Ep. 72 Monty Waldin interviews Nicola Cattaneo (Gruppo VI.V.O.) | Italian Wine Coops

Italian wine podcast. Chinching with Italian wine people. This podcast has been recorded during Vivite an event organized by the the alliance of Italian corps. Hello. My name is Monte Gordon. This is Italian White podcast. Today's guest is Nicolas Cortano, who's the commercial manager at Bosco Malera, and Bosco Malera is the bottle and distributor for the wines of vivo, which is a cooperative winery in Veneto. So in terms of the vineyard, or the vineyard how big is vivo? Well, vivo is, quite big because our members, they are two thousand people. More than two thousand people, they own, so more than four thousand actors. Okay. So they that's make us a really important let's say, company in in the wine business, in particular, speaking about, the whites for the Italian wine, coming from northeast of Israel. Historically, that's particularly interesting. Why? Because This has been, the vineyard of La Cera Nissima, which was the Republic of Venice. So Which is very powerful at one time. Yeah. Yeah. And, for But which which provinces are we talking about? These two, four thousand hectares vineyards with two thousand growers. Yes. Where are which which which two provinces are we talking about? Thinking about, Vanessa and Treviso. That's the two most important pharmacy where we are located. And where we have our eight, one minor is, which are pretty much close to the wine growers. Okay. So of the four thousand hectares, your two main grape varieties, I think, prosseco. So I should call it now, which makes the sparkling Michael prosseco. I got black mark there from from my handlers at Vineet International and Melolo. Is that correct? Alright. So what are you? My brain. What are you what are your two? It's, you know, of the four thousand hectares. What are your two main grape varieties? So Clara is the grape that makes it's the white wine grape that makes prossecco fizz. Yes. And the the other grape was. Pinogariza. Pinogariza. So two white wine grapes. One's fizzy and one's Okay. Okay. I think we got it. That was that was we made a tremendous mess of that. That was a very simple question with a very similar answer, and we have spent four hours. I gave you about four thousand hectares, Maine grape is Clara for Prasica, and Phoenix feature of the white one. Yes. Okay. We got that. Very good. Let's let's start. She by talking about vivo. What is vivo and what is its history? So that means, it's an acronymal means, viticulthor, y, Venitorial materials. So wine growers from the eastern part of Venator. So we are focus on two main, two main provinces, Treviso, and Vanessa. So because of that, we are in a the most located areas for Pinoc region prosaico, and we'll talk about that, later I mean, you you got a hard job. Right? I mean, you know, if you could choose any wine in Italy to sell or two wines, you know, you have a long, there's, like, I don't know, seven thousand million different DOCs, nudges, and Italy. So which two are you gonna choose? You know, for a second, Pinagrigo, gotta be at the top of the list. Right? Yeah. I would say that it's, something that is, they are door opener for us, all over the world, but vivo is, composed by nine different wineries, for the unification. Now They are eight because we, we have mainly eight, beneficial wineries distributed, in these two provinces, as I said before, three visa and finance. Some of those, has been founded in nineteen. One has been nineteen thirty two. So we have quite old roots, but we are at the same time more than. So it's a company which has been created in two thousand twelve as it is today. Why? Because it's a merger. It's a merger of different communities. I love this word community because you you need to understand that at the end, behind that, or this group, there are two thousand growers. Two thousand growers means, at big communities who decided to join together. And, I would say the most important word for us is responsibility, responsibility for the environment, responsibility for our people, responsibility for our families and, responsibility for the land which has been given us for our generation and, but also for the future generations. And, responsibility also if we have to sell the wine all over the world. So we are distributing all over the world, and that's, pretty much important. Our relationship with the the consumers. So what do what are your most important markets? Export markets? I'd say UK, United States, Germany, Russia, and Asia is growing quite quite a lot China mainly. And, we think that, our present is mainly in, Europe. Do you still think Europe is a very valid market for your products. Everyone obviously talked, you mentioned China and, Asia. So you're not forgetting about Europe then. No. UK, it's very important for us. Really? Yes. Also because, if we and now I need to talk about some varieties. And fifteen years ago, we were producing eighty five percent, of reds in our land. Now what what were the