Ep. 299 #iobevoacasa - LOCKDOWN SERIES | Michelle Erland and Lamberto Frescobaldi

Even though you are out in the fields, you should have a nice class because it's not it's it's only, the only first day. Welcome to the Italian wine podcast lockdown series. Every Monday will be connecting with Italian wine people. Join us to find out what they're doing and drinking today. This podcast is brought to you by Colangelo and Partners, the leading fine wine and spirits agency in the US. Visit Colangelo and partners on w w w dot colangelo p r dot com. Hello, everyone. This is, Italian wine podcast, lockdown series with Italian wine people. I'm Michelle Erland, and I am super excited to be here with Lamberto Frisco Baldi. How are you doing? I'm well. How are you? But I I I say it couldn't be better here in Pocano. For years around me, our animals that we that we have at the property they are better times, but this is not so bad. Is it? So, well, how's your team doing? Where are you right now? Right now, I'm, at, Nipociano, that is half an hour east of Florence is one of our, all, August state where we have a lot of vineyards and, and also, nice animals that we are breeding. These, behind us, this is a black angus, and a red angus, but also we have some other local, breeds like, the Janina, is a white big animal. And, I live in Florence, but, having the states, I I have the permission to to move around. We've been also here planting recently. We have planted more annually vineyard this year. So and we're planting right now some olive trees. How much one of those cows weigh? These these are, big cows. These are, in kilograms, over four hundred and fifty kilograms. That is, oh, in a lie, and and make it up now in pounds, but it's, it's a hell of a good weight. And, they are grass fed. So they we started having, cows since, twenty ten back. So now it's, it's ten years. And, I must say that they have bring their life again to our states. So not only Vignets, but also breeding animals, I'm gonna say that this is absolutely beautiful. And, you are able to to employ your people also through the year, caring about them and, and, then it's also feasible to have them around you and they and then also they keep clean some areas where we would have found difficulties, if we had to do it by by by machine or by hand. Generally living, in a nice environment and in a in free range, they're much more easygoing, and they, and they interact with with humans much more nicely. And probably they know the person that's feeding them as well. Correct? Indeed. They know they know him, they know his voice, and, And, actually, they they know him, when the fed, by him, they actually, indeed, very happy. So besides the cows, who have you been on lockdown with? But, Adam, I'm in in France. I've been locked, locked with my family. So two of my three kids, my wife, and my dog, Bruno, that is, absolutely the best part of the family. Because he's always happy. A life in family. I must say it's quite, it's quite unusual because when you've been when you've been traveling, roughly four, five months a year regularly. When you're at home, you're in the office, from, from morning to to evening. It's, it's quite, different. But it's also beautiful because, there is a chance of doing things together. So weekends, we pretty much cook bread. We do pizza. We do a number of things that we we we all together in the kitchen that is really the heart of the home. So who is the best cook in your household? With without any doubts. Amazing. No. My my daughter, she's she's very good also. My say, you know, oh, she's very good. And, what was, Sunday. She cooked, a beautiful, so cheesecake. A culinary family. A culinary family. And I must say also we opened a lot of wine We every evening, we have a a bottle of wine often we are now I have a bunch of wines that they are from around the world. And, and that's also fun because I'm gonna say, well, one great thing about the bottle of wine is that, you you're not only tasting and drinking that wine, but, with the bottle of wine, last night, I bought I opened a bottle of, coming from Crimea, Russia. And and there, we went with with our, with with the iPad. We went. We we we tapped in, the area. So we we saw nice pictures. And, so with the bottle of wine, even though we are locked and boxed, we can actually fly around the world and see what is where that bottle of wine is. And it gives you also a a good reason to talk about that bottle and to dream about that bottle and and to dream about the places where that wine is coming from. So opened bottles from California, from France, from Spain recently also, then had a couple of bottles from Portugal. On this last month, I actually traveled with my kids and with the iPad, around the world, and we're very fun, I must say. No. You're absolutely right that we're traveling virtually and through taste right now, which is quite a different experience, but we can find something positive from it. There's so many things going on out there, that, as