Ep. 729 Natalya Meylunas | Get US Market Ready With Italian Wine People

Thanks for tuning into my new show. Get US Market Ready with Italian wine people. I'm Steve Ray, author of the book how to get US Market Ready. And in my previous podcast, I shared some of the lessons I've learned from thirty years in the wine and spirits business helping brands enter and grow in the US market. This series will be dedicated to the personalities who have been working in the Italian wine sector in the US, their experiences, challenges, and personal stories. I'll uncover the roads that they walked shedding light on current trends, business strategies, and their unique brands. So thanks for listening in. And let's get to the interview. Hi. This is Steve Ray, and welcome to this week's edition of Get US Market Ready with Italian wine people. This week, I'm pleased to have as a guest Natalia Maylunas of the winery aiola in Kianti, county Plasico, actually. In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that, I discovered aiola at I guess it was, in Italy, about five, six years ago, and for a short period was actually the importer for the brand. No longer am. It's imported by Hill City imports, but I I do have that personal experience with the brand. And frankly, that's one of the reasons that I asked Natalia to be a guest on the show today. Natalia. Welcome to the show. Thank you, Steve, and it's a pleasure to be here. Tell me a little bit about the background, your background in the wine industry and how you came to be here talking with me today. I'm a relative newcomer to the wine industry, and this three. Although if you come to think of it, I've had an interest in wine since I was a teenager. I grew up in in Russia, born in Leningrad in the Soviet Union that is in the city and the country that are no longer on the map. In Saint Petersburg of today. My grandmother had an orchard, and we used to make fruit wine. But to cut the long story short, I changed my life completely in, around two thousand five when I moved to Italy for family reasons first. I worked for several large international institutions, but I was always interested in Italian wine culture. And so when I came back to Italy in two thousand seen after a stint of working in in the Balkans. And I was looking around, and one of the markets that I was really interested in was, winemaking particularly exports since I know several languages. I have a lot of international experience, and it just happened that I found this great job. Wow. Okay. I for some reason, I had thought you had a long history in wine. I was a little surprised at that, but that's okay. You sure know a lot now. Put it to per perspective, the international piece of the equation, one of the things we were talking about was, the the growth not only in Italy, but really all over Europe. And and the United States, acquisition of wineries by people from other countries who have money and are kind of I guess one of the reasons that they do it is, you know, the the romance of, owning a vineyard in Tuscany. That's kind of it sounds like a book. Alright? Can you comment on that? Yes. Absolutely. I do think that the whole image of Tuscany, particularly after this great book, you know, under the Tuscansan was published, it's certainly added to the to the lure, to the idea of being an owner of the winery, not to mention the goodyear film with Russell Crow. I think it also had its share, but also I think it's part of the bigger picture. We are, first of all, because of the diversification, because of the whole new trend on sustainability and higher appreciation of natural resources and agriculture in general in its sustainable form. I think, these are some of the factors that move international entrepreneurs, to consider investing in wineries, not on in Italy, but in other countries as well. But in Italy, there is quite a significant share of international groups and individuals becoming winery owners. So speaking of that, tell us the history of the winery. How far back does it go? And, I guess, go back to the etruscans. No, you don't have to go that far, but get the the history of the commercial winery as we know it today. Yes. Well, in a way, we are sort of a baby in terms of tossed and winemaking because as a commercial institution, factory a de la yola, was founded in nineteen thirties by a fantastic politician and entrepreneur, Giovanni Malabody, white, a well known figure in Italian history. He was also found of the Liberal Party, three times Senator, member of the Italian Parliament, and even a president of the Senate were shot stint back in nineteen seventies. His second greatest passion of the politics was winemaking. Already in nineteen forty seven, he became a member of the consort of Canti Glasgow. So Ayola was, making wine on commercial level as early as nineteen forties. On the other hand, as an estate, we are well in the level of our task and neighbors, that is we have a castle slash biller that dates back to the early thirteenth century. And I'm sure if we start digging around, we'll find some at rosconds as well. Okay. So the new owner took over in what year? It was in two thousand twelve. The founder of the