-ending quest for knowledge has led her to multiple international beverage experiences in Italy, the USA and Japan. During her time at Colangelo & Partners, a New-York based wine PR agency, she recognized the challenges of conveying the cultural, geographical and historical value of Italian wine to an international and inter-generational audience. Her goal has always been to make wine more approachable and inclusive, through sharing authentic experiences and making real interpersonal connections! Connect:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlamassielravagnolo/ _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  If you feel like helping us, donate here https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/  Until next time, Cin Cin!

19 Jan 28min

Welcome to Episode 2219 in which Jessica Dupuy interviews sommelier David Way live from TEXSOM 2024! Together, they explore Piemonte, its wines, grape varieties and MGAs.   Join us as Texas-based wine journalist Jessica Dupuy interviews top writers, journalists, sommeliers, and wine professionals at this renowned event. In this special series, Jessica will delve into the experiences and insights of key attendees, exploring career paths, challenges, and the latest trends in the wine industry.   More about today’s guest:   David Way initially specialised in the wines of the Tuscan Maremma before broadening his interests to the rest of Italy and beyond. He has always had a particular interest in local varieties and wine styles, alongside the famous wines of a region. His articles are published on his website, www.winefriend.org, which has sections on countries and regions he has visited: Italy above all, France, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.  David works as Senior Researcher for WSET on the five textbooks for the Level 4 Diploma in Wines. He was one of the two principal authors of the five digital textbooks for the Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Since 2019 he has been responsible for improving and updating these textbooks.  Connect: Website: https://winefriend.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidwaywine/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-way-4b04a3108/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008193704116    More about today’s host:   Jessica Dupuy covers wine, spirits, and travel from Austin, Texas. She holds a Diploma with the Wine & Spirit Educatiol Trust, is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators. Dupuy’s work has appeared in Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Imbibe, Texas Monthly, Forbes, SevenFifty Daily, GuildSomm, VinePair, and Southern Living. She recently published, The Wines of Southwest USA in addition to six regional cookbooks. She also co-hosts podcast, Another Bottle Down.   Connect: Website: https://www.jessicadupuy.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicandupuy/ Twitter: https://x.com/jessicandupuy _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  If you feel like helping us, donate here https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/  Until next time, Cin Cin!

18 Jan 23min

Welcome to Episode 2218 of the Italian Wine Podcast and Everybody Needs a Bit of Scienza, where Professor Scienza takes questions from the international wine community and answers them in his own inimitable way! These shows are generally in the Italian language.  Today’s question comes from Andrey Batkilin. Today’s question(s):  What's your opinion about the new Chianti Classico UGA classification system of 11 villages that started with the 2020 vintage?  Qual è la Sua opinione sul nuovo sistema di classificazione UGA del Chianti Classico, basato su 11 comuni e introdotto con l'annata 2020? Does this help the customer to understand the style of a particular wine or is it more about the geographical location of the producer inside Chianti Classico zone, where each makes wine "with their own taste"? Ritiene che questo aiuti il consumatore a comprendere meglio lo stile di un determinato vino o sia più legato alla posizione geografica del produttore all'interno della zona del Chianti Classico, dove ciascuno produce vini "secondo il proprio gusto"? In your opinion, is there a more pragmatic and more accessible NEXT STEP to understanding the differences in wines from different "corners" of this fairly large wine zone?  Secondo Lei, quale potrebbe essere il prossimo passo per comprendere - in modo pragmatico e accessibile -le differenze tra i vini provenienti dai diversi "angoli" di questa vasta zona vinicola? More about Professor Scienza: Professor Atillio Scienza is the one who checks all the facts and regulates when we mistakenly type “Verdicchio” instead of “Vermentino.” He is a full professor at the University of Milan in the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences where he teaches courses on genetic improvements to the vine; he also teaches Viticulture in the Master’s program of the University of Turin in Asti. He has been the lead for many national research projects in the field of physiology, agricultural techniques, and vine genetics. As the author of over 350 publications on vine and viticulture in national and international journals, you can bet he knows his stuff! To find out more about Attilio Scienza visit: https://www.vinitaly.com/formazione/vinitaly-international-academy/attilio-scienza/  _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/  Until next time, Cin Cin! Share your love for our lovely Professor if you are a true Italian Wine Geek :)

