Ep. 2464 Matt Irwin IWA interviews Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi of Rocca di Montegrossi from Gaiole in Chianti Classico | Clubhouse Ambassadors' Corner

Let's say, we were barbarian in the beginning. The origin of the family are longer bars. The longer brother used to call by the Roman the barbarian, you know, because everything was outside the border was barbarian. And Jeremiah was the first city council that we know, who has built the fortress of Rocky Montegrazi. Jeremy used to leave there for fighting because that was our job to protect the land of the emperor. Starting from the twelfth century, we become more kind, more civilized, and we we start to produce wine. Officially, it is eleven forty one. Until nowadays. So it's a thirty seven generation. I actually. Sometimes to describe, as a joke, we are probably the most boring family doing always the same jobs. We never we never change jobs, always producing wine. Welcome to the special club house 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 club house Ambassador Corner. Our club house has been ranking at the top amongst Italian wine podcast shows. The show's concept is to let the Italian wine ambassadors have the opportunity to interview their favorite producers. This is an episode that gives them a free hand 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 due to time zone differences. Our guest host today is Matt Eirwin. A love of wine has driven a career of over twenty years in the wine, hospitality, and education industries across Australia, Canada, Italy, and New Zealand, currently working as the wine and spirits education trust, W. Set. As APP development manager, APAC, Met is responsible for WSet in Australia and New Zealand. Met became an Italian wine ambassador in April twenty twenty three in verona. After working for fourteen years as an Italian wine importer in both Australia and Canada, Matt graduated with the W set level for diploma in wines and spirits in twenty nineteen and became a certified W set educator the same year. He has taught WSet wine courses and the wine scholar Gills Italian wine scholar to hundreds of students, including teaching the Wsette diploma, in wines Italian wine component, prior to moving to Sydney in twenty twelve, he started his career in wine with importer, Amazon wines, Canada in two thousand nine. Moving his young family to Sydney in two thousand twelve, he spent eleven years importing and selling Italy's best wine to top restaurants and wine shops before joining W Set in twenty twenty three as business development advisor. A and Z. Matt is currently studying to become a master of wine and successfully passed at the Stage one exam on his first attempt. Congratulations, Matt. He actively involved in wine judging and has been a wine judge at some of Australia largest wine shows, including the Royal Sydney wine shows, and N SW wine awards. Matt is passionate about spreading his love for wine, especially Italian wine, and educating the next generation of wine professionals and enthusiasts. Today, he's gonna interview Marco Ricazoli Fieridolfi of Roca de Montegrosi from Gallola in Canticlasico. So, Matt, Marco, are you doing guys? Really, really well. I'm so excited to be talking with Marco today. Yeah. I'm very, very fine too, and very excited to be interviewed by you, Matt. And congratulations for your really very long experience, compliment the compliment the congratulations. You deserve them, to be honest, but Matt, are you ready for our three ritual questions? Absolutely. I'm ready. Perfect, sir. How did you discover the wines of Rockefeller Montegrosi? Well, I was, lucky enough to work for a company called Trendart and Taylor in Australia in Sydney for twelve years. I believe they're Australia's best Italian wine importer, and they import Rocket de montegrassi to Australia. I was enchanted by the wines when I first tasted them, but it wasn't until I was able to visit the date in twenty fourteen and meet Marco and his small team. And I got to feel the history and walk the vineyards, and then I was able to truly appreciate how incredible the wines and the people are who craft them. He came over to Sydney, and I got spend a few days with Marco a few years later, and that's when I really connected with Marco on a personal level and, felt our friendship was solidified. So tell us, why did you select Marco as your future producer? Well, Marco and, Rockco de Montegosi, my featured producer because they're both a combination of wonderful people who create incredible wines, and their family has such a long, important history in Italian wine. Marco has one of those humble natures and beautiful honesty, especially when you consider he's the direct descendant of one of the most important families in Italian wine history. I really want more people to know about him, his estate, and to seek out his delicious wines. And last but not least, what are the learning objectives that we should expect from this interview? We do love learning objectives at WSET. So for this interview, Number one, we wanna better understand the history of county classical as spoken by someone who has grown up in the region in such an important family and sight. Number two, we wanna learn about the current estate of Rockefeller Montegrassi and the benefit and challenges that come along with managing one of the most historically important vineyards in the region such as San Marcellino. I'd like to learn about the changing environment, economy, and wine industry, and how this is forcing him to adapt his Viticulture, minification, and business model. And finally, to understand what the future holds for Kianti Classic, Roca de Montegrassi, and the Recastly Fira Dolfi family. That sounds like a really nice plan that I can't wait to hear. Everything that you mentioned. So it's time for me to mute myself and turning over the floor to Yumet. Have a nice interview, guys. Krausi Beatrice. Marco, welcome to podcast. Thank you. Thank you. I'm very, very glad to be here. And we're so excited to have you here as well. I'd like you to, tell us a little bit about Rocket and Montegrassi winery. Yeah. Everything start a while ago. We talked about the nineties and the early nineties. When I decide to work on my own, so not anymore, with the winery managed at that time by my mother. You know, with my brother, there was work in the one year as well. We, you know, we we have different deer and, it was a little difficult to work together, I should say. So I was very young guy this time. And, I thought that probably my energy was more was better to spend in another direct And, my mother was very open to this idea, I should say. And so, let's say, yeah, I told her I want to do something on my own, something different. And this is it when Morocco Monterios' start. I didn't buy the land. At least, But otherwise, I start from the first first beginning, restoring the place, where is, nowadays, my seller, and, during all the vineyards, and nowadays, we manage. I can start to produce immediately wine because my mother, she was very kind to gave me also one vineyards. So I didn't need to wait, you know, a few years before to produce, but I can start immediately to produce wine. That vineyards was actually so much a leo, by the way. At this time, there was no wine coming from there wasn't any wine, any single wine coming from the vineyards. I discover the potential of these vineyards just a little bit later. So this is why it was the beginning of Rocky Montegrassi. So even if my family is true, as you said, has a very long history, almost embarrassed me how long it is because, our thirty seven