Ep. 2438 Scott Thomas IWE interviews Lorenza Sebasti of Castello di Ama | Clubhouse Ambassadors' Corner

Just out of curiosity, do were you adding Malvasia and Trebiano into the Kianti Glasgow be prior to the the rule change to the dis disciplinary change in two thousand six? And moved to Vincent after that, or was it already in production? We never put any white grape in our red wine, you know, by despite the law was, with adding a little bit, but we never did since the very beginning in seventy seven, we have accepted to be, you know, somehow different. Welcome to the special clubhouse session of the Italian wine podcast. Listen in as members of the Italian wine community engage in fascinating conversations about contemporary wine topics. If you enjoyed the show, please consider donating through Italian wine podcast dot com. And remember to subscribe and rate the Italian wine podcast wherever you get your pods. Hi, everyone. My name is Beatrice, and welcome to Italian wine Clabaus Ambassador Corner. Our clubhouse has been ranking the top amongst Italian One podcast shows. The show's concept is to let Italian One ambassadors have the opportunity to interview their favorite producers. This is an episode that gives them a free end to ask any questions to their selected producer. This session is recorded and will be released in Italian when podcast to reach more listeners and especially for those who cannot participate to to time zone differences. Today, guest host is Scott Thomas, a seasoned educator, Somelier, one judge and writer, with over two decades of experience in fine dining, distribution, and wine education. He is the cofounder of Grappolo Fooden, wine School in Denver, offering immersive travel public and private events, and the signature Italian wine consultant certification among others. He also serves as wine director at restaurant Olivia where he curates an Italian forward program with global breadth. Scott earned his master's in wine culture from slow foods University of gastronomic science in two thousand nineteen, after two years living and studying in Piedmont and Tuscany. He's one of only twenty two Italian winex purchased certified by the Vine Italy International Academy, and holds additional credential as a certified Italian wine educator, certified wine educator, WSet level three, and certified Sommelier He also serves as an official ambassadors for the wines of Orvieto and Lange. Today, he's gonna interview Lorenzo Sebastian of Castellodiamma. Sus Scott, how are you and how are you Lorenzo? Very good. Fantastic. Thank you for having us. You're welcome. Lorenzo, how are you doing? I'm very good. I'm so happy to join this conversation. We are happy to to have you here. Scott, are you ready for our three original questions? Yes. I'm ready. Perfect, sir. So, Scott, how do you discover Castellodiamma? Well, I've been enjoying the wines of Castellama for well over a decade. I mean, they've long stood out to me as one of the most important and recognizable producers, county classical, mean, their labels are iconic within the Italian wine world, and I also associated them with kind of elegance and and consistency all the time. But it really wasn't until we hosted Lorenzo for a trade luncheon. Together with their importer, the sorting table last year at Restaurant Olivia, that I really truly began to grasp the magnitude of what they do, and that experience kind of opened up a new level of appreciation for the estate, you know, their vision, the depth, cultural significance. And then I've had the privilege of visiting three times in the last fifteen months, including in June with our Tuscany immersion trip that my wife and I organize, and each one has been completely different. So it's whether it's a focus on the vineyards or the art installations or olive oil, vincanto, but truly the spirit of hospitality of what's makes for me what I'm so forgettable and Lorenzo is a huge part of that. That's so amazing. But so tell us why did you select Lorenzo as your guest today? I chose her because she's so beautifully represents the soul of Castela D'ama. I mean, she's one of the kindest and most inspiring people. I've met in Italian wine. She's a thoughtful leader. She's grace, and vision, and authenticity. Her commitment to world class wines, olive oil, and art. It just makes Alma, not just a winery, but, an Italian cultural beacon, and I'm happy to share her story with listeners today. What are the learning objectives that we should expect from this interview? Oh, okay. So there's a lot probably. I'm sorry. I ramble, but really to gain a deeper understanding of the history, philosophy, and evolution of Castellodama, and learn about Lorenzo's vision for the estate, for the future, examine the role of Sanjay and other native and or traditional varieties, like Mabazia, Kanayolo, and international varieties that they work with, Marlow pinoneiro, Chardonnay, And I'd love to talk about the contemporary art exhibitions that are woven into Alma experience and hospitality. I can't wait to hear everything that you are gonna talk about to So it's time for me to mute myself and turning over the floor to you, Scott. Have