17 Jan 12min

Welcome to Episode 2217 of the Italian Wine Podcast and Stevie Kim’s Ambassadors’ Corner on Clubhouse. In this episode Alberto Martinez-Interiano IWA interviews Matteo Marenda of Sesta Di Sopra winery. Today’s learning objectives: Brush up on Brunello di Montalcino, with a deep dive on the southeastern sub-zones of Castelnuovo dell’Abate and Sant’Angelo in Colle. Learn about the dynamic process of generational transition in a family-owned winery, balancing tradition and innovation.  Hear inspiring anecdotes from Ettore and Matteo’s experiences, challenges and successes in continuing the winery’s legacy Co-Moderator – Alberto Martinez-Interiano Alberto is a wine educator, writer, and communicator based in Seattle. He teaches WSET and Wine Scholar Guild courses in both Seattle and Portland, Oregon. He also judges at international wine competitions, and his work has been featured in industry and trade publications such as SOMMTV, The Vintner Project, and The Italian Wine Podcast. Alberto holds the WSET Diploma and is a Vinitaly International IWA. He’s passionate about traveling to the wine regions of Italy (14 of the 20 so far), and is particularly fond of old Barolo, Brunello, and all things sparkling.  To learn more, visit his wine and travel blog at www.vinointeriano.com and follow him on Instagram @vinointeriano. Connect: Website: https://vinointeriano.wordpress.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinointeriano/?hl=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertomartinezinteriano/  Guest Bio – Matteo Marenda  Sesta di Sopra is an estate of 44 hectares located south of Montalcino, 4 km from Castelnuovo dell'Abate. It was purchased in 1980. After restoring the farmhouse, almost certainly an ancient watchtower, two hectares of olive groves were recovered, followed by the planting of a first vineyard and then a second for a total of 2.8 hectares. The farm has a favourable position for soil composition and microclimate. Careful family management has given particular importance to the planting of the vineyards, in order to follow the most modern viticultural techniques.The vineyards, planted in the early 1990s with a selection of Sangiovese Grosso clones, are trained (spurred cordon system) on medium-textured soils, tending to be calcareous, which give reduced vigour to the plants with low production yields and high-quality grapes. The company owns about 4 hectares of vineyards. The oldest vineyard, from which we produce the Brunello, is 29 years old, while the remaining part has an average age of 10 years. Connect: Website: https://www.sestadisopra.it/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sestadisopra/?hl=it LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sestadisopra  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sesta.di.sopra/?locale=it_IT _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/  Until next time, Cin Cin! Follow Italian Wine Podcast for more great content – winery interviews from the Clubhouse sessions!  Psssst…FYI this show is our most popular show, find out why by tuning-in!

16 Jan 41min

Welcome to Book Club and Episode 2216 of the Italian Wine Podcast with Richard Hough. Today Richard is in conversation with Elia Quarzago an Italian vineyard manager based on the Spanish island of Mallorca and co-author of “ 100 custodi per 100 vitigni”.   Amongst other things, the conversion covers Elia’s career in wine, Mallorca’s winemaking culture and the preservation of at risk Italian grape varieties.   On the bookshelf: The books discussed in today’s show include:  Theroux The Keyhole: Diaries of a Grounded Documentary Maker by Louis Theroux You can listen to Marc Millon’s interview with Matteo Bisol of the Venissa winery in Venice (which preserves the native grape variety Dorona) at: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/jumbo-shrimp-maps-series/ep-763-matteo-bisol-wine-food-travel-with-marc-millon-2/   More about today’s guest: Elia Quarzago is a winemaker and vineyard manager at Bodega Finca Can Gelat in Mallorca and member of GRASPO, a reserach project based in Verona, Italy, with the aim of studying, researching, planting, communicating and doing micro vinifications of abandoned varieties of vines at an high risk of extinction. The lastest book published is called "100 custodians for 100 vine varieties" and tells the stories of 100 viticulturists who have allowed the survival of 100 varieties throughout Italy. The technical aspects are mixed with the tales of different regional cultures and traditions.   Connect: Website: https://www.graspo.wine/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associazionegraspo  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/associazionegraspo/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elia-quarzago-026a1a177/ More about the host Richard Hough: Richard Hough is the editor, translator and project curator behind Wine Democracy and Vine and Prejudice. He has also published several books about life in Verona, chronicling the city’s history, culture and daily life, not forgetting, of course, its wine! With a long-standing passion for whisky and beer, he’s a relative newcomer to the world of wine and is now desperately trying to make up for lost time! He is the host of Book Club on the Italian Wine Podcast.   Connect: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rickhough.bsky.social  Instagram: www.instagram.com/ricksnotesfromverona  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickhough/ Coming soon: Next month’s guest is Steve Hoffmann and we’ll be discussing his book “A Season for That, Lost and Found in the other Southern France”. _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/