great varieties of that? What were the popular red wines at that time? Fosco or Aboso indigenous varieties, for, I'd say, mainly for the consumption in Italy. Okay. Then now we're speaking about seventy five percent white, and, I brought here two bottles who are my best friends, I would say, so Posseco and pinot grigio. They are pretty much important. And, Poseseco is a success, which, I think, unique all over the world. What is incredible with these two wines is the simplicity and, the fact that, you don't need too many words to explain, but, They're also easy to pronounce as well. Anybody can say prossecco. You know, if you say could have a bottle of at least some, but a majority or something else, it gets quite complicated. And also, I mean, prosecco, interesting for socializing, with the friends, as aperative. So this is part of our life. It's part of our community, is there? Is there a big change in terms of if you do, I'm sure you've done a lot of market research on, say, a prossecco drinker. And what makes it what is the difference with a prossecco drinker in, say, the UK compared to one in German many compared to one in, say, Southeast Asia. Well, if we are speaking about Asia, Asia, are pretty much focused on, reds. So it's the completely different product, then, you UK would say for Sacramento, you know, region, pretty much interested for that market. Germany instead, well, there are something in common with the UK, for instance, for for seco, and still, you know, regional is pretty much interested. But we are gonna half German, you know, the saxon part of the Anglo Saxon engagement. So something common. Yeah. Some DNA common. Yes. We got a few Viking leftovers as well and and and celts. And, Yeah. And, but now this year, it's particularly important for us because of twenty seventeen, we have had the first, August for the pinot grigio, do you see the Lebanon. Okay. So what's that? You have to think that worldwide, thirty nine percent or between thirty nine according to the different sophysics, between thirty nine percent and, nearly fifty percent of the pineal region produced worldwide is Italian. Out of that, eighty five percent is the Lebanon. Now, we will have, a new operation for the Malatte. It won't be any more IGT in the cathedral and geographical replica. What will become the use. And this is particularly important because what, as the idea is, to focus on the origin of this product, and to have full control of the production, and that's particularly important when I was, speaking before about the responsibility. This is, we have done this because we think that it's important for the consumer to have something really original and, to have a full control of, all, let's say, the production line, everything. So grape going, harvesting, fermenting, bottling, thing. Everything in, do you think it would help do you think it would help to put on the labor? I mean, we in the wine trade, we all know that Venezia refers to Venice. Yes. Do you think it'd be nicer to call it, you know, white wine from Venice? Is that would that make your job a salesperson or commercial director even more easy or easier. Well, I don't think it's, the Lebanese is already well known. Okay. Yeah. I think it's, if I go, for instance, to Canada, I know that the consumer in Canada knows Tuscany and Veneto or Vanessa. So that's, I don't think it's, we have also, for instance, Absa area, Vanessa, do you see? Well, we are, I think, amongst the first producer for sure, but, that is thing, gonna say, more premium products. So it's a more jewel and say some something to display to show that we we can have even more from the community. I mean, are you are you optimistic about the future of corporatives in general, but particularly the cooperatives in Italy because not all of them are are as successful as your cooperative has been. I would say I'm I'm pretty much, optimistic if the comparative is focused on the values, which are behind the comparative effect of as in our case, the responsibility has been a keyword and, not only for, working together, not only for our families, but as I said before, all also when we comfort ourselves with the the products, I mean, with the the Pinoc region in this case, I think that, next year's, today's Proseco is already a great success, but we will have a revamping of the success us of Pinocrillo because, that the quality would increase in the next, in the next years because of, the fact of having a better control of what's happening in the production, in the field. So what what changes are you making? What check to get that extra little bit of quality into the into the wines. Yeah. We'll be able to get you. For instance, the impact per actor to you lowering the yields. Yeah. Yeah. And then, we have the chance also of two things, mainly, I would focus now is the effect of having reduced the characters and the effect of having put a bundle on on the bottle. It's possible to have the full traceability of that product from the field to the verification, to