Ep. 1411 Alessio Planeta | On The Road 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's Stevie Kim, and welcome to the on the road edition of Italian Line Podcast. You know what? Today, we're in a fabulous, fabulous place in Sicily Cecilia. And we're in Memphis. And today, we'll be conversing with Alestio Planeta. Morning. Winery. That's called Planeta. I actually listen, Alice. So, you know, I have to be honest with you. I thought planet that was a fake name, like just planet, but it's actually a family name. Yes. Where does that come from? It came from Spain because my family arrived in Spain in the seventeenth centuries. In this side of Sicily, between Sambuca and Manti. So here, we are in the southwest of Sicily. Eighty kilometers from palermo. Agrigento. It'll be in the center of this triangle. On the limit between the East part of Sicily. That is a bit more Greek, as you mentioned before. And this part of Sisi is a little bit more Finnish, more arabs, a little bit. So we are in the middle, and our name is Pelineeta, this is a Spanish name. When we start, people say, ah, Planeta. It's funny. Yeah. Nice name. Planeta Tera. But I added my ID to Saneta. Right. So it's actually a family name of Spanish origin. That's what you're saying. Okay. So tell me a little bit. Of course, Planeta is not just monthly. Although this is kind of the Casamadre. Right? Yes. Yes. Yeah. But where are your other states? Well, we was born here because my family as we said before was based here and the planet adventuring wine start here in the the middle of eighties. And the plant in the first vineyards and doing the first winery in ninety four in San Boucrates in nineteen. But immediately after in ninety seven, because our roots of, sicilian, not only when produced also people of agriculture, let us know very well old Sicily. We start to export Sicily for producing some wine that was traditional seasonal wine. So when's first in Victoria in ninety seven, whether it is the place of Cheras for the Victoria. In ninety eight, we went to that Israel south is point southern point of all the island is the place where Neodawala was born. It's a place where the Moscato was produced since the Greek time. This time is true. Two thousand and eight, we went to Aetna, in two thousand and eleven, we went to couple of mira. So where we produce our mama, Tina. So today, planta is in five different place producing, having vineyards, and winery, and people there. So planta is, like, a collection of, vineyards and wine is in the iconic or classical place of sicily. Alright. So let's taste one of the wines so we can have a taste. It's nearly two o'clock and we need a little bit of alcohol. We have a thanks to our name. We have a Spanish time of eating. Correct. Thirty. Yeah. Everything starts later. Right? So So here, we have our Terrebinto. Terrebinto is organic. All plant is in organic. Since when? Since last year, after a long term job, we have this sustained certification since twelve years. And then since, two years, we are all in organic. So we have both now, and this is something we are very proud about. The operation here is main fishy area. And the great year is hundred percent gridlock. And gridlock was not in the planet of Vineyard since the beginning. We arrived at Willow a bit later, but now I'm very happy and very, you know, confident about these grapes. Grillo have a wonderful story because it's a cross. Between two different varieties. One is Cartarato, and the other one is a zbeebo, done by a scientist from Agilento that try to combine the flavors of the zbeebo that is a super aromatic grape with acidity and the tension of the and was done, like, old way of making a crust. So with with the pollen of the of the flowers. And we're done in, Fabara. That is a village not far from a region of ninety kilometers from here. And from that area, they start to plant, in many other places in Sicily. I think Grillo is one of the most interesting white grape in Italy because it's a personality of, good production, perfect, represents CCD, the West part of CCD very, very well. You know, so I want to ask you a personal question. So You know, from the northern part of Italy, a lot of the producers are investing in other areas of Italy. Right? So with the specific focus, of course, Aetna is very sexy and other areas of Sicily or in Juliet, etcetera. What you have done is to grow, but sisley specific. Yeah. There was two reasons. The first reason was that we were thinking at that time, still today, that there was still a lot of c c to explore. So we went in some place that were like, ma'amertino area that were not enough well known comparing to the potential of the place, comparing to the story of the place, comparing to the tradition of the place. Why you have to go to say something, In Tuscany, well, what I can say you can say, new in and the second reason was that I spent all my life talking about city. Do you want to listen me talking about Tuscany? I don't think so. What we have done was another thing, sir, so we tried to have people to invest in Sicily because we want to have more people. You know, I was