Ep. 149 Monty Waldin interviews Marco Lazzaroni (Benetton Rugby & Sommelier) | Italian Wine Personalities

Italian wine podcast. Chinching with Italian wine people. Hello. This is the Italian wine podcast. My name is Monte Gordon. Today's guest is Marco Lazaroni or Lataroni. Marco is a professional rugby player. What's the name of your team? Beneton Ragwin. Where is Benoton rugby in Treviso? Yeah. Treviso is a little city near near Venice. Famous for what wine? Famous for Malo and, red kind of wines. Red wines. Okay. So just tell me a little bit about how you did you play rugby right from when you were a little kid? When I was younger, I started playing rugby, like, at ten, eleven years old. So Sounds quite late, isn't it? Yeah. He's it. Yeah. Is it? But since I'm a big guy, all are you? I'm one hundred and ninety two. Right. And how much do you weigh? Like, about one hundred and fifteen. So it was easier for a a big guy to to start playing rugby and, yeah. But you look to me, you, I mean, you got a lovely smile and you you're like a gentle giant? Yeah. On on the field of play, you're quite a you're a quiet player, a noisy player. Yeah. I'm a I'm a gentleman just, away away from the field. Okay. I mean, okay. So in which positions do you play for team. I play Locks and, lose lose forward. So what does that mean? The one that have to be stronger, but also have to be quick and fast, to to defend. So it's a quite a good good zone to to play rugby. That's very funny. So how many days do you have to train? All the week because, you have to be professional in the in the pitch and, away, away because you have to to eat clean and, have a good sleep. Also, is a a three sixty work, you know, So you allowed to have a glass of wine during the week or not? Yes. Yes. I, but yes, I do. So what what is the I mean, how many days before a game do you do you, you know, I guess you're just drinking a lot of water and absolutely no alcohol? No. No. We say that after after the the the match, all is allowed. Everything is allowed. And but more in the holiday and, now I'm attending a summer year course. So, of course, I have to do to taste some way luckily. What do your fellow players think about you? I mean, any any other players in your team have passion outside wine, maybe somebody loves stamp collecting or Yeah. Yeah. Watching birds or I have to say that, for Italian, the passion of of wines is, is strong. Lot of lot of players, that play with me. We say we can say la loves wine, but, you know, we have not a lot of free free time to to spend to dedicate to to your passion. So But you're you're starting to become a Is that correct? Yeah. Yeah. So did you do that in the evenings? Yeah. In the evenings. And is it like courses or do you do it on your own? No. No. It's a course and with the a I s a I s. Yeah. Which is a a association association or familiar. Yeah. And, is it on, Monday evening? So what do you do? What do you do? Blind tastings or is it just lessons? No. It's, it's a part of lesson. And then, it it, the final, the final session is, taste, tasting, white tasting. So you have a good blind taste sir? Yeah. Yeah. You do, I'll check on. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But just a couple of times. Okay. I'd love. What are your favorite wines? You go for, you know, you're you're a big guy. Right? I mean, do you go for, like, these big wines like Bruno? Or do you go for something a little bit more delicate like a Swave or something? No. Yeah. I like I like a strong wine. So, basically, I prefer red red wines, but, I love champagne. I really, really love. And because also my father than the is why I I love wine because, he used to work a lot, and, I used to be away from home a lot. So when I get home, I love to to stay with my my my father and talking, I think, a glass of good wine. So when you say champagne, do you mean like sparkling wine, or do you mean actually French champagne? No. I I mean champagne's, I'm France. I'm from fantasy. Okay. Well, you're gonna get it. Okay. So what I mean, do you like prossecco though? Yeah. I like because it's a it's a funny one. You know, just good to to be together and have a great day. Yeah. Yeah. But if I have to eat something really special or to be quiet, relaxed in chilling. I I prefer having something, but you have a bit strong. Do you take do you have like wine tasting evenings with your team members and maybe like medical staff or the people involved in the in the rugby club you get together? And do you like organize events? Actually, we organize something, once in a