Ep. 2525 Daisy Penzo IWA interviews Veronica Tommasini of Piccoli winery in Valpolicella | Clubhouse Ambassadors' Corner

Introducing the Italian Grape Geek program, a new and original approach to Italian wines. IGG, as it's fondly known, is a book, a podcast, an online theory course, and an in person tasting course. Our pocket sized book briefly introduces 80 grapes with benchmark producers, helping you find and taste these great wines on your own. Space to make your own notes makes the book a personal record of your Italian wine journey. No time to read? We've read the whole book out loud with added insights from Italian wine ambassadors. Listen for free on Italian wine podcast. Obsessed with Italian wine? Take the super accessible online theory course. Get certified as an Italian grape geek. Want more? Our international IGG educators have got your in person tasting course to cap off your full IGG immersion. Go to mamajumboshrimp.com and sign up today. Our vineyard theme from above is shaped like a rose, really like a rose. We have a unique property, a unique crew, completely typical in shape like a rose. My grandmother's name is Mary Rose, and in Valpolicella, the rose has many meanings. Okay? So I personally designed our labels, adding the rose, that represented our generation. I believe that the rose is a a beautiful symbol of beauty and femininity. Each rose has its own color because wine is about sharing and being together. Welcome to this 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 enjoy the show, please consider donating through italianwinepodcast.com, and remember to subscribe and rate the Italian Wine Podcast wherever you get your pods. Hi, everyone. This is Beatrice welcoming you to the Italian Wine Clubhouse ambassador's corner, one of the top ranked shows on Italian wine podcast. Here, our ambassadors get the mic to interview their favorite producers with total freedom. And if you miss it live, no worries. It's a recorded and drop later on the Italian Wine Podcast. Today's guest host is Daisy Penzo. Daisy Penzo is an Italian born wine professional, via Italian wine ambassador, and entrepreneur based in South Florida. As a sales director for Vivino Selections, she leads US market development for a growing portfolio of European wineries. She is also the founder of Tuscany Wines Import and the woman owned brand Fiore and Colori Wines, Daisy Champion's boutique producer and sustainability. A certified wine scholar guild educator with the Florida Wine Academy, She shares her passion for Italian wine in the classrooms and at trade events and seminars. Today, she's gonna interview Veronica Tomazini from Piccoli. So, Daisy, Veronica, how you doing my girls? Great. Thank you. Superb. That's the spirit that I want. So, Daisy, are you ready for our three ritual questions? Yes. Perfect. How did you discover the wines of Piccoli Vine? So probably about fifteen fifteen years ago, I was attending a trade show in Chicago with my father, and I remember being instantly drawn to these beautiful, colorful, modern labels with roses on them. And then when I started talking with Veronica, I felt an immediate connection. It was at a time where I felt everybody was a little bit older, you know, being in the wine business. It was really refreshing to see someone my age representing her wine with such passion, and, that moment really stuck with me. And about five years ago, when I decided to open my own import company, Veronica was one of the first people that I called. And I knew that I if I was gonna build something meaningful, I wanted to start with producers who share the same values as me, and Piccoli was exactly that. That's super nice. So tell us, why did you select Veronica as your featured producer? I wanted to highlight the small reality that is Piccoli wines because their wines are just really beautiful, honest. You know, Veronica really represents everything I admire in the new generation of Italian winemakers. You know, she's authentic. She's innovative, and it takes a lot of courage. So her and her sister taking this to the future, I really wanted to share her story, and that's why I picked her. What are the learning objectives that we should expect from this interview? I think the biggest takeaway is getting to know Piccoli wines and the incredible women behind these labels. I want people to walk away with a real sense of what it means to be a young independent winery in Italy today and how they balance, like, honoring tradition while embracing a modern vision. Perfect. It's time for me to mute myself. And now I'm turning over the floor to you, Daisy, and have a nice interview, girls. Thank you. Okay. This is fun. Welcome, everyone. Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Veronica Tumasini, third generation winemaker at Piccoli Wine, a beautiful family run estate in Valpolicella where tradition meets innovation. Veronica's grandmother first purchased the land decades ago, and today, Veronica and her sister, Alicia, continue that legacy with passion, authenticity, and a modern touch. So my first question for Veronica is she represents the third generation of family winemaking legacy. Can you tell us how it all began, story of her grandmother, and how that vision evolved into Piccoli wines today? So good morning, everyone, and thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity. I'm Veronica, and I proudly represent the third generation of my family, of Piccoli family. It all began in 1961 with my grandma, Mary Rose. She is the founder of our company, strong, dynamic, and really beautiful woman. So now step by step, my sister Alice and I entered in the company. It's a a great challenge for us, one that beautiful blend, tradition, and innovation. So our vision today is, based on quality production because the quality is always at the first place, sustainable production, brand promotion, of course, and winemaking excellence, of course. Wonderful. So as we know, Piccoli has always been a deeply family driven winery, and it is a I know it's a very small team. So who are the key people, and how much does each generation bring their own touch to the story? So we are a family business run. Piccoli in English is small and is perfect with our philosophy. We have a niche production of 40,000 bottle in total per year of the typical Valpolicella wines. So for us, people are at the center of everything. So we are a team that beats with a unique health, and for us, it's really important. Our is a story of lives and wines, and our roots run deep on Montella Parte, a wonderful hill here in Valpolicella with a unique and really particular soil that we are already to call home for ourselves and for our wines. So we combine completely the tradition and innovation. So it's the history of the family with a strong and genuine values, cultivating with love, and pass down from generation to generation. I love it. I love it. And the world is moving forward. So Veronica and Alicia, as a young independent winery, what are some of the greatest challenges and rewards you've experienced? So it's a really nice question. Thank you. So, of course, we prefer to maintain the tradition, but so we put a little bit also the innovation, the open mind. Okay? We are the third generation, and it's not really easy to keep up with the all the new trends. Okay? For many different type of reason because for an example, competition. So we have completely big market and is, saturated. So, normally, we have a lot of big brands and international players or the cost, for an example, production cost from the vineyards to the winery arising and as our marketing and distribution experiences. So the tradition and innovation is a balance must be found between adopting modern technique, okay, for the sustainability and respect the tradition and family know how. We have market volatility. We have the, for an example, climate change management. So it's a really big project. And so for us, the big