the one that convinced, easily, Philippe Perman say to buy a farm in Sicily in in ninety nine. So a lot of times, we are very we are a very good friend. And they're done a great job there. And the last things we have done was three years ago. We have done together with a French family, a winery, a project together here in Zambugese ishida. So we convince French people that make wines everywhere in the world to invest in C City and considering the story about this land that we are very happy about. Yeah. It's very interesting. It's in a way your passion, your love for this territory is very cogent from the beginning to end. I love that actually. I taste the second wine. So this is a special wine for us because the the name of this wine is Didahous. It's a wine dedicated to our uncle Diego. My uncle Diego was that since three years is not more with us. Was one of the, really, of the pioneer of sicilian wine. I would say also Italian wine because I think there is a generation of people born around in the forties that in Sicily in Tampa in Piamonte really make the difference between the past and the present of Italian wine. Diego was a very special person, and with a lot of energy, we spoke four language, fluently in the seasoning of the sixties and seventies that was not exactly to go back to other CC and speak so many language. We had to go back to the to the medieval time. And so Diego was president of a very important cooperative in Sicily. It was president of an institutes of research and promotion in Sicyl cole, aceto Regione. And with Diego, people like Artiro Shenza, that you know very well, like Jacob Motakis, like Jampower Fabries, they arrive in Sicily to Alibaba change story about Sicilian wines. And so we decided to dedicate to Diego two wines, two very special wine that are done in a very small quantity. So for example, this winter is done in five thousand bottles. Mhmm. Every bottles have its own numbers. And here we have a pure covering in Frank coming from a beautiful vineyards on the top of the hill, four hundred meters surrounded by a forest in a very pure and clean place. What is the name of this area. The name of this area is, Monte Shirami, but the business of Cameron Frank is, in, Marokuri. It's a hill called Marokuri, in the area of the Monteicy Canada, these mountains that are not far from the sea, vertical carus, and going on for many, many kilometers with a a CC that people don't expect because they are forest. We are close to the sea, and they are untouched and beautiful. So, you know, when you think about it, you say that, you know, everything started in ninety four. Right? That when you hear plaintiff's name, you think it's way, way older. There's longer history. And this is because, perhaps, because of Diego. Right? Yes. Also, because, honestly, we have done a lot of, project in the last years. We have done from quantity quality. So there's such so many project, but a little platter that done the first August in ninety four, but the we start approaching eighty five, planting this vineyards here around, doing more than seven, eight years of microbienifications, fermentation trial before going in the market with our name on the level where we put all our, you know, face and owner on the level. So franchise thirty something. Alright. So paradoxically, you know, you're you're really famous for the chardonnay. Right? Why paradoxy? Because you don't think of sicily and you say like chardonnay. That's not what you think. Right? You know, was my a chardonnay that was born for combination of two people. One was me and one another one was Carlo Corino. When we start Planeta, this was another Who's Carla Corino? Tell you a story. The Diego was a very smart person. Set us already at a winemaker from Alba that was in C City from the sixties until eighty eighty eight. After eighty five years of living in C City far from, truffle far from Banyakauda, I said, I don't want to go back to my house. And Diego, I don't know how he heard the story about another white maker that was born in Alba, but he he lives in a madry close to Sydney. So on the other side of the world, it was a white maker that was born in Alba. The father was the president of alba So his student was, Chareto, Gareto, Gareto, Gareto, Gareto, Gareto, Gareto, Gareto, and so it was the best student in the school, being the son of this person. And then in his career was first going in, Ethiopia where Italians makes wine in the end of sixties. And then he moved to Australia, and he was in Australia from the seventy two seventy three to eighty nine. So in the moment where Australia was, the lab of, the develop of making great wine in warm area. And so Diego, when the the he lose the white maker here, he take a flight and go to Sydney, he make him a offer. He can't refuse and he fly back to to City with a wife, dogs. Oh my goodness. All the stuff in C City. And Corino, was special. Myself, when I, I'm not special at all, but I wanna finish my study. I went to work in burgundy. To to do the, worker. The war yes, the worker, not the white maker. Of course, I was young. I was in the winery, but not, with, you