the bottling, everything, the distribution in in one bottle. So if I'm a grape grow and I'm growing Pino Gridio for you and say I've got five hectares of vineyard and in the in the old days, I used to say produce fifteen tons per hectar. And then you come along and say, listen, I want to you can only grow twelve tons per hectare, please. And I'm like, what what are you talking about? I can grow fifteen. How how do you convince me to lower my yields? What is what is your argument? Yeah. The idea is to increase the value of, of the glass that will be sold to to a consumer. Okay. I'm a farmer. So how does how does that help me and my local and my local bank manager? If we look at what's happening in the prosecco, you don't need to talk. It's already explained. Is a successful wide, with, also the effect of controlling what's happening as as a, for sure, increase the value of that product. This is, already a very good example, which can be translated also to pinot grigio in in the next days, in the next months. Do you think there's another boom? Is there another wine in Italy that you think could could also enjoy the kind of boom that pinot grigio and prossecco have done? Bear on both of those are effectively white wines, is there a red that's lurking there that could come a a huge success? Quite difficult question, for the speakers. Yeah. I'm gonna not ask you any more easy questions. You've had it easy until now. It's all that pill from now on. I'm afraid in this interview. No. It's, in my opinion, one variety in our region, which could be quite interesting for the future, is a false. A false call because it's, red. So we're not speaking anymore about, why my clients, but it's very modern as, because, as I said before, what we have called routes, but we are looking at the market, the, our days, what's happening. So, and, if I look at that, the full score, can also be aged, can be very fresh at the same time. So Revosco could be something for the future. Okay. My opinion. Would you change the name of Rifosco? Do you think that's an easy name for people to pronounce or would you have to maybe tweak them there? That's something that, for the time being, I see that pretty much difficult, but it's, I don't know. Maybe you know better than I could be a problem for No. No. I'm the world's worst. I know nothing about wine marketing. Well, But I mean, if it's possible, we cannot change. Yeah. Yes. I don't think it's, it's, like, am I hard? Is that good? You know, like. Yeah. You give me a job? It's a marketing guy. I don't I don't mind cleaning the office floor, you know, the three days a week. As long as I can get to do it in marketing with you. No, I think that's a good idea. I mean, what about the volumes there of Rifosco? Have you got enough Rifosco to satisfy if there was huge demand? Good yields and good quality. Yes. Pretty much, less than, for the consumer, you can also have quite mature if you are able to in a certain area, very good structure. If you're able to age that, properly it's, marvelous wine. At the same time, can be very easy drinking. So, I mean, during the also something what they do seem to drink. And, But your growers that grow Rifosco to when when they they must drink Rifosco themselves, do they just drink it as an every do they see it as an everyday grape, or do they see it as a potentially both an everyday grape and also something that you could maybe age in wood and age for four, five, six years. So normally, they don't age that. So if we look at, I mean, important wines, you know, it's, just an ish in the market. So normally, they don't drink age, but what has been produced in the last harvest. So and it's very good with with meat, with cheese, with, a good, pasta with bologna sauce. You're smiling. That's favorite dish in your in your house, aren't you? Am I got that right? Yes. Yeah. That's right. I think that's right. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Nickola Catano. Yes. I've never been asked twice. Thanks very much for coming in today and explaining. Look a little bit about what you're doing with Vivo. We wish you every success, not that you need it. I don't think with your pinot grigio Proseco. You're doing very well, and I'm sure things will improve. And I look forward to seeing Erifosco members of the Revro Great family becoming the world's number one red point. Maybe. Well, come back in a couple of years, like, when you conquered the German market and a couple in Southeast Asia, and maybe like at least three American states. Okay? Yeah. I need to convince, some buyers. Oh, you'll do. You're quite convinced. Yeah. You're good salesman. Really nice to meet you. Thanks for coming. It's been a real pleasure. This episode has been brought to you by Venutelli twenty eighteen, taking place in verona from April fifteenth to eighteenth. Vinitale is the wine exhibition that helps you discover and get to know Italian wine and features over four thousand two hundred wineries. Follow Italian wine podcast on Facebook and Instagram.