Ep. 1375 Charlie Arturaola | On The Road Edition With Stevie Kim

Hey, guys. Check out Italian wine unplugged two point o brought to you by Mama jumbo shrimp, a fully updated second edition, reviewed and revised by an expert panel of certified Italian wine ambassadors from across the globe. The book also includes an addition by professoria Atilushienza. Italy's leading vine geneticist. To pick up a copy today, just head to Amazon dot com or visit us at mama jumbo shrimp dot com. Welcome to another episode of On The Road Edition, hosted by Stevie Kim. Each week, she travels to incredible wine destinations interviewing some of the Italian wine scene's most interesting personalities, talking about wines, the foods, as well as the incredible travel destinations. Hello. My name is Stevie Kim, and welcome to the Italian wine podcast. Today, this is the continuation of our wine cube series for Partaza. Rome edition. We did the Milan one, as you know, a few months back. And we'll we'll be interviewing, you know, all the grand masters of wine classes here. And today we have with us right next to me. Are a very good friend, Charlie. Chow. Charlie. Tell me how you say your last name. Arturaola. Arturaola is basque. Any best. Yeah. Okay. I'm just gonna call him Charlie r too. Oh, Charlie wines. Yeah. Charlie wines. So Charlie, tell tell us where you're from. I was born in Uruguay, but I bounced to Spain, very young. And I moved to the Caribbean, and I ended up in Miami for thirty six years. So, I should say that I'm an American with passport. And But what about your heart? My my heart. My my heart is entirely because I I worked I I wouldn't tell you about it. Where would be in your place today, and then Miami, and but your heart is your time. Well, because I, you know, when I say this, I just finished talking to to someone who said, You know, when was your first actually contact with Italian wine? And I said, I was five years old, and I tried my violo. Because in Europe, they plant my violo. They pee, Montez, people, you know, they're immigrants. So my first sparkling. I would say It was Nebula. Sparkling. Nebula sparkling red. And that was my favorite drink because it was sweet. And I was five, you know, four, five, six years old. But when I talk about that, I mean, of course, I got to talk about my wine life, which is around Italian wine since I'm very young and working in the restaurant, the hotel business, the cruise line business, that actually allow me to be around the world. Well, so actually, this is a a funny story because I first met Charlie when he be he was nominated as the communicator of the year. What would that is? Yeah. For, it's a Vinitally sponsored title, the category for the IWC award ceremony that happens annually. And Vinitally eleven. Two thousand eleven, sir, it was at the very beginning of my wine career. I hadn't a clue, and I meant this gentleman here. So I've known Charlie actually for a very long time. Right. Yeah, Charlie. But I have to say one big thing because you TV brought me back to a subject which was a Marona de Balicella in New York City, and I remember this clearly because it was almost ten years ago that you called me about a few days before I need someone to speak Venatore. I'm I have to say to tell the truth. I mean, I was I was very rusty about Venatore. In the sense that I might only was probably never the the the the wine that I was actually always behind off and the the Russell, but you brought me back to Veneto until the Italian is big time because that day, I think we have a a wonderful audience. We were like a hundred and ten people. Thanks to you. You've done me back to Amaroni, Corvina, and also veronese. That's fantastic. I I didn't really recall that because, you know, I have some I'm a little bit up in, you know, Alzheimer, you know, but it's not on behalfson waiver. I remember my day. I think it was three sixty maybe. Right. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's very beautiful venue. So, Charlie, let's get fast forward ten years and to us here at wine queue. And you ran a master class. Yesterday. Right? I run a master class. What was the master class called? The master class told denominations of origin of the Italian Waima. I I have to say I was impressed not only for the selections of one queue. I was always impressed actually to get to meet all these winemakers that they were showing me the best. When I have to say their best is from Fiano to Niviola. I'm from, you know, a great time around it to an incredible Vermentino from San Diana. So did you did you also, lead the master class with the producers or just by yourself? I wish I I was able to do that, but we didn't have enough space. Yeah. Because that's how I like to do it all the time because I I allowed the the the the the winemaker or the owner to speak about their experience because for me it's very important. But I have to say what I was, actually very happy yesterday to see a lot of young people making questions. Good. Good. So tell us, can you give us a little bit of a sample taste of what you did yesterday during your master philosophy? Well, I, you know, I I was impressed. Actually, work for from the So you had nine lines from brands. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Five reds and four whites. Okay. But I should say that, you know, the garment was impressive. The the garment was probably, who was the one you need? Alvaria. If I'm I don't know if I'm pronouncing that well. Yeah. I don't know. I don't. Look at me. You know, I'm current Americans. So So so what I'd like to say about the wider was that, first to me, the producer before very young nicolette, betty, nicolette actually was, you know, a fine producer, but also to see her passion and and Not even twenty five years old. I would say that someone could get Oh, shit. She's really young. Yes. Yes. You should actually get to meet her because I was impressed for the quality. I was impressed for, the the, first, the the amount of wines they do, and also how Where is this Vermentina coming from? From Saviana from, lapianura, you know, I would say when we say, Indiana, we're talking about, you know, forty minutes away from Caliari, but the amount of quality on the nine wines that I present it was showing with the with with the crowd that we had. I mean, there were a lot of buyers, and and I have to say, I have to thank, you know, arteza for selecting wine. I was telling some some of the people here today that I said, I cannot believe this this amount of quality. I I live in France now when I come in and go into Italy very often, to find new gems. Yes, we know the classics of every region of of every DLC. Every family. There's there's, the cake is for everybody. You know, and today in today's world, I think that There's a lot, a lot of wine in Italy that we can, we can say that, that's a great quality and sometimes you pass by in front of your nose and you you don't see it or you don't taste Italian wine podcast. If you think you love wine as much as we do, then give us a like and a follow anywhere you get your pods. Right? So, Charlie, how long have you been in wine? Wine business? Almost forty years. Yeah. Forty years. Yes. So how would you say? Let's not go back forty years, but Let's go back maybe twentieth. Okay? Since twentieth, what what have you seen in terms of the evolution of Italian wine wines and winemaking? Well, the communication. The different ways that we find to, show a veneer, the different ways to we find to tell the story. The storytelling. I will I will say that is one of the most important things that probably as not many other one countries because Italy is very vanguard, from Valdosta to Edna as as you probably know better than me that Aetna today is booming. Right? And little one country is probably that they need a little bit of push. I was telling to someone yesterday from the old report. I said, listen, I wish, you know, racing was more respected. And Pina was more respected in North report, but you have here the possibility to to see, in the last twenty years, you know, the the the amount of young winemakers. I mean, I I I work with some, analogies, some winemakers from Pimonte so from Valdosta. And also from liguria today, selecting some wines and tasting some of what they do. And I have to say, I love when they say, well, I used to sell my great before, but now I decide. Yeah. That's kind of the tendencies. Right? A lot of them were, were selling their grapes to co ops or Well, remember. Yeah. I say that in in in Champagne a lot. That people used to sell a lot to moet and it's a lot to vote, and now they actually say doing their own labels. And that is the future. And I have to to say over and over, yes, don't be afraid to taste like, you know, participants bring in all this young, which of course, you know, we all know the icons, the masters of of the Italian one country, the classics, you know, from, of course, Antinoripi, and I can actually go the whole they talking to about those names, but this is, an interesting thing. When you actually asked me right now, I remember one day in New York City, there's a wine tasting in in in one hotel in Manhattan, and they they said, well, The the seven hundred and twenty, wines that are here, they're off the tray. Meaning, like, they don't have importers. And, and, of course, I like to help that. I I've been doing that for the last five years. Now, remember, I I also do one communication a lot. I'm between two three TV shows right now. Which which TV shows? Well, one is in India. Mhmm. India. Yes. India, the new frontier. Yes. One in the basque country, and one in Italy in the south in pool. Yeah. What are you doing in in Italy? In Italy, we are doing a TV program. It's a TV show with, soccer players, football players. It's a football players that they make, wine in Puglia, they make wine in Tuscana, they make wine in Oh, it's okay. Wine of the champions. And As a matter of fact, they they actually coming from Proline, to the Italy next week. And, it's my my job right there is just to try to build up the personality of the of the football player will be great. I'm a big soccer fan. So Okay. We're talking about, Yeah. It's completely greek to me. I wouldn't recognize the best soccer player if it were right in front of me now. If you if you guys are actually a big soccer We have Matarazzi. We have