a nice interview, guys, and we will hear us later. Okay? Chao's cuts. I'm very he very well and very happy to to, you know, to listen from you. My god. They never got such an introduction. It's so beautiful. No. Come on. It's all the truth, honestly, especially after visiting there and and getting to learn more about you and the estate, it's really an amazing place. So I'm really looking forward to our conversation today. So will you do our listeners a favor? Will you please introduce yourself will you please give a sense where Castelodama is within the county class to go area? And will you describe Alma, the place? A little bit. Of course. I'm happy to do it. I am Laura in Susibasti, and I am the daughter of one of the for founders of Castelodiyama. Castelodiyama is a very little hamlet in the hearth of Canti Classic region between Radha and Gaeole. Essentially, we are in the community Gaeol in Kiente, but we look more, you know, vineyards, to Radha. We have, seventy five actors of vineyard, and we only produce a statewide. And, lucky enough, you know, I was just fifteen years old when I discovered Alma, my father was already one of the investor, and, he make me, you know, possible to come and visit the property. And I really fall in love. And then, I said to myself, this is my dream, and I want to go there and start working at the winery. But I am not the winemaker. I was lucky to meet, Marco that was already the winemaker here. Marco Palante is making the wine at Caselo Diyama since nineteen eighty two. And so, together, we have been, you know, working and sharing our private life, and, I would say the result of Castellodiama is, of course, part is contribution. You two work together now. Is there more generations coming in the future? Is the third generation working with the winery? Yeah. Scott, you met my son Arturo. Arturo is, my our elder son is, twenty eight. And now, since five years is, after his degree in, win making, and a few beautiful experience in wineries in Sicily and in Pimonte. He joined Cassel Diama and started working here in, twenty twenty. And he is now, you know, learning from us in different, you know, aspects, but his passion is, sense of responsibility. And at the same time, I think that beautiful, I would say beyond Blanix, good future ahead. And your responsibilities, your your CEO, and you travel the world, representing the brand, and everything. I mean, really, you do a lot besides making a wine. Is that true? You know, the truth is that, I'm enjoying my life very much because I care about, my family, sometimes they complain that is the, the only real child I had in my life. But you have seen, it's a little word, and that we had, I would say, the privilege to put together, you know, the beauty of the landscape, inspiring us to, you know, also inviting artists to build, you know, kind of a site specific collection, but always, you know, with the, the center of our life is the wine. And, lucky we have stick, you know, all these years, now more than forty years, but only producing from our estate. So we have not to really travel, you know, going far to reach other vineyards or move in other regions. So, our life is easier than, many other great growers, but they have, to, you know, to move around also following their production. Yes. And that was gonna be one of my next questions is, like, a bird's eye view of Alma. It's a a large contiguous piece of land with multiple vallies and different identities, let's say, but all tied together by one village, which is called Alma. Is that that's correct? We are lucky that the vineyards are four valleys, one after another, all in the same. I was saying, one big, area. But the fact is that we have worked to achieve that because in the past, when my father, I'm talking about the seventy two when they start, you know, buying some land and, the main, you know, beautiful villas, and then they built the seller from scratch and finished these investments in seventy nine. At the time, they we own a fifty five excess of business, and then I could, buy, in ninety seven, I could, have the chance by the land in the border and the plant there, the vignetto Monteboni. It's the beautiful vineyards where we have our authentic classical selection. And, it's just in the border of Vigneto Bella Vista. So that, has a low to have, at the the fourth vineyard. Was this area? Was this part of, a Mazadria sharecropping like system leading up to the sixties and the purchases? Yes. Yes. We have beautiful books where you have all these names, of this, very many property, all with the medsadry, you know, ownership sharecropping. And that was part of the culture here. And that, something that, of course, has been, somehow transformed because at the time, they have vines, and they have olive trees, but they have also. Grano, are you saying? Great. And fruit trees. So it was a mix, production. And then, of course, when, we started the investments, we started to make, the, with only the vines. And that, that has been an important change in the last cape. But now it's still beautiful because we have always, privileged, you know, the exposition and, making the vineyards