Ep. 339 #iobevoacasa - LOCKDOWN SERIES | Paul Yanon and Axel Heinz

We could go for a nude swim perhaps, and no one would have known. Welcome to the Italian wine podcast lockdown series. Every Monday will be connecting with Italian wine people. Join us to find out what they 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 WWW dot colangelo p r dot com. I'll do that, and welcome to the, the Italy wine podcast lockdown edition. I'm applying wholly unemployed, our partners. It's been very, very, very lucky to have special guest joining me. I have Axel Hines, his state director, corporamaya, joining us all the way for Paul. Right today. Axel, how are you? Conditions. Right? That helps. Well, I'm fine. You know, you know, this is, this is, already starting to smell a little bit like post lockdown because at least slowly but surely opening up. So we're almost back to normal media. We've never stopped because I could, as you can see, the vineyards have not taken any notice from lockdown. So we were busy in the vineyards in April, doing everything that had to be done. Everything is almost looking like a couple of couple nights that we can enjoy here. A nice typical spring day, Valaria, we just probably do mainly red wine, but it's such a day with, you know, the sea, as a backdrop. I thought of a nice glass of white wine would be perfect. Just celebrate, what we hope is going to the beginning of the end of lockdown. You know, I have to say it it it is, you know, for someone who's who's stopping inside, incredibly inspiring to see you outside right now. I think, all of us have been craving, some sunshine, fresh air, fresh breeze, and, you know, for a time there, I'm guessing, when you weren't able to go outside, were were you getting a little bit stir crazy? From around Easter time, usually, the pack the places pack with wine numbers with people visiting estate estates going, going to see the wineries. And when you were driving back and home, to work and back home, you would see nobody out of the street. So that was a little scary. Yeah. I imagine that, for a town like Walgreens that has such, you know, wonderful, seaside views that, for for for it to be completely empty during, you know, the the start of the spring z's and must have been a bit of a shock. Did you ever have at any point in time, you know, a kind of feeling where you kind of, where you, you own the place. You could go for a nude swim perhaps, and no one would have known. Well, yes, but the water was still a little bit cold for that. So I refrain from my nude swim. You know, I know that, I've been speaking to a lot of winemakers during the pandemic and, You know, obviously, a lot of people had had free time on their hands. Some people have spent in growing out their beds. Obviously, you are a very well known and well groomed man. Whether any sort of, points during the lockdown where you just said, you know what? I'm gonna let it all go. I'm gonna head in the new direction and, you know, take off the concrete visuals. No. No. No. But there was some enjoyable things. I mean, obviously, activity was reduced to the very hard bits, you know, just pinyards, just, just a little bit of work and unwind me so that they've plenty of time for other things. Just spending a little bit more time with the family, and, you know, just doing a little bit of stuff, which which is left behind Unity because there's no time for it. So I I had a lot of, time to to to dedicate to my other passion, which is making a lot of music. So I've played a lot of guitar and improved by playing, which I believe now is going to be again, you know, declining because because there's still time left. We're still in the vineyards, but we have to shoot as you see a lot of videos and start to do the usual communication. So, as we're back to to to normal, there's a little bit less time for everything. That's not work. And when you want, you know, working on on wine and stuff, you know, everyone's life has kind of moved to also zoom now. Do you find that half of your day these days is spent on Zoom, and the other half is trying to spend trying to get away from Zoom. Yeah. That sounds that sounds pretty much like it. I mean, we've been doing, obviously, a lot of these meetings also, during working I was being in an interview, being in a wide tasting, but also some type of staff meetings with people who are doing smart working at home. So it's definitely definitely, I think it's a good point of you saying that you're trying to half the day getting away from it because it seemed very exciting because, obviously, we looked at everybody was afraid, you know, how we're going to organize ourselves, how we're going to work, and you discover new tools. So Zoom seems extraordinary, but now you want to. We're not supposed to touch each other when we're meeting again. We're just talking to real people and all that nature's screen is something that we definitely rediscover with a lot of pleasure. You know, I know that you as a lockdown, us to wind down. You know, people are starting to think about, you know, where they can travel a