know, as as as as a worker. And then when I fly, I come back to start to retire with cargo, he was the experience of, making Chardon and Ball fermented in Australia, hired, of course, the dream of being back from burgundy to do the same. And together, we start Chardon Praneta. And then Chardon Praneta became a iconic wine. It works very well. Very precise style and very, you know. And so it's still our flag. It's still a wine that we make in our best vineyards here between two hundred and four hundred and fifty meters and the percent bottle fermented with a hundreds of barics that we ferment. It works well. Yes. So listen. So I I wanna ask you a cheeky question. So how can you tell on a blind tasting? You have, let's say, like, ten chardonnays. Right? Some from burgundy, some from the new world, and other parts of Italy. How can you tell in blind tasting that your chardonnay is planata? No. It's it's completely different. But first of all, there's something we have to as Italians, we have to work more on this because people recognize in their mind the from, Jevichan Westten, but they don't recognize, the CCD from PMont, when you talk about some grips in common. But when you are a wine maker or a wine tester, we can recognize the different vineyards of chardonnay of trineta, and on a different From the different parcels. Oh, different of different parts. So the the problem is to transfer this to the to the customers. But, at the end of the day, There's a specific style of sicilian Chardonneth that I I can feel and wine lovers can feel that while Chardonnay is try to describe it, where I'll be less warm than some idea of new world Chardonnay, But, of course, there'll be So less tropical for the gate case, you know, for the wine gigs. And less, of course, acid and then Sharp, than from from burgundy. Of course, less minority. Something in the middle with a lot of, I don't know. Africa through it at Zafran, something sunny, but not too much. It's different. Yeah. But you can you can tell the difference. Okay. So we've touched a little bit about, you know, the family, Diego, was kind of the figure that was very the influencer of the family, right, to to have this trail going. But there are other members of the because Planeta really started with you and your cousin Francesca, and Santi and etcetera. So can you tell us a little bit about the family organization and who does what exactly? Because it's still a family business. Right? Yeah. We we are, a typical or maybe not more typical now. She's family company in terms that different members of the family are active involved in the in in in in the day by day work. Starting from there was first one generation that the sec that there's arrived and now the new directions comes. When Diego started, it was offered by the brother and sisters, my father that was the older one, and my hunts, my hunts were crucial in the starting of Florida. And you can ask to the people at the beginning, the experience of, so coming here, testing our wines, and having our ants cooking the typical to see them receive the ducts, something special. On the other side, when clients are start, my generation arrived. So my cousin Francesca's daughter of Diego, me, that immediately after, my my cousin, Marcello, my brother, Santi. So I'm in charge of winemaking and, all the technical areas. So the production side. Production size. And, of course, also a little bit of marketing. Yeah. Some some of the safe. Some of the stuff done with the Excel sheets. Yeah. And then later, I also cleaned the, these glasses. Yeah. I do everything. And, on the other side, Francesca start doing marketing and sales with me. In the last years, she is focused on something that today is very important from clienta, and that is, hospitality tourism. So, now we have, two people here that visit us. We have hotel that is one of the best, location in the city. Balermo and many other projects. My brother Santi is the, like, the commercial director. Michael is the person that make things works. Like, we do, you know, we have done, like, every year with twenty one race. So every year, we do a new project that, you know, something to manage. Another cousin Kiara that is in charge of Yeah. Yes. Yeah. You see her? Yeah. She she is, try to organize everything here. And the next generation is coming both since, Well, I'll make your son. Yeah. You met my son. The costanta that he start to and he start to doing the more difficult things in the wine business. You know, I gave him his hashtag. Baby planet. Uh-huh. Baby planet. As you've seen, it's not exactly exactly exactly exactly baby, baby. Yes. Yeah. But, you know, I called there's always like baby Frascobal de baby, you know, planeta. Yeah. I was thinking we was thinking that the best way to transform a baby in a in a boy, we should let him sell wine. That is a more difficult. Right. Especially in the south of Italy. Mhmm. And so he's do he's doing this. Also, following many other things in, like in any family company. But we are in harmony. We love to work altogether. When we do holidays, like, Easter or Christmas, we are a lot of us. Of course, some