in this beautiful parcel make allow us to make the best, cultivation and to achieve the best quality after the harvest. And that allows us also to follow the steps. Essentially, we have one hundred parcels. So we have one hundred little piece of land that we follow and we arrive to harvested, specifically that little parcel one by one. This is, I think, that is one of the most important methodology that Marco has, started and and, and improve during his career to achieve the best quality, you know, and, having also taken some decision in the past, we have abandoned it some low valley, you mentioned, we are producing candy classical. Most of our production is, sangiovese. We also have fifty five hectares of candy classical and another twenty actors that are mix of different grape, merlot, pinot noir, carbonate, Frank, and the chardonnay. But the most is San Jose. And the truth is that San Jose is like pinot noir. It's very delicate and very sensitive to the exposition. Well, I mean, Lorenzo with that and what you just gave us as an explanation. I mean, I think you can ask twelve different people about Castellodama and what you are known for, and I think you would get twelve different answers. But, of course, obviously, wine and art and olive oil, in the hospitality piece. But, I mean, you just started to explain the wine portion of this. And I would say it's, you know, an impressive lineup of both native international variety. So could you give us an overview of kind of each wine that you produce and the style? I mean, this is a big conversation, but maybe we we'll touch on more of the, Grant Sione a little bit later. Perfect. We produce only a state wine, and we have a a very lovely county classical Anata that, has the name armor. And this is normally a wine that we release two years after the harvest. So we give him eight, months of viral aging, used barren, and then minimum six months of bottle aging so that the wine has a little, you know, right smoothness, before, being in the market. And this is, more or less a one third of our production. And then we have our, let's say, higher wine that is, Montebourny, anti classical reserve, coming from this beautiful dinner that I was mentioning before. And this is, a very lovely wine, a little more complex. And then we have above, this Castillo de Amazon Lorenzo and Aiko. These two wines are kind of, the moon and the sun, Cassello Dema Salorenzo is our flagship wine. It's been, I would say, the result of a longer work that we have done in the vineyards from, twenty ten. At the time, Marco was, president of the consortia of Canticlassico, and the Canticlassico agree on, you know, this hyper appalachian, the destination of Grancellizione. So for the grand civilization, we were very committed to, you know, to offer, you know, our best contribution. So we decided to upgrade our castellodiyama that was already the blend of all our vineyards, and it was a beautiful quantic classical, but selecting only the old vines. So our custodianma Salorenzo is not a selection of one vineyard that comes from the four valleys from the four vineyards, but only selecting by age. So we are talking about average of twenty five years old, vineyards. And in that case, Cassello Diamas San Lorenzo was very, very, very, very beautiful receive because it happens that he won in the wine spectator in the in the top, one hundred, with the six, number six, in twenty fourteen, and that has been a really great debut for, for this wine, and for the grand civilization. It's a very important, for me, the respect of the terroir. So for Cassello Diama, what I like, always to, you know, underline is that, from the Canticlassico, Anata, until the, the single vineyards on the top of our pyramid, I would say, we are making Vigneto Bella Vista. We are just very happy because, Antonio Galloni gave one hundred points two weeks ago for this beautiful, wine in twenty twenty two that will be released next year. Enveneto Beladista is, the oldest, I would say, crew of Canti classical. At the time, the first vintage we make was seventy eight, and it was very difficult to, you know, appreciate or really to imagine a Canti classical that can age so well that can keep, you know, this beautiful freshness and yowd. And, for us, it's always been the wine, I would say, the wine will lead the older range of Caselo Yama wines. But if you taste armor, and if you taste Bigneto Belarista, they are absolutely brothers. You know, there is a Ferush, there is a consistency, there is, the style, the finesse. It's just about, I like to say, like, pixel in a picture. So some is a little more dense. Some is a little more, you know, light, but absolutely the same landscape. Absolutely. And and first of all, complements to you and the team for your recent accolade. I always find that the Bella Vista especially is just so pure. It's so, so beautiful. And I think, you know, what you've done and, and just to say this is that you've done an incredible job positioning your brand, you know, you're represented in some of the most important restaurants and wine shops in the world. But you make wine for everybody too, from the Anatev, from the