state, Joani Malagoda died in nineteen ninety one. And after his death, the family struggled a lot to keep the winery afloat. These were not the best years for Italian winemaking, and the family had its own share of financial troubles. So they were looking for a buyer for ten years if not more. And in two thousand twelve, a Russian entrepreneur who was seeking to diversify his investment portfolio, looked around, found Ayiola and decided to buy. So what was the condition of the winery at that point in time? It it was tough. I mean, I came later, but I worked for quite some time with the people who actually became the the first to recover and to reestablish Ayola after after the purchase. And due to the previous lack of funding, a lot of the vineyards had to be taken out and replanted completely. And the production facility had to be refurbished also almost one hundred percent. So the castle stayed, but all the guts of it. The castle, the castle state, but it it is still in need of repair. We decided to focus on, the agricultural part of the business first. So most of the resources are going into the wine into planting new vineyards into, recovering and, you know, making old vineyards healthier because, you know, old vines are a treasure that we intend to to keep and preserve. And also to to refurbishment of the production facility, to marketing, to getting the brand back where it should be. And then, of course, where we'll get to the to the castle and, because it is an asset that will intend to use for touristic purposes. And you do, you you welcome guests and have, have facilities for them to stay and eat or just eat? Not at the moment. We don't have a bed and breakfast that we do organize tastings. So visitors are welcome. You will need to book. If you're alone, you can just drop by. We are open for tastings, all year round. Weekends is always better to to book ahead or call ahead. But otherwise, there is quite a lot of things to see at the winery, including a very small museum that we created, that covers part of the history of this state, but also the old traditions and techniques of win. Okay. And, give us the URL of the of the wineries website. Oh, yes. Yes. It's w w w dot aiolo wines, a I o l a w I n e s dot com. Very simple. Aiolo wines dot com. And where does the name come from, Ayala? Well, that's a great mystery. Because, when I looked it up and believing since, my other passion is history, I started quite a lot, but I couldn't find any planation besides the fact that aiola is somehow linked to the word aiola, which in modern Italian means flower bed. But since the name is there on the mass, already in the fourteenth century, I doubt there were too many flower beds at the time. So the short answer is I don't know. Don't know. Okay. Alright. So, one of the things you had mentioned that when they took over the, the winery, there were a lot of people that had been here for a while and have have stayed through various transitions. And that's been really, really good for the winery in in the long term. Can you explain that and why and how? Sure. People are perhaps the greatest asset to loyola as they shouldn't be, if any, there's business. And, I have to tell that the new owners made a really wise decision when they purchased. They stayed in two thousand twelve to keep as many people as their, they wanted to stay. We're extremely lucky because we still have some field workers, who have been with the company for thirty, not forty years, and who know literally every blade of grass, every stone, and every vine on our twenty plus almost thirty hectares of vineyards. And that's an immense advantage because, the terrain is very varied. The conditions on every vineyard are very, very different. And sometimes it makes a crucial difference, let's say, if the rainy weather is coming, and you know that the left upper corner of this particular vineyard is more prone to get mildew and other diseases than the lower right corner. Now, you would go there first and, you know, harvest or make the treatments, and it makes the difference of the difference of saving the harvest sometimes. So having people who know everything is is crucial. Yeah. I was in one vineyard in Spain. I think it was. And one corner of one vineyard was up kinda going up a hill and they had over a hundred year old pre phylloxera vines, and because it was Sandy. You know, there was a patch there of maybe, I don't know, yeah, maybe ten rows, maybe, a hundred yards long, and that was it. But it was pretty neat to know that that kind of stuff still exists in places. And of course, in Italy, older than Spain, in terms of wine production. So that's nice to hear. Okay. The other aspect of the winery is altitude. Tell us about that. We are very, very lucky. As I mentioned, we have about, almost thirty hectares of vineyards. That are split into roughly fourteen, linear plots. Very different in terms of size, but also in terms of, exposition or inclination towards the sun, but also in terms of altitude. Our part of county class records, this newly created some zone called, both the the altitudes of, between two hundred and fifty and four hundred and eighty meters. And in this period