people are not more with us, but this is life. Yeah. So This is what we do. Listen, Alicia. So white lotus. Okay. Tell us about how the hell did that happen? Happens Because I I saw the plane, actually, because I didn't see at White Lotus. You know, I'm not I don't have very much time, but on the plane, the only time I get to watch anything is on the plane. Are you enjoying this podcast? There's so much more high quality wine content available for mama jumbo shrimp. Check out our new wine study maps. Our books on Italian wine including Italian wine unplugged. The jumbo shrimp guy to Italian wine, sangiovese Lambrusco and other stories, and much much more. On our website, mama jumbo shrimp dot com. Now back to the show. And there was white lotus season two. I didn't even see season one, but it was on the plane. So I started watching it. And and few episodes in, all of a sudden, I see your wine and your winery. Yeah. Tell us how that happened. Happens that, this was, really attached to the relationship of my brother, Vito, and to the he was able to became friend of everyone. So the wealthiest people, that decided to make a white lot of, you know, white lotus is done always, in a stop hotel. They decide to do in Tormina. They select San domenico. That was a classic, beautiful hotel. And then they start to looking for for some location. And, you know, the way we make our winery, our house, our place, we are like, a movie set. I don't know if you've seen our place here around, so they are so this is why my brother that, was in charge of also of event. He was in touch with some people. So there was, like, network of people that And when they do the, satisfaction for for, something outside of, of, in a winery, this, they go, to visit a five, six wineries in Aetna. But it was winter, and the day they arrived, we had a party there with all the association of the best Mission Star restaurant of City. So all of us, we were drunk. Yeah. Happy and in great food. And they're like, perfect. This is perfect. And so we invite them to do with us on the satisfaction in a little bit, party, exchanging of experience. So they immediately liked the place. Right. And this was the first part of the miracle. The second part of the miracle was then say, okay. Because they didn't say after it was white lotus. But there was a Then just a bunch of people from Hollywood. From a study special from movements. Field, we understand it was a important one because the study special was done by thirty people. Right. Right. Yeah. Like a FBI CAA, you know, like, to go. There was some, like, something going on here today. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now this was a bit more simple. So a few days after, they arrived, okay, we want to do in our play. In your place, this is our, the table series, and first of all, we checked the first series and we say that was not exactly sometimes very relaxed. Right. Right. So we said, okay. We are happy. But my my brother said, okay. We want to see what do in our money because single page, you kill someone, you know, one is with all the best. Yeah. It's not and also, like, you're very superstitious. Exactly. Exactly. So, you say, of course, we can, do together. And so when we exchange the information. We say, okay. Well, why don't you use our wine and this? Okay. Why not? Why don't you do this? Okay. Why not? So at the end of the day, they do, something in our wineries with the bottles, and we're talking about, oh, my favorite one is, Elutsian. Right. So listen. Did now, did that, you know? Change. Change commercially. Wow. It really did. Of course. Of course. Oh, really. A lot of people come and visit us in the one in that place. Well, because now it's like, you know, the movie set. You know, white lotus. And they want to do the testing, the same. That's the same thing. That's the same picture. Yeah. And second, there was a lot of, people from from the states, white people are super strong. Well, I said, wow. What types of planet is there? I want to order planeta. And so we have a double sale so better. Immediately. Immediately. Yeah. Wow. And a lot of people, you know, people that know us before was, you know, wow. They want that, yeah, damn. That was beautiful. It was beautiful. And I was shocked by the, how professional they are. The the sets was done by two hundred people around you. There was a It's a serious, like, you know, budget. It's it's really a big production. And and and termina is sold out forever. For forget immediately after it was in October, november. Do you remember? Christmas was sold out. Many people phone asked me, can you book for me, San Diego? Say no. I can't because it's sold out. And so it was crazy, really, really crazy. Alright. Before my last question, do you want to say anything? There anything you would like to say? No. We talk about, our effort to become organic because many people talk about this. It's the moment to bring people to see what we do. With today. I mean, if the day was not a typical sunny sicilian day. No. It's actually very scottish. Yeah. Very scottish. But was good also to change perception that people have