Amma Canti Glasgow, all the way up to the icon wine. So I you've done a really impressive job with that. And also bringing great recognition to the territory, especially with the introduction of Grand Salazione. That was going to be my next question, is have you seen this category as a great achievement for Kianti Clazione? Yes. I appreciate what has been done. I think that there is a lot of work more to be done in term, especially in a vineyard recognition because now, you know, we have a territory that is, seven thousand hectares. And, I think that the move should be really to give more information about this parcel. We have Alessandra Masagni that did a fantastic, work, an amazing book, that is a real deep map on the territory, but still, I think that there should be kind of, commitment from the consortium to price the very beautiful dinners and to move on for some area that are not really focus on on the quality that, you expected. So for sure, there is a, an increase of quality, but, you know, we have to be always more selective, but not selective in term of name of the whining, but selective in term of quality of the wine. And, now, you know, we have, some important vintage that we have been all very, very happy and prised of, but you have to taste the wine. So I, I believe that, we have more and more opportunity to make a or wine, with this, focus on the quality. And of course, now there is also this big, movement that will be the disciplinary decision to avoid the, international varieties from twenty seven. That is, something that we are not happy with, but we will respect. And that, of course, will, make us, for Veneto La Casucha, that is a beautiful blend of San Jose and Merlo, where it's twenty percent were low. For this wine, we are already decided that starting twenty two, we will not, label a seconde classical anymore because, for this decision. Oh, wow. So you keep La Cusucha on the label, but will it be Kianti Glasgow resco reserva or more towards the IGT designation? To Tuscany IGT designation. Let's say it's It's a little polemic, decision, you know, but, sometimes you have to raise the voice. And so we said, you know what? Okay. It's not a catty classic anymore. At the same time, of course, with a lot of rest respect, we will, you know, maintain our, Caseludiamas and Lorenzo, our Grandsellation. Well, I think your followers are loyalist to know you know, what the wine is, la Cusucha, especially, you'll have no problem, I think, maintaining that praise, long term. So that was probably a difficult decision that you had to make as a winery, but absolutely understandable. May I now switch to, you know, some of the international varieties that you produce? I would say, you know, when you look at the Amma labels, do you produce some of the most iconic wines in Italy? And that's includes La Cusucha and La Vista. But The one that garner's praise often is La Perita, the hundred percent Merlo. I would love to hear more about how that project started and how Merlo became such a a large part of your program and why it grows so well in the Alma state in Gallola, especially. That is really an extraordinary story. I would say thanks to a very important, mentor that, our first generation and then particularly Marco, and as a guide that was Patrick Leon. Patrick has been friend of the founder of Emma and become, you know, the reference for more than a decades, help Marco to learn, you know, from Bordeaux and, have access, you know, to all the university of Bordeaux and many important, supplier. We were starting, you know, using bars, in, eighty two and eighty three. Thanks to Patrick. And, of course, he was, interested to help us. At the time, the SantaVese was very weak, and there was, was very difficult to also get the color. The grape were big and the hills were high. In this, yes, we have, tried cabernet and the Morolo as an experiment. And, particularly La Perita, is a little vineyard in front of our cellar. It's a vineyard planted in, seventy four with the canai yellow, and they decided to serve rough in nineteen eighty two. With Merlo. And, very, very, let's say, surprising, it happens to be an extraordinary result from the first year. The eighty four has been a rainy year. So they just make a one little barrel, and the wine, was just taken as an experiment, but eighty five was already extraordinary, and we bottle three thousand bottles. And the tapas that just few years, later, we have been invited by the Academy Duuri, and there was a worldwide testing organized by Renee Gabriel and other journalists. And with the, you know, the most important, pomerol and, Chateau Petreux, and we won in this blind testing. So that has been a really extraordinary adventure for us because Alma was totally unknown outside of Italy, and it happens that, in one minute, you know, you kind of, the winning ticket, we become so famous, and everybody asks for trying this merlot. The production is still the same. We decided not to increase at the time, in nineteen eighty two, then they photograph another parcel always in the La Perita vineyards. So the total production is coming from these two point five actors. And it's a