of climate change, having vineyards in a high altitude is absolutely crucial because it means that you have better ventilation. You can manage, in, even in the hottest summer period. Like this year, we had two months complete without a single drop of rain, and having vineyards at different altitudes, means that we can balance the differences in terms of year, by managing in a different way with different timetables, India at different altitudes, and thus keeping the quality of the wine consistent and also keeping the character. Consistent while reflecting the the changes of the year. And you were talking about the microclimate, and one of the other things affected there is the the way the winds blow. And you've got, you're surrounded by forests in a in a couple of areas. And that helps to contain, mildew and some other diseases. Can you comment on that? Very much so. Indeed, all these fourteen plots that I mentioned, they are very different, but we are also locked in multiple in terms of having, vineyards at altitude, but also in in the fact that most of our plots are surrounded by forests. It's quite a green part of county classical. And so that, you know, keeps the the plots ventilated at the same time preventing spreading of disease, and also keeping the the right level of humidity in the soil. So, you know, Now, even in the hottest summers, there is still, some hydric preserve as they call it in Italian in the soil, and, it also prevents erosion. So Okay. And we're gonna get into or organics and, sustainable production in a minute. But can you take us through the portfolio and highlight some of the individual, skews and, some significant ones that have won awards? I know you've got some, and I'm a personal fan of of the winery. Thank you, Steven. We really appreciate that. Well, we are first and foremost a county classical producer, and I think Ayiola county classical, and it's three typologies that is Anata. The one that stays in in barrels and tanks for twelve months. There is error, the one that stays for ages for twenty four months, and then the tool of the pyramid, the, which for us is not only the the top of the line stays in in large and smaller barrels and buried for thirty months, but also comes from a single vineyard, So these are the the three one the three top points of the estate that are consistently awarded, ninety plus points from a number of critics. James Sarkling, I think, has given us ninety two to ninety four points for five years in a row. If not more, with one, awards from Decantor, from Janice Robinson, from the Canadian wine line, So, and that is a reflection, of course, of the quality of the wines, but also the master of our winemaker Paolo Salvey who is one of the best known names, as a Sanjay expert. Was gonna ask that. Just let me interrupt and and comment on on the idea of scores. Well, scores are certainly important, and I I find that, you know, it's one of the first questions we get asked, by anybody in the United States if we're trying to market or sell a wine like that. Do you have scores? And if you have tours. It's great that gets you past the first major hurdle or obstacle. But beyond the scores, what people are looking for is the strength of the brand, the story behind the brand, and so on and so forth, what are you guys doing to help tell that story both in Italy and the United States? And we'll we'll get back to the United States and and what markets you're in in a moment, but talk about the story for a moment. Sure. Well, everybody will tell you that their wines are the best or their wines are perfect, which is true. There are so many excellent wines. What makes a wine different is, the only characteristics, the idea that the the wine reflects this particular territory, this particular piece of land, and also this particular state the history of Iola is very much connected, to the brand. So, for instance, we have every vineyard that we have has a name. And, the names of the vineyard do not all all only help, you know, to let workers go to this vineyard instead of that one, but they also a reflection of the very long history of the state and on the full place. For instance, we are thinking of creating a new crew and new single vineyard, anti classical with the name Portjorie. Now, Portjorie is the family name of the farmer who lived on the land of on the port of this particular vineyard up until nineteen seventies. And he's very, very well known in the whole wall, which is the little town, nearby. Because he had, or his family was the only family in the nineteen fifties and sixties to have a cow. So quite a lot of, locals, you know, the very grown people of Alibaba. Remember formally the time when they were kids and they were sent by their mothers to purchase the milk from drop, hopefully, on the project of India. And it is stories like that that, you know, reflect if you want, are reflected in every single drop of every wine. Okay. So let's take that base. It's it's a a lovely story. And, you know, I'm I'm a believer in when you're marketing in the United States, it's to get people to tell your story in their words to their friends, and you need the good story to start with. But a