that sicily is like dry and and and whatever. Sicily is green and full of different trees or whatever. It's time to bring people back to see how you make agriculture, how you manage vineyards, but not only vineyards to make the difference between all your certification and style of life, a style of doing agriculture, a style of having people working with you to manage the place. So this is something that for clients that's very important and for my family is very important because we have this vision to work today for what will be for the next generation, and maybe the other generation. We we, you know, try to not only preserve, but also to increase what what we funded. And this was something very Yes. So this is kinda it was similar to what I wanted to ask you in terms about your long term, you know, goals and vision. Right? But one of the problems that we do have is the next generation. Right? Because the next generation, the people who are appreciating good high quality wines are the baby boomers. Right? The next generation, they don't enjoy wine as much as or appreciate wine. Who said? You just see it. I see it in my style. You know, I see everywhere. And there are studies based that they confirmed that. What can you we do to to I think that I think that one might be not connected only to what is inside of the glass that could be similar to what you have in a beer or maybe, you know, a super, you know, in a tell you there, but what is around the grass. So we have to have more and more people that, see what we do here, enjoy the wine in the place of production and go back with this and, I'm confident that, the new generation will be also like we have done, ambassadors of a of a style of life that is wine more than a glass of something, that is a pleasure, but it's more a style of life. We have to work on this a little bit. Of course, if people stay out, so we have to communicate in a different ways because there are many other way of being in touch with the new generation, that might be the first step to bring them to enjoy this kind of a So bring them back to the territory. So this is it's it's one of the other reasons why you're focusing on the hospitality. Right? And also we will be open in the next month's Claneta wine bar in the sicily on the airport of Palermo. So Oh, in Palermo. Yes. The best, the first door to the, to heaven. No. So where where it's where it's going to be caught, what? Like, planeta wine bar? Yeah. Planta wine bar. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, in Sicily, you have few, three airports. So apartment one of the two. So you go in the scene, Sicily, with this So this is just to say that very important to to communicate to there there is a lot of tourism in City increasing a lot. And this is another very important way to have people on board on the national casino one. So, you know, just one one last question about hospitality. This is a third question. I know. I say that all the time. Right? So the hospitality, you know, I mean, don't take the the wrong way, but you're in the for La Forest City. Yeah. You have fourteen, beautiful rooms. It's absolutely gorgeous. But how the help do people get there? Because it's middle of nowhere. Like, how do they and you said it's full all the time. So, like, how do people find out? Like, what is the secret sauce that you you have people coming to this very remote area from all parts of the world? You know, I was thinking that this was the center of the world. Do you see this driver, Ontario? Are you sure it's a motel? Menfy. Yeah. I've never been in. This is my first time. I mean, I know. To be serious? Yeah. To be serious, this was at the beginning. But, we have done a lot of education, a lot of, and then people go in love with this place because this area have the best ingredients for foodies because we have in an area where you have wine, olive oil, I don't know, production of cheese or bread, a very old style of life, a very strong agriculture connected to many other people, you know, and then in in people that like to travel, you you know, there are some you know, how many people, people want to find a special experience, to see somebody that is not to go in a classic place, but to go to the, to discover places like La Forresteria. So a few days ago. A couple of days ago, there was an article of the independence where it was the best location in Sissippi. The other one was Billay Jaya, historical, Rockafore Place, Bergdura Adler, another big investment, Timail, and LaForesilia was the, the the the best location for foodies. Oh, really. And then in Memphis You didn't offer me any food at LaForia Stadia. Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know. I came all the way to Menfie and no Because from you for the food. For the food and for the our also beach club beach club and my son also. Okay. Alrighty. Well, that's a wrap from Menfie. Winery planet to winery. And what can I say? Well, it just have to come back when the sun's out as well. And some for food. I have to come for some free food. Okay. Cheers. Cheers. That's it. 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.