merlot that doesn't taste, I would say, in merlot because the influence of the terroir is so important that normally if you put this wine in a blind testing, you will, discover as a tuscan wine. And in particular, if you have tasted already la parita, you would say it's la parita because it's a very strong personality. It's not sweet. It's not heavy. And there's this mint and the dark, chocolate taste that is so spectacular. At the same time, it's a wine that, for a long time, for me, has been my enemy because everybody was asking for this, Maloux, and I say, oh, but we produce candy glass. I was so, so, you know, proud of, our work, with the such amazing. So we had to sometimes, you know, to put aside this wine, but after forty years now. I feel the baby, they are all now beautiful adults. I am so happy. We had, now, Vineeto Belavista getting this recognition, but also La Casucha, got one hundred points, with the vintage twenty nineteen. And, I think these three wines, they have three aspects of the same, land. They are beautiful. Each one with the, kind of nuance, different, but for sure they are at the same level from a quality point of view from the complexity that they show. And I am happy to say that we are continuously, you know, producing this wine in a very small quantity. But, with the same respect from the same vines, and we have not used somehow, you know, the brand, the La Perita to make a a famous wine that would not be a real, authentic expression of Caselillaume. For many people, it's the identity, but going back to my statement is that you could ask twelve different people, you know, what is Alma, and they would give you different answers. And so I would compliment that wine, especially I was able to taste it last month in two different vintages. And it's just and it ages so beautifully well too. So compliments to you and and Marco and and the entire team. And when I was walking the vineyard, I noticed this very different canopy there. It was kind of like a v shaped vertical, and and I asked, and it was called the learest system. Is that correct? And how did that happen? And what is, you know, what are the benefits of that, vine training, especially for Merlo there? That is part of this, I would say, period of experimentation. And, at that time, Marco was visiting, and, professor Carbon was studying I'm talking about the early eighties. He was studying about this possibility to get, you know, the result of a high density but without replanting the vineyard. So we found that this kind of transformation with the young vines that we had at the time because we are talking about vineyard that were seven, eight years old, we could make this, important step on growing the quality. And we did, for more than, a decade that we transform, like, twenty five actors in the Lyra system. Laporita is still, you know, Vigna that is, of the time, but some of the Lyra system that, at the time we transformed for Sajevese when we had the chance, we decided to replant and, the replant with, high density. So with four thousand eight hundred Divines per hectare, because, Marco found that, the yields, they tend to grow too much. So the effect of the lira, you know, you have two paraded to per row. So the leaves are double, and that make the double work of the leaves give, you know, much more consistency that the aromatic and the aspect of the grape are more interesting. At the same time, they tend to produce more because you have, the production on the both sides of the lines. And that was, you know, especially for San Jose where we were striving to have low yields. It was more difficult. So when in the 90s, we move on to replant some Venus Marco abandoned the the lira for the sangiovese. We still have the lira in the merlot. We still have the lira in the pinot noir and in the chardonnay. And the little part in, all the sangiovese pinot that we wanted to keep, so we still have this, system. It's not spread very much, but it's for sure the quality that Tiaz gave, for sure, very interesting. I'm not familiar if there is in Italy now new implantation of, Lyra. Personally, that's why I asked because honestly I'd never seen it prior to visiting your estate and also seeing it in the pinonardo vineyard and just really understanding what benefits that has and And if it more laborious, does it take more concentration in the vineyards with pruning and harvesting? I mean, obviously everything is done by hand. But is it more labor intensive, I guess, is my question also? Absolutely. Because you have to work twice in the row, you know, because, you have a two wall of leaves. So you have to work, every side of the wall. And, very important is also that to achieve the quality of this training system. You have to get the leaves in order. So the leaves that should not cover it one over another. So you have to work very much during, especially when you have, a beautiful season that, grow very leaves. Springtime, you have to work, to make the leaves in order. And then now, you know, from now to the harvest, you have to prune and be, you know, it's like you have to go to the hairdresser more often. That's a good analogy. Well, that's