big piece of the equation for you guys as well is a move towards sustainable production and organic certification. Can you talk about that, please? Indeed, you're absolutely right. I think the We were already practicing sustainability almost without knowing if you if you want to because, from the start, already as early as, you know, the beginning of two thousand and particularly after the change of ownership, are there was a conscious effort, from the part of the health production team, to minimize the use of chemicals, to switch to organic fertilizers, biocompatible treatments, and, to, to follow the lines of sustainable agriculture in the sense of, you know, not wasting resources, conscious use, of all, of agricultural techniques. And now we are putting it into onto paper if you want, because we have started the process of converting into a fully organic, we are well ahead on this road. And I believe that in two thousand twenty three, two thousand twenty four, our wines were over the certified as organic. And you've got, some pretty good distribution internationally in the United States. And and I should, make a point here that I had a company that wasn't the importer for just about a year or two. It's now imported by Hill City imports. But in the US, you're currently in New York, New Jersey, and I think just started with Pennsylvania. Is that correct? Yes. Indeed. And we are also present in Illinois in Chicago. Okay. In Chicago. But you're looking for distribution in other markets as well, Texas, Florida, California, probably are important for you as well. How do you as the kinda export manager person who is kind of the point person for for the brand manage export stuff during the pandemic when none of us could travel? Well, these were two very tough years for us, and the situation is is still rather complicated. So, of course, you know, one of the most important things for us who are building the brand are responsible for export is, to meet with our potential importers and customers face to face because, you know, to to convince people of the value of the brand. It's it's not enough to send out emails and, put a nice picture on the internet and even sending samples is not enough. You have to be the year. You have to to to taste compliance together with your potential customers, and you have to tell the story. There is only so much you can tell through emails. Well, when travel was completely impossible, what we did was a lot of virtual tastings, a lot of online tastings, a lot of sending samples around, thousands of emails sent, very few emails that got response to, but that's, you know, bread and butter of export managers that that's part of the course for us. But, yeah, certainly it was quite an uphill road. It was a travel more so than usual. So I'm very glad that at least now we get to travel in Europe. And I hope that next year, I'll be able to come to the United States as well. Great. And, Vin Italy will be back. In the spring, which will be exciting for everybody to get back to Verona and and meet and greet. There was a special edition held, in October, an association with the wine to wine event And I walked through it. There were three buildings, which is not inconsiderable in, the Verona Fe Area complex has about fifteen or seventeen buildings that are just humongous. And the fact that they've built three of them And it was very lively and vibrant event. I'm looking forward to it being expanded next year. I think not expanded or returned to what it is. The excitement and enthusiasm that you get attending in Italy and in fact, that's how we met. Indeed. Somehow, I don't remember. I tasted the wine or I talked to somebody, and I remember sitting with, you and young woman who used to work for you. And, Daria. Yes. Yeah. Daria. And it kinda just connected. And that kind of stuff is only happens in a situation like that, and Vin Italy is renowned for that kind of a thing. But taking that same thing, there are two things that you can't do remotely. One is literally sit across from someone. Yes. You can figuratively do it as you and I are doing now. But it's very different when you're when you're in their own personal space. And the second is to taste along with them. Again, you can do it remotely, but it's it's a poor approximation of of the reality. So you ended up doing, like everybody else, a lot of virtual tastings, probably spent a ton of money sending out samples, a lot of challenges in terms of small bottles and how do you package this stuff to go all these places? Do you think that's gonna influence at all the way you do tastings going forward or the way that you promote your brand going forward once we return to some sense of normalcy post COVID? Meaning, Vin Italy is back on track. Yes. Well, one thing, one lesson that we have also learned from these two COVID years is the importance of online presence in every respect. So we are now paying much more attention on the brand presence on Instagram, on Facebook, other social networks, reworking, and renewing our website. In terms of virtual tastings, I think we might continue with the practice, particularly where travel is is economically not all viable. But as you