15 Jan 57min

Welcome to episode 2215 of the Italian Wine Podcast, and episode 174 of Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon. Marc’s guest today is Mario Fontana of the Cascina Fontana winery in the Langhe region of Piedmont in northwest Italy. Mario Fontana has been named Winemaker of the Year 2025 by Gambero Rosso. In this episode, they talk about the history of the winery, sustainable viticulture and winemaking techniques used by the estate, their flagship wines and some of the unexpected food and wine pairings. More about today’s guest: Mario Fontana together with his wife Luisa and sons Edoardo and Vasco are the proprietors of Cascina Fontana which comprises 5 hectares (about 12.5 acres) of estate vineyards dedicated exclusively to the cultivation of the classic grape varieties of Le Langhe: dolcetto, barbera and nebbiolo. Mario’s vineyards are located in the best zones of production in the commune of Castiglione Falletto (vigna Valletti, cru Mariondino, vigna Villero/cru Villero e vigna del Pozzo); La Morra (vigna Gallinotto/cru Giachini); and Sinio (vigna del Castello). Cascina Fontana is a wholly traditional wine estate that respects and follows the culture, traditions and history of Le Langhe. Mario himself personally oversees the entire cycle of production, from the tending of the vineyards to the making of the wines, taking the greatest and most meticulous care at every stage of the process.  Connect Website: https://www.cascinafontana.com/language/en-US/Home Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cascina_fontana/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Cascina-Fontana-vini/100063535721637/ More about the host Marc Millon: Marc Millon, VIA Italian Wine Ambassador 2021, has been travelling, eating, drinking, learning and writing about wine, food and travel for nearly 40 years. Born in Mexico, with a mother from Hawaii via Korea and an anthropologist father from New York via Paris, he was weaned on exotic and delicious foods. Marc and his photographer wife Kim are the authors of 14 books including a pioneering series of illustrated wine-food-travel books: The Wine Roads of Europe, The Wine Roads of France, The Wine Roads of Italy (Premio Barbi Colombini), and The Wine Roads of Spain. Other titles include The Wine and Food of Europe, The Food Lovers’ Companion Italy, The Food Lovers’ Companion France, Wine, a global history. Marc regularly lectures and hosts gastronomic cultural tours to Italy and France with Martin Randall Travel, the UK’s leading cultural travel specialist. He has also been the host of the ‘Wine, food and travel with Marc Millon’ series on the Italian Wine Podcast since 2021. When not on the road Marc lives on the River Exe in Devon, England. Connect: Website:  https://www.quaypress.uk   https://www.marcmillon.co.uk  https://www.vino.co.uk    https://www.quaypress.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-millon-50868624/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Marc_Millon  _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/  Until next time, Cin Cin! Thanks for listening! This show is all about food and wine pairings, and traveling through Italy with Marc. Join him on this food, wine and cultural journey!

14 Jan 40min

Welcome to Episode 2214 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode Barbara Fitzgerald interviews the marketing and communications consultant Erica Nonni. Together, they talk about marketing agencies and collaborations, different media channels and the importance of developing sales mindset. More about the guest: Erica Nonni founded Nonni Strategic Marketing (NSM) in 2014 to serve international wine and food brands in pursuit of communications objectives to support export sales to the USA. Before opening NSM, Erica worked for 10+ years in wine, food and consumer goods marketing in the USA, the UK and continental Europe, developing trade, press and consumer campaigns to help brands and institutional clients achieve growth. An agency of one has become a dynamic team of professionals who support wine and specialty food brands exporting to the US, the UK and around the world from four continents. Erica has worked in traditional and digital marketing with McCann-Erickson, in wine retail sales (Oddbins UK, Wine Library USA), and as Marketing Director of a London fine wine merchant. She holds a Bachelor's degree cum laude from Georgetown University, a Master’s degree (with Merit) from the London School of Economics and the WSET Advanced Certificate in Wines & Spirits (with Distinction). Connect: Website: http://www.nonnimarketing.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonnimarketing/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericanonni/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericanonni/    More about the host:   With a career of nearly two decades in the wine industry, Barbara specializes in D2C marketing and business development. She's led roles from entry level to senior management, combining her extensive experience with data analysis, critical thinking and storytelling while driving revenue growth and brand recognition for California wineries. As a part of the 4th generation of an Italian-American family among the California wine industry pioneers, Barbara has spent her life around wine growing, production, marketing, distribution and hospitality. A Syracuse University graduate, she returned to California to gain diverse industry perspectives from a range of wineries. As an Italian Wine Ambassador, she brings her expertise to the Italian wine market, known for its authenticity and consumer demand. Barbara now runs Apri La Creative Consulting, coaching wineries in Italy and the US to strategically develop their D2C channels in line with their brand values. Together with her husband, Barbara also owns and operates a boutique wine production company, and a small import company specializing in Italian wines to the US. Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilabottiglia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-fitzgerald-iwa/ Website: https://www.aprilacreative.com _______________________________   Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast    If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/   Until next time, Cin Cin!

13 Jan 35min