super fascinating. And I'll I'll keep my eyes out for more states that may have that type of training system in the future. I guess next, I would love to chat about some of the other projects you have. I I'm I just wanna mention this because I was able to visit your property in November. And I I messaged you, and I said Lorenzo, I I'm going to be in Canticaska for one day. I would love to see a Vincent Santaya in action. And you said, yes, please. Come by. So I made the trip there, and I walked into the state and down, and into this beautiful, kind of, flat garden area, with two greenhouses that have been transformed into Vincent. And that's when I was, I mean, surrounded by bees and all the sweet smell of the grapes kind of, you know, going through a pacimento, and it was absolutely amazing. And I have to say I love your Vincento for multiple reasons, but one, it's very elegant. And two, I know it has a majority of Malvasia Bianca, and I'm curious how that project came about in kind of the majority of the, you know, versus Trebiano Tuscano as most producers work with. And then I guess, yeah, we'll start there with that question. Sorry. That was a lot. The fact is that, yeah, Vincent is a great but, at the same time, Marco is not, really, fanatic of, Vincent. So he wanted to make the Vincent, the most, like, a wine, you know, so the maximum inspect of a balance and fragrance and the clean nose. So he is, working, of course, in the quality of the harvest, you know, it's mandatory to harvest, in September, the, Trebiano and Malvasir, to get a perfect grape. Very important is the total healthy of the grape. And then the grape in the Vincentai, of course, they are there to concentrate, the sugar concentration, and it normally take one to two months. It depends also in the decline of the season. But truly, then the process is very important because at the time after we press the grape and the we put the the juice in the bars, we keep the barrel in half because the fermentation is, in the barrel. When the fermentation is over, and normally, you know, with this high concentration of sugar, it happens to take up to ten months twelve months to finish the fermentation. And in that moment is where we change a little bit the style of our Warvincanto because, Marco make a, rocking. So we take off the littotile. So it's a passage where you clean somehow, you know, the wine. And then you fill the bars completely and then close the bars and leave for aging other four years. But avoiding, you know, the very volatile acidity, you know, avoid this, kind of, for me, not, lovely note of a fermentation that you can get in the nose. And at the same time, our alcohol is, it's not really high, so the wine is very fresh, but in a very beautiful balance. So the finesse you were talking, I I think I would translate as in the word of balance that is, very important. And the presence of Malvasia Bianca compared to the Trebiano, I tell you, we have saved only three parcel when we have this variety. We have only one white wine, and we make it from the chardonnay. So we kept this, three parcel for the, Vincent. And, I I think it depends sometimes more than the yields, in the harvest. We're just out of curiosity. Do were you adding Malvasia and Trebiano into the Kianti Glasgow be prior to the, the rule change to the dis disciplinary change in two thousand six? And move to Vincent after that, or was it already in production? We never put any white grape in our red wine, you know, by despite the law was, with adding a little bit, but we never did. Since the very beginning in seventy seven, we have accepted to be, you know, somehow different. Okay. I won't we won't tell anybody. We'll keep fighting. So Lorenzo as we get into the last quarter of our conversation, I'd love to chat about two more things. One, about your olive oil and how amazing it is. And we use it at restaurant Olivia, we'd love to know more of, if anyone restaurant tour is out there, how they could find your olive oil. And then two, I I think it's so amazing that you made the investment to have your own Froncio on property and build that for the production of olive oil. And I know it's a big part of your program. So just if you could speak a little bit about that, it'll be amazing. Well, thank you very much for asking me because I'm, you know, all the family, since my father, we were always always totally low with, our extra virgin olive oil. And, you know, it's been the ambassador of, you know, the Castillo Diama as a whole. And, truly, when, we got the eighty five, this, terrible, you know, frost, that has, of course, made us losing the production for a few years. He took us, a long time to recover it with a with a decent production, but I promised myself as soon as this happen, I would make different toyo. So we made this front toyo in two thousand. We bought the Pieraleesi, so the Pieraleesi allow you to have a very pure, fresh, olive oil with this, Gramolatresha. So you have the process is all avoiding the contact with the oxygen. So you keep the freshness, the purity of the olive oil, and this happened to make extraordinary that the olive oil is beautiful when it's just press