lot of people that they can meet. Is there any particular personal place that you're just dying to see? You know, in a professional or non professional way that, it's like wait a second. I'm back to humanity again. Yeah. No. The tough thing when you're an expat. I mean, I've been spending fifteen years now in Tuscany. So I kind of feel a local these days, but still being an expat, I've got all my family outside of it to be so part of it in Germany, part of it in France. And the fact that you know that you can't travel there to meet your people to meet your family has definitely been something depressing. So first destinations will be either Munich because that's where my parents live or, France Pordeaux where the other parts of the past it is. No. You know, when when when when you go to visit your family, I've mentioned And, hopefully, that'll happen in the sixth, next few weeks. Is there something, from a Venus perspective that you end up dying to get your hands out of dying to drink? And, perhaps you can't find him over here right now. No. Not really. I I'm still drinking up some older potatoes, which I bought when I was still living and working there. So that's not an an ingredient. We still have, you know, good wine supply there, etcetera. There's no shortage of good wine shops in case you forget the warranty one. It's more about sharing give a give a wine with people now. But it's not really a problem sourcing the wines. I think that's you're you're in a very lucky, lucky situation to be surrounded by not only your own incredible estate, but so many others who, focus on quality. Is there, a particular, ritual or routine for skies at home, and you've been able to really, really sort of lock into, to, sort of, enjoy the bounty of where you're based at the moment? Well, there is a routine stuff which is which is kind of, lockdown and op lockdown, which is, which is, which is, always present. That would be, you know, roast chicken on a sundae with a nice bottle of wine, and usually only the closest family. So that has really changed. What has changed is that we had a lot of time to really dig deep into Italian cooking, so learning how to make homemade pasta and all that. I mean, even if we've been living, in Italy for fifteen years, sometimes, there's just not enough time to, do all the home cooking you'd want to. So we definitely upgraded our skills in typical Italian cooking, the, we are now, fit and and and well trained to do this at home. So you could actually be, you know, within a few weeks working at risk. Do you wanna lie in Zurig now that, you know, come here because it'd come up to par. Yeah. You'd have to be patient, though, because I think that the that the plates with would come out at a very, very, very low pace. It's slow food. Right? Yeah. That's what they're in for. Have you been have you been revisiting any, any any recipes from your child growing up, that kind of took you back to to wanting to connect with family? No. I don't really even already that. You know, but the the tuning stuff is is not good for anything. What's really important about is is we have time. We basically know how it works in Italian stuff, so it's just deep deep into it. Try to make it as well as we can go. Is there a particular dish that you're looking forward to? You know, if you do get to visit France or Germany any time soon that, makes the world right again? Well, one thing I'm missing as as as I'm from the seaside in Boulder, although one thing would be a nice dozen of oysters, a nice glass of, entrepreneur, or if I bring up on the prodjelling out of the field and why not because of Projelling out Well, tell me about Paju a la Garte because I think that's, you know, considering the beautiful sun plan and and spring weather you continue at the time. Tell me a little bit about, sort of, the, the, the, I guess, the connection to what you're drinking in, man, what you're kind of feeling around you right now? Well, it's true. That's springtime. I mean, I'd hate the idea to reduce a wine like Bojo de God, just to, just to spring because that's the obvious, you know, it's it's a little bit more of a complex white, white, white, it can age. So, I would love people to, to enjoy it, maybe in the winter, maybe with some richards because it's a it's a lay at the a complex wine. It's a wine that we want to be complex and refined, but definitely, also a wine made for the long term. So you can you can drink it in the winter. It's slightly richer food. And, obviously, you can drink it now with something like there was some, you know, maybe raw fish or or some freshly grilled fish. No. I I think it's a lot of people, you know, when they I think of bulgari, obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is reds. And the idea of of of, you know, iterranean wines is something that's, I think, a pretty unique proposition for a lot. The the smells you're smelling out there in the vineyard, you know, does it do you see that reflected in in what you're drinking? Sure. And, you know, it's true that that Walgreens' reputation is perhaps about the red wines, but