I said before, we've been planting. We have caterpillars preparing land. So I've been going to to our fields, Then there are some things that they are locked, and those, hurt us dramatically. Like, restaurants, we are chefs here, Fachesca de sandro. We've been also planning, every possible menu, from here, I believe, to Christmas twenty twenty two. Things are getting better. I must say that Italy was with the first, country that locked. And initially, people were somewhat smiling, to what Italy was doing. Honestly, we've seen, we've timed that, the scientists that were right, and, now things are getting much better. We have to be a little bit more patient, but we're gonna get there. Of course. So, one thing that I wanted to bring up is I saw a video of Tuscany and wild boar were walking down the street in the middle of the day. Do you think that nature is, reacting in a different way or how the animals are reacting, with the break from humans being out? It's almost like they're taking over. What do you think about that? It's true. The animals are taking over. Being, the city is, very quiet, because people have been really respecting these rules, but in Vienna, Piazza, Descampo, so the main square of Sienna, that his, grass is is is growing up again. And I believe that nobody saw grass between the stones for, for the last, I would say, hundreds of years. In Asia, it's very strong, much stronger than what we believe. But one thing maybe we have to learn is to, respect more, those some larger part of areas that they have to be left at nature. In Tuscany, as a matter of fact, in the last thirty years, eighteen percent of the the total land of Tuscany has re become forest. But to definitely now, the message to us has become much more stronger. So tell us the outside. I'm gonna say, honestly, shall we open a bottle? We should. What are you drinking today? Let me grab a bottle. Yep. So, Lamberto, today is a very special day because it is nine AM in New York. So that's the tip about the right time to start moving bots. Isn't it? Exactly. Especially when you find out and you have nowhere to go. You had your your latte a couple of hours ago? Yes. I did. And then, now it's time to open a bottle. Even though you are out in the fields, when you open a box, so no matter what where you are, you should have an ice class. Because it's not it's it's only, the only Thursday and you tell you can you can drink, from a regular, glass or from, or from from the bottle itself. But a glass of wine, it's, it's important. I believe that's, the most important thing is, is to have the right things. So are you doing it together with me? Oh, I already poured mine. I'm ready. Okay. Very good. What what are we drinking, Lambert though? So we are we are in Ipposano. So we are drinking in Ipposano. It is set for twenty sixteen. So we are in the area of, Kenti Roofina. It's it's a sub population of of campi. Is a small appellation of this, where we are. Rufina is named of a little village, and Niposano is a historical place where Avenas have been have been here, planted over a thousand years ago. You would you would pair steak with this wine? No. I don't want to say it too loudly because I don't want them to to understand because if not, you know, they don't escape. But, indeed, it's, it's a great combination. And, and, but this is also what we have to learn again from little bit from, what is happening these days is to have also meat that is, that is, nicely a grass fed, meat. You're not, ingesting any kind of, hormones or whatever that, in some parts of the world, given to animals. And There is no one who does farm to table like Italian people. You guys are the experts. That's for sure. So, Lambert, do I have a one final question for you? And this is all over the lockdown. What is the first thing you're going to do? The first thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna go out, to dinner, to a to restaurants, and, I'm gonna have a driver that night because I believe I'm gonna drink a little more than a model I should have to. And being together with, with friends that have been talking to them on the phone or through the FaceTime or whatever. We, we, people, we are, we are made to stay together. And I hope that also in big cities like New York or like, other big cities around the world where the cities are big, but sometimes you feel a little bit lonely. People have begun we'll become a little more, easy, doing and, and, and understand how it's important to cultivate, friendship. Lambert, thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to share wine with you today, and I can't wait to share either I come to Italy or you back in New York. I can't wait to have a glass with you in person. I'm I'm calm here because I can't drink this bottle all my all myself. So I'll be on the first plane. Buffalo of wine. I often say it should be printed in the back. Is forbidden to open a bottle of wine on your own. You always have to have it with friends and share it. Cheers on Berto. Ciao.