it, but he keep this out. He keep this, you know, beauty and the, and the, I would say it's to drink. It's not to cook with, but, this is because of this system. We harvest by hand, but we price in our Antonio every day. And then we store in the stainless steel, small stainless steel bath of fifty liters. It's super important for the Hollywood to really respect the methodology. We are also very, let's say, happy that this area, we are four fifty to six five hundred meters on the sea level. So this altitude is very beautiful for the production of the wine, but also for the olives. And we have several, trees. I'm very happy to say that our first market is, America, because we are working with, since a long time with a beautiful company called Rogers. And, you know, they are importing the best product from Mediterranean Sea, amazing, you know, She's, and, all kinds of, you know, specialities are really amazing. I would recommend, our friend, that are listening to look at the catalog because it's fantastic, and they were just a defensive food, with a lot of success with our olive oil. So happy to hear this. And, the fact is that, to learn about olive oil, I think, and you know better than me because you are a teacher, but you have to compare. You have to taste the several olive oil and then make your own palette, you know. I always think it's such an incredible because this product makes you so happy, but you have to discover what is really good, you know, to have this, experience. It brings me so much happiness too. And I and I'm so grateful you said that. But it is true. I think if you take a Tuscan Coastal olive oil, you know, from trees planted by the sea versus high altitude. I mean, the terroir will be completely different. And it's such a fun experiment and definitely recommend this to anyone who has that opportunity to buy two separate ones, taste them side by side, You can slurp. It's okay. You that's totally highly encouraged. But it's next to, you know, I I think tasting it in your estate with the the house made bread was, you know, phenomenal. So I know we're running out of time, but I would love to hear more Lorenzo about your vision and your art, your art installations that you have around the property. And and it's a another large part of your program, especially the hospitality. And I think you really won't really be able to understand it unless you visit, but I would love to hear more about that. I really like to say we believe in this place. So we want to share the place with most of our friends and let them spending time here, you know. So the idea of the hospitality is giving time, of course, to enjoy a taste and this is very important. But also we are good to offer a nice, you know, restaurant, I would say in a old house, so that your experience as you are a guest in our home, and at the same time taking time for you for a path, for a walk, or guided from us to see our collection of art. The collection of art is a gift that somehow that arrive, Adama. Starting in the nineties, I made a few exhibitions during the summer, but temporary. And then, we found that this place deserved to have, you know, art and this dialogue. But we didn't find the right, you know, the still the right, way to go. And then when we it happens, we restore the seller and then we have a big, place a bigger niche where we used to have, a big oak. We get rid of this oak, and we dream about our art installation, and we thought about a great Italian master. Very important artist that we admire very much. And we make our dream and let's say, oh, listen, we'd love to invite him and make a sculpture for that. So that has been really the great, first, you know, cede, and it happens that we invited Michelangelo of Estoleto in ninety nine. And then, since then, you know, by chance, but also by, a really great respect for the artist, we could grow our collection. So each artist has been a dharma, each artist has been really inspired by the place and make, you know, this collection totally, like, I would say, organic to the place. So there is nothing that is really shouting, that there's nothing that is, in contrast or, but discreet and, somehow modest, but in this, you know, beautiful little, village where there are many others house because we own two house and we own the beautiful part of the cellar, but then there is, part of the garden, part in the cellar, and, all these art is in a custom dialogue. And I would say, also, give you peace. It give you it give you a sense of place. That is, I think, the the great contribution of art. I think it's so true. All of the installations feel like they're just blended into the environment. And if I'm not mistaken, is if the artist will visit will get a sense of the place and then build something around it or even construct it in place. Is that true? Exactly. Exactly. They found their own place, and they make the project for the place, or they find their own idea, and then we look for the place. It's something that can be either way. Unbelievable. Wow. Absolutely. Everyone should visit to experience that. And then with that said, when I was there in in June, I got to experience your new