Ep. 2266 Wojciech Bonkowski MW | Grandi Langhe 2025

So, you know, focused on on young people, on young boys and girls who are innovating, who are, you know, taking over family properties, introducing, you know, super vibrant, young styles that really too many to, list here. But also from areas, which were not so exciting up until recently, you know, I did some great rare wines. It was a really wonderful character. I tasted Alta Pimonte, you know, La Sona Farah, but also called it, red wines. Everybody focuses on timberassa. I think there is a new generation that would be monitored that is really, really exciting. As the official media partner, the Italian web podcast is excited to present exclusive coverage from Grandilanga twenty twenty five. This series feature firsthand the perspective from top producer and buyers as they navigate new styles, vineyard innovation, and shifting global markets. Discover, expertise, hidden gems, and the trends shaping the region's future. Tune in every Friday, eight three PM, or visit italian wine podcast dot com for more. Welcome back to Italian wine podcast. My name is DB Kim. This is the Grande Langhe two thousand twenty five edition. I have next to me, our next guest, and at Master Wine with the name impossible to pronounce. Wait a minute. Let me try. Wuvojcick Bankowski. Is that correct? Absolutely. Well done. Okay. So you're from Poland. Tell us how you became a master of wine when and what you do currently. I became a master of wine in two thousand and twenty three, so I'm a relatively recent crop. Yes. New. As everybody knows, it takes you, you know, six, seven, ten, twenty years to become an MW. I'm happy it's over. How long do they take you twenty years? No. Seven years in my case, but, yeah, the painful years. But I'm happy it's over, and I'm happy to focus on my journalist's occupations. I run the Fairman Wine magazine in Poland, and I also judge notably a discount to wine world awards when I'm co chair for, Central Eastern New York. And are you specialized in Italian wine in any way? I have always specialized in dialing mine to an extent as much as I can as a generalist journalist, but certainly I have focused on Italy for many, many years. And, currently, I mostly focused on Piamanta and Sicily. Excellent. Perfect guest for today. So the question number one is which new or emerging Piedmont wine styles have caught your eye this year? Well, certainly, we are seeing the rise of sparkling wines, not only from Malalanga, but also I'm very excited within the Biolo of sparkling wines, pink and whites. I think we're seeing more and more light red wines made with the variety of techniques. I think more and more are made with carbonic maceration from different grape, and this is a very exciting trend, I think, for Pemanta because they can use many different grape varieties to nurture that style. And also, of course, the white wines, including timorasso, the new star of Italy. He's certainly starting to sound like a master wine. Question number two. Have you noticed any specific trends in winemaking or vineyard management techniques among producers? Recently from Piamante. Yeah. I think we're seeing with the advent of many hot vintages like twenty two and twenty three and very dry. People harvesting a bit earlier than here the two in order to contain the alcohol. There is more and more whole bunch pressing implementation also to keep the alcohol a little bit low and keep freshness in the wines. And as I mentioned, some of the newest most contemporary red wine styles are are now made with the, you know, infusion like maceration or carbonic maceration, to make them even more light bodied and more and more gluggable. Okay. And what are international, such as yourself, writers, or for your folks back at home from Poland Pacific basically. What are they currently looking for in your opinion? Your readers, your audience? Certainly, Barolo and barbaresco, and so the great red wines of Pimonte is still have a Yeah. Still have a lot of attraction. I think this is people sit very, very excited anytime present these wines. I I do master classes. I always have a full house, and I think collectors are increasing interest in these wines also because of the increasing value. But I think more and more, you know, the lighter red wine styles, the whites, the sparkling because white rose and sparkling are the categories that are still on the increase, especially on the Polish market, red wine is fairly stagnant. So I think now people are realizing that Piamante is not only just about, you know, Oak age, long age worthy, navyolo, but as many, many other wine styles to offer. And which producers or labels surprised you the most. And why? Do we really have time on this podcast to discuss them all? I I tasted two hundred wines yesterday, and I've I mostly focused on producers. Oh my goodness. I mostly focused on producers. I didn't know. I made a lot of Your tea doesn't seem like it. Yeah. It's early in the morning, but you should see me when I'm getting out of the building. So, you know, focused on on young people, on young boys and girls who are innovating, who are, you know, taking over family properties, introducing, you know, super vibrant young styles that really too many do, list here. But also from areas, which were not so exciting up until recently, you know, I did some great row air wines. It was a really wonderful character. I tasted out of Pimonte, you know, Lasona Farah but also call it ortonese red wines. Everybody focuses on timurasa, it distancing red wines. I think there is a new generation that would be mounted that is really, really exciting. Yeah. He is a professional, as you can tell. And have you encountered any unexpected. You're a master of wine, but did you have any unexpected grape varieties or up and coming terroirs that you discovered here at Camvilanga? Yeah. I'm tasting, through, for example, Mufferato Nebiola, which an unexpected combination for me because mostly focusing on Barrabera up until recently. Yeah. And I think it's a really exciting dry red wines from Braceta. Usually, it's a sweet wine, but now more and more dry one. And I think that's the next big thing. Uh-huh. I've not tried any brachita dry ones. Any producers? Yeah. Hilsberg Pascueira make a really exciting wine. You have to ask them because it's under the table. It's got no DOC. Oh, geez. Only But that's the little secret here. That's the Grandilanga. Okay. And looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest opportunity for wines from Piamonte for your market, for example? And then then international in general. Look, I think Italy will continue to be super sexy as a wine country, and the suction, the interest in Italian wines will continue settling in Poland, Italy's number one exporter on our market. And as I said, Barrolin barbaresco, I'm sure will retain the demands for many years to go. But increasingly, I think the more lateral, the more marginal sides, and the incredible diversity of grape varieties in Telwais will be appreciated. So I'm very optimistic about piedmonte wines in Poland. Okay. Great. You know, you're, again, you have many opportunity to meet the producers. But does it, in any way, although you are the master of wine, I'm not putting those in, you know, quotes you are. To meeting the producers face to face or even your other colleagues from the other side of the world, Do they, in any way, influence the perceptions that you have about Pemonte wines? Of course, it's the land of people. You know, wine is people and terroir. The people's stories, real life is absolutely crucial to the appreciation of wine. As a journalist, you have to detach yourself a little bit from it, and you have to mix, you know, blind tastings, group tastings, and also meeting people on-site at the wineries. But in the end, it's about the human stories and the people who make the wines. So I know you're not nostradamus. But what are your future predictions for Piedmonte wine in the near future? Piedmont has to face global warming as every other region, but I think it's well positioned to withstand the consequences for a little longer than other regions because of the iPhone influence and the cooling influences. I think the region has to refocus on slightly lighter, more drinkable wines. You know, the big tonic Okey styles of the past are probably not gonna be so popular. So there was gonna be a change, and I think the region would shift a little bit more to white wines in the future and it's gonna be interesting to see which grape varieties are gonna really stand at the top. Okay. Well, and that was Wojczyk Bankowski, master wine from Poland. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you, Steve. And that's a wrap from Gan Delanga two thousand twenty five. Here with us. 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