month, where we have some free time to spend, because, I I know, a summary and, that also, you know, take out. So I I will, which is a wine shop. Yeah. One shop. In Treviso. Yeah. And, What's it called? It's called Toni Despin. Toni Delspin. Okay. And is it in the center of Treviso? Is it very well known? Yeah. Is it is this why is this end of decades? Is he is he what kind of wine is he into? Is it natural wine or, sparkling wines, or what does he do? No. Everything. Yeah. Everything. Yeah. And but some really rare wine. So something we like, a crook and, eight. So something very, very special. And, we organized something with, with my team mate, who lost lost most wine. And, we organized, yeah, a tasting, and a a dinner with special wine. So that's it's really cool. Okay. So what's your favorite? Obviously, you talked about, obviously, you're you're an athlete, and so you have to be very careful about what you eat and what you drink. What is your favorite Italian dish with your favorite Italian wine. What is your what is your absolute best pairing? Yeah. I really, really love, shouldn't you know. So that's okay. That's Tivo to take this guy, It's not gonna be a cupcake. It's drinking food. So, obviously, with a fiorentina, you have to drink, a a tuscany a tuscany wine. So, I love to, to drink, or Cantiantinari. Maybe it's my, one of my favorite winery ever. And so You should go to Brie. I live in Montecini. You should come down. We'll have a little tour. Yeah. I will. And, you know, because we obviously look Farantino is, it means the Florence in in translation, which is a t bone bay, state from the local quinina gals, which, white colored and have very nice pasture in the quinina valley, and the fienteen is a big dish, as, Margaret Silling. So So, it needs a big wine. So yeah, you should come down. We should do some, do some, do some, steak and, at least, one kilos ofarantine. Yeah. Yeah. I'd not sure if I could have, you could. You could eat that for breakfast, almost. So, you know, you're not gonna stop that if you become a cementier qualified. No. No. No. No. No. No. You know, rugby. The good things of rugby, I think, is that, at the end, at the end of your career, you don't have enough money to, to stay at the seaside, doing nothing. And this is, lucky. It's not, bad things. So I love to build my b plan in the in the same in the same time. Now, you know. So be a humble year for me is, is what I will, I would do after after my career and, what I'm bidding now is really, really important for me because I sacrifice one evening. That's for me, it's a lot because I go sleeping, like, at midnight or one o'clock. And the day after I've training, I have to train hard. And so for me, it's something that, is worth. No? And so I'm I'm very, very glad, about these things, and, very, very glad about, my parents' work that, will will will give me, another another work when I will stop to to play rugby. So Yeah. It's funny. I mean, a lot of sportsmen, and women, after their career, they're a little bit lost. They don't know what to do because if you're if you're a sports player, you're there's a team. There's like a medical team for you a diet team for you, a fitness team for you. And it's like, almost like an extra family. And then when you stop becoming a player, either maybe through injury or you just retire or you get sold, you're on your own. So the fact that you're, and you're any how old are you twenty two? Yeah. I'm tired of dying. I mean, you're seeing credit, you're really thinking ahead, aren't you're really thinking ahead, aren't you're really thinking ahead, aren't you? That bus mule your parents. Right? Your your friends must be very down to earth people. Yeah. What did your parents do? My my mom works in communication, for a team that is a Italian company here. And, my dad is, in society with, medical stuff. And but, yeah, my my family is very humble. And Do you have any brothers and sisters? Yeah. Just one seven years older than is an engineer is a chemical engineer and is, actually, I have to say, the genius of, this investment of my my parents' investment because he made the paper with the the the major of the the city where we where are where we you're from. Yeah. Sorry, where we were from. Actually, he's the genius of of this this plan. I hope we will work together, in, in a future. So So what's funny about you is if I saw you on the street and I was in a very old fashioned mood, I think, hang on. He's like a skin head. He's got, you know, shaved head. He's got a massive tattoo on I mean, his arm is your arm is thicker than my leg, right? Yeah. And I mean, this is the guy I'm absolutely gonna avoid because he you know, if he's maybe in a bad mood, and I say hello to him just to be friendly, he's gonna be Yeah. Actually, actually. You are a gentle giant. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, I do boxing. Oh, great. I gave you all that build up. And then you ruined it. Now now by now. So you do boxing or kickboxing? No. It's just boxing because boxing is the, you know, the noble option. So is that good for your reefer in your reaction time? Yeah. That that's why because I like to extra work and to do something comp complimentary at at my sports. So I can stress out, and but I can be better in, some area, maybe You say you use that as a de stress? Yeah. Yeah. But on the field of play, you are you bad boy, or are you a very well behaved player? No. You get in trouble with the referee? No. No. No. The referee is, it's like God. You know, you can touch it. You can touch him. It's very different to football because rugby is known for having far greater respect for the referee than than soccer than football. You're much better, you're much more polite. Basically, one general edition is a rugby. It looks like it's being played by animals, but it's actually being played by gentlemen. Yeah. I'm a bad boy in the rules, you know, so it's it's it's allowed. So Okay. So, and in terms of, you know, when you're on the field of play, and there's like a pause in play, maybe somebody's injured or whatever, do you do you stand in the middle of the field like there are thirty thousand people and you're thinking, I wonder what am I gonna have tonight? Am I gonna have a ball green? Am I gonna have a kente? Just to go, maybe that meat, am I gonna pay didn't it? Is that what you do or do you absolutely focused on it? No. I absolutely focused on it. Yeah. Not once you think about it. I don't believe you. I swear. Okay. Anyway, Marco Lataroni. Thanks very much for coming in today. Professional rugby player. Who has already got his second career lined up as a simile. I'm sure you'll be a great success. You're a great communicator. You have a wonderful smile. You have a really joyous feel about you, which is great because, you need that in wine. We often take it so seriously. And I'm sure you've very serious player. He'd be a you'd be a fun guy to have around in a restaurant if I was if I was stuck for a food and wine matching. Thanks a lot for coming in to be It's a pleasure in honor for me being here. So thank you. It's one of the rest as well. Yeah. It's gonna have to check out your tattoos. Oh my god. Why did you go on? He just took his bottom lip out. What does that say? Ambition. Ambition. Yeah. Was that painful to get down? Yeah. It was painful. Yeah. But once you've done it, you've done it. Yeah. Do you have one on the upper lip as well? No. I know. I was thinking about this, but what we're gonna there on the upper lip? Like, what words? Mhmm. Maybe hero. I would like to to write down my dad. Who is your hero? Your dad? No. Yeah. Because, you start from the bottom and, sacrifice part of his life and To help you become a player. Yeah. Yeah. Now is, is on the top and wasn't from the bottom bottom, but is one one man that, is a hard worker struggling for the work and for give all all the tingle, the stuff that the family needed or wants because I'm lucky to be part of his family, you know. So I love his hardworking. I love, and I think that I'm an artwork. Would like to have to be an art worker like like him. And so that's why I'm so focused in in life and, looking for a a be a be plan, but that's not a be plan by plan. Yeah. And after after career. And, he he gave me a lot of values. So I'm one person that, inspire me, every day. So, Mark, I'd only you're a gentle giant. The man with great sensibility and huge physical power. It's been a real pleasure talking to you, and, you've opened the world of rugby to me. And, it's true what they say about, you know, football players are often very Yeah. You you must you know, incredibly, incredibly wealthy and not particularly articulate. And you, I would, I know a professional sports player, but you're not like a gazillionaire. And the fact that you're thinking of your next career and planning that out, is very wise and very unusual. Thanks a lot. Your mind and thanks for your head. You have to to come to come to you. Yeah. Thanks a lot. Thanks a lot. Super guy. Thank you very much. Good morning. Cool. Excellent. Brilliant. Good luck. Follow Italian wine podcast on Facebook and Instagram.