renovation in in the restaurant. Did I say that right? Yes. And I was completely blown away. I think it is absolutely the way that we should experience wine and food together. And it did feel like I was a part of your home. And so I just wanna compliment you and your team and the and the chefs and your entire staff. And I would love to hear about your vision for with for that because that's so atypical. To have an experience like that. Good. Thank you for saying that you appreciate it. It has been a long work, but at the same time, we didn't want to lose the soul of that house. You know, this is the house when I slept when I was fifteen years old. This is the house that we have kept, you know, for the family when they spend their vacation here. And we love that house. I say it's a beautiful old lady with many wrinkles. I don't want to lose this and think what we offer is a very simple. There is not a la carte. It's a really old style, but at the same time we are very professional in the wine. So there are, you know, perfect temperature for the wine, the beautiful glasses, the very, very elegant, taro cloth. This is something that I think is in the spirit of enjoying an important day. Let's say, we know that people that visit us they will take the memory of this place with them. And this is a great, honor, a privilege, but the responsibility. So we try to do our best. Sometimes we make some mistakes, of course. And, I try to you know, always to to to share the passion and and, you know, cover mistakes with with our heart. But at the same time, I think it's beautiful to find that, it's all authentic. It's not something with the, you know, make it by the designer, the but, you know, it's not just how I think life is beautiful in the countryside because we have, this authenticity surrounding us. Yes. And your spirit of hospitality is really incorporated and everything. And then and I I'm so grateful to be able to experience that, Lorenzo. Well, I think our time is is coming to a close, and I just wanna say thank you so much for taking the time and making this conversation. Again, I would encourage anyone who's traveling to the Qianti Glasgow region. Please, certainly stop by and make an appointment. It's absolutely worth it. And look for the wines in your respective markets. They really are great addition to any wine list and wine shop, but just to consume at home. And and thank you, Lorenzo. I really appreciate what you have done for the region and, you're a great ambassador and a wonderful person and now a friend, and so I can't wait to visit again. Scott, I I can't wait to come back and we have lunch together because last time, I know I was not to hear, but at the same time, you are an ambassador. Amazing. You are what you do for the Italian culture and wine and appreciation. It's so great. I am so grateful with you for really inviting me and talking with you, it's such a pleasure. And, please, do what you do because you make so many people happy. This cover and appreciating the great, Italian products is so important to make your life better. Despite Trump is not helping us. Let's say, we can do our best. Well, thank you for that. I will say that, you know, we have a whole coalition of Italian wine ambassadors. Many of them are listening now, and we really just love spreading the joy and and of Italian wine. So there's just so much to talk about out there. So we give a lot of credit to you, the producers for, you know, all the valor. And we try to just, you know, valorize what you're doing. So thank you so much. Wonderful. Thank you all, and thank you for for letting me, you know, introduce to my work. It's so great. I could speak about am I, it's it's always my passion and joy. So thank you very much for this invitation. Of course. Thank you, Scott, and thank you, Lorenzo. And so this was such a lovely conversation from wine to oil and then to art that was so amazing, really, guys. Well, well done. And I sincerely thank you so much for your time and effort to be in the same place and for doing this interview. That was amazing. How are you doing now, guys? Are you happy from your interview? Absolutely. Extremely. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. I also didn't make so many mistakes. Yeah. That would be so lovely. No. No. No. We can do this for hours and hours and hours. Yes. Better with the with the glass of wine. So, yeah, it's only ten AM here in Denver, but that's okay. If you say it's okay, it's okay. For those who are interested to participate, just send us a DM through our Instagram or mail our Italian web podcast producer at info at italian web podcast dot com. Thank you so much everyone for listening in, and thank you so much again, Scott and Lorenzo. This is a wrap. Thank you. Bye. I didn't think you. Not simulate. I didn't think you did. Bye bye. Listen to the Italian wine podcast wherever you get your podcast. We're on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, HimalIFM, and more. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating through Italian wine podcast dot com. Any amount helps cover equipment, production and publication costs. Until next time. Chichi.