Schneider. We have, Ronald. We have And they they all make wine. They all make wine in in Fuglia, and I have to say the brain behind is Fabio cordela. You should get to know him. Because Fabia is doing a great job just going around the world with twenty five soccer plays. I'm talking about Joan Terry. I'm talking about Maimo Chua. I mean, this are great to me. Yeah. Well, from Chelsea from England. Memo No idea. Mexican guy from La Sala. I'm I'm also Yapinta. I mean, big big players that, just my my my joy in this TV show is just to to match the personality of the they're great that they choose because every football player, like, Cafu or Roberto Carlos or, Ronaldino, they choose primitivo. I mean, it's neither. Why Pumia? Because, the as I said, the brand behind this How is this? It's a very Pumier. What is amazing, once again, is that the ways, in Italy, they're looking for ways to communicate. You know, the I I was talking to someone right now about fashion and wine. I mean, we know about this. The fashion, you know, big show in Milano every year, every February. No. March. I mean, that that is what is amazing what's going on in Italy. There's a a bone now. Of course, there's a great competition on there too. There's a price competition. There's, I mean, appealing the made in Italy today for me, is is, you know, I don't know when I save it for my heart is Italian because I I work with Italian when I I I work with Italian restaurants, you know. I I I I work for the Royal Middle restaurant group for almost eight years as a buyer for Italian wise. So my my job was to open you know, Italian restaurants or Italian wine shops or Italian wine bars like academia living in New York City. So I, you know, I always been probably very close to the big families of wine. Now, Yes. I know them. I'm looking forward to to keep working with them, but I I also like this lovely idea of, you know, helping the the small families. I mean, You know, when people say, oh, I make only twenty thousand bottles of Arvaresco. Okay. That's enough. I mean, I I don't mind. Of course, you know, a big importer would like to have two hundred, but, I mean, this is, you know, don't cut anybody's drink. I mean, and this is what it's wonderful about. The the booming is happening. You know, check what's happened right here in in in one queue. There's this young people from from Southern. There's a young one maker from Trace, so making an incredible bar barresco. Another astonishing quality. And, when I say this, is that is that actually goes with what we rediscover? Because, you know, people in the wine business always say that, oh, I know everything. You know? Oh, I know everything. And I one of my pet peeves, I remember I think this is a nice glass of prosecco that we have here. But, I I remember talking to someone, one day at the master of wine class, when they went into Ghana, and all I knew how to playing prosecco. Right. And I feel glad for that. I I actually, you know, I I talked to many, I talked to many, many people in the business that myself, I I I would like to say, I would like to tell everybody the best grape from Monice or, like, I I told someone last night in a trattoria in in in Rome and say, listen, you wanna order something different for me? Or then a marino doc and and they're looking at me and say, what is that? I say, hey, hey, wait a second. You're in the wine business. You're somewhere here. You, you know. Mhmm. You should look better than me. I'm a guy in my sixes away. I said, let's drink local. Right? I was in Austria, Sarah, and I having fun with my friends. He didn't sleep because I I got to see my friends from Pumuccino from I was in my twenties coming to Rome. Right. But the one business today is more complex, but we need to make it simple, Stevie because I think today today we are adding, if it's not, into communication, we're adding stuff that with making people run away from wine drinking. Okay. Well, I will drink to that, and I think this is a good way to end the, our our small talk here today with Charlie r two. Arturo. Arturo. Oh, Charlie wines. Charlie wines. Yes. That's totally fine. Oh, that's also that's his handle. So, I do agree with him. It's it's complicated in a way, more than we should we make it to be. So let's try to simplify, especially on the communication side. Can I take something to everybody? Because congrats to you with that ambassadorship because around the world, even the participants that all happened at the studios live. They say they broke someone. I mean, a blonde girl from America. I don't know who it was. She was, but I said that was really cool. And it is keeping, you know, a lot of a lot of everybody hooked into what the Italian Ambassador ship should be into the wine business. Great. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you for joining us on another installment of On The Road Edition, hosted by Stev Kim. Join her again next week for more interesting content in the Italian wine scene. You can also find us at italian wine podcast dot com or wherever you get your pods. You can also check out our YouTube channel, mama jumbo shrimp to watch these interviews and the footage captured of each location.