it's forgetting also that, for the red wines who came famous, most of the work that we're being produced in this area are either Wijo Rosay, because you're close to the sea so that was was, was, was a little bit the thing to do. Only recently, though, I must say that Beyond saying a course in the summer, you need a little pipeline just to trench a thirst. Everybody has started to become a little bit more ambitious about the whites because there is definitely a way to produce not only great breads, but also interesting whites in this slightly more miniature region at Sunny style. Yeah. I I think that, hopefully everyone wants to lock that in, goes out, supports local restaurants, goes out, supports local, absent Robert dolls and suppliers and, you know, gets to have some great fusion gets to visit a wine shop, gets to order off a menu. Really, really enjoy, you know, some of the new releases that are that are coming up. Oh, yeah. One thing that I I I really, really wanna ask you, you've locked down, hopefully, ending soon. Is there anything that you're gonna miss about the isolation? Because I gotta miss, probably, square suit. The vet the very isolation just having time, you know, not to, not to think about anything else if I'm spreading yourself to, dedicate some time to your passionate outside of work. It's probably going to be missed. Now we're happy, you know, to be back in action, but I'm sure in a couple of months' time, where have nice memories about, you know, this time of introspection of meditation, which has its positive side as well. Do you think the, the lockdown's changed, you know, your general outlook on life and how you're gonna after people moving forward. Now there's a shame on me. Well, I have to see for sure it gave us a lot of time to think about, virtually everything in our lives. And I hope it's, the most positive side around it will be to, you know, have us change what we became aware is not is not quite right. But, you know, it's difficult to say now because, now everybody's eager to go back. It's much as possible to normal life. And I hope that some of, the thoughts that we accumulated during, during this lockdown will survive and need us to, you know, change a couple of things, which we believe need to need to be changed. Yeah. I know I know for for the one I'm I'm looking forward to hopefully, you know, visiting your your part of the world. Again, sometime soon when, everything opens up, but, I know that, hopefully, with Italy leading us away in terms of you know, thanks for getting by the pathway for the rest of the world. So once again, if you're back to normal, to enjoy wine, good food, good company, and, you know, just share share cultural interests in in, you know, what you do. Right. We are ready anyway. As soon as you can, we are ready to host you, be sure to be sure to be sure of that. So, Axel, knowing that, you know, we we are, I mean, to the end of our wonderful conversation. Is there any, sort of message that you, just wanna say to the folks out there who hosting for the Middle League podcast, as we're entering heading into the end of, the lockdown? Well, stay safe, everybody. Let's not get carried away by the perspective of lockdown, ending. Let's do whatever we need to keep the situation on the control. And, Well, once, once everything is going to be safe, let's, let's open a few nice bottles of wine that we can finally share because the single most frustrating thing as not only a wine maker, but also as as a wine lover, was the fact of virtually having to drink all the wines I open alone or just with a close family. I think why is that? It's so enjoyable when it's shared apart from, maybe I think that's why one bottle of wine, for one single person might be a little bit too much. I've got a few Belgian friends who would definitely disagree with that. But, but I think mine's all about sharing. So even if you can do that on a zoom conference, it's never the same than opening a bottle and filling full glasses and sitting around the same table. So let's, let's make sure that, with a lot of discipline and a lot of attention, we can all, end up in a situation where we'll be able to do that again. Wonderful. Well, act like, certainly come a way to worry to share glass of wine again. Sorry? Okay. I totally can't wait till we, had the opportunity to share in class again. I'd like to thank you for joining us in the Binid League International, podcast, lockdown edition. Stay safe. Continue doing all the great things that you're doing on a born line, and, you know, we're looking forward to your upcoming next batch of releases. Okay. Well, I can't wait to, you know, I was happy for a couple of months, not having to travel, but that's definitely time to go back on the road, meet people, share pressures about clients, and let's be patient. A brief moment of time, and the children was getting here after August. We'll need to get we'll need to get it someplace. Thank you very much for your time. And, Sarutas, we say. See you next Monday for another virtual wine journey Italian wine podcast lockdown series.