mentioned, you know, there are several challenges. There is the question of the quality of the samples, you know, getting them there on time in the right condition because unless you are spending quite a lot on shipping, you cannot guarantee that the wines are shipped properly and get there, you know, in the right condition for the consumer. So it it's a lot of challenges. We might, you know, continue some of those virtual tastings, but I would much prefer, you know, spending more time, talking face to face with my importers and, clients. Both current and potential. You know, I also wanted to mention that, you know, even when you are online, you still don't have enough space and you can't guarantee the attention of your potential customers to the stories that you want to tell. Like, you know, the stories of the wines, that go beyond our candy classic range, because we have, for instance, a tiny gem of a super tuscan in our portfolio. It's called Roso Delsonatore, the red of the senator. And as you can imagine, it was named after the founder of the state, the senator, Giovanni Malagodi, and it it, reflects his fantastic foray into bringing international vines, international The ride is to Italy back in nineteen seventies, nineteen sixties. When, you know, he wept along with Jacko Matakis and Chezabella Keta and all the great names that are now hallowed in in Bulgaria and other zones. So we have our own, you know, a mix of land of San Giovanni, of course, the king of Tostany and, Merlo, and it is called Roso Delis Natore, and we've produced a couple of thousand bubbles in the best years. Wow. I I I look forward to, to to tasting that. So we have an expression in America when something is really authentic or innovative newer country before country was cool speaking about country music. The story you just told about the super tuscan blend, which is with Merlo, I'm guessing. Are there any other varietals in there? Yes. It's San Juarez and Merlo. You're right. It was super tuscum before super tuscum wears the big name. Yeah. That's kinda where I was going. We we still continue this innovation line. For instance, we made, the sparkling rosette from one hundred percent San Giovanni, it's called brewed rosette Ayola, and we made it two years ago. If not more, so again, well, before the the parkling rosette where, you know, toppled the line. Yeah. That's, well, and we're seeing that. I mean, that's just the whole the dramatic growth of Prosecco has been obviously dramatic. And we're seeing, they've just expanded that to include Rose wines, which caused, I guess, quite a bit of, discussion, shall we say, in the north of Italy. Is is the sparkling red, a a a big departure from the tradition in, County? Well, sparkling Rosay is in a way. I I Just sparkling Rosay. Excuse me. Yeah. I believe we were one of the first and in at least in terms of, you know, our result, we were one of the first to to make it. So at the time, it was quite an audacious step. And we are very happy with the way it is selling both in Italy and abroad. And it has a lovely label representing a young lady with the Haya made from all these branches because we also produce olive oil. Right. Cool. Okay. So we're talking with Natalia Maylunas of Fatoria De Iowa. So we've we've covered a number of topics, but, but I like to end my interviews with is a question about what's the big takeaway. Tell me about what you think of what we've just talked about. Is there one thing somebody who is listening can take away from this conversation and actually put to use immediately? Well, for the winemakers, I think it's you know, we're always thinking about, your brand and how it speaks to people, and also how it is perceived by somebody who doesn't know all the intricacies of candy classical versus candy versus, you know, Sandra versus something else. So let the wine speak and help it to speak and talk to people online presence, of course. And, for consumers, Look at the story beyond the label, you know, where scores and awards and big names are are great, and they're always trustworthy most of the time. But, you know, allowing yourself to the pleasure of discovery. Try to go beyond the big names and the one hundred percent, Parker, or James suckling or whatever, and you will be pleasantly surprised so many times. Yeah. I, these days, and what I mean in the last fifteen years, I haven't had many, any wines from Italy that were not great because I think the days of where technical flaws or production issues are are pretty much gone. So a big thank you to Natalia Maylunas of Fatoria de Iola. In Kianti Claseco. Thank you for being our guest this week, and I look forward to seeing you soon somewhere in the world, either in Italy or the United States. Thank you very much, Steve. Big thank you to the listeners, and I do hope that many of you will come and visit a Yola, which has a great advantage of being only eighteen kilometers from Sienna. So if you are on the tour, you do come and visit, and thanks a lot, Steve, for this wonderful opportunity. This is Steve Ray. Thanks again for listening on behalf of the Italian wine podcast. Hi, everybody. 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