Ep. 1520 Valentina Argiolas | On The Road With Stevie Kim Throwback Instalive

Since twenty seventeen, the Italian One podcast has exploded and expects to hit six million listens by the end of July twenty twenty three. We're celebrating this success by recognizing those who have shared the journey with us and giving them the opportunity to contribute to the on the success of the shows. By buying a paper copy of the Italian wine unplugged two point o or making a donation to help the ongoing running costs, members of the international Italian wine community will be given the chance to nominate future guests and even enter a price draw to have lunch with Stevie Kim and Professor Atilio Shenza. To find out more, visit us at Italian wine podcast 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. Okay. So this is Wellington. First of all, I'm not alone. I'm with some people. Let me introduce you to some people here. Mhmm. It's, you see Yakka. We have Rebecca. We have Rhanka. We have Lan, and then we have Christina. Hi. Okay. So, they're we have a small, we started this small tasting panel because mostly they're trying to help me taste wines. So I said why why don't we actually talk to the producers when can do this because I started actually the w set diploma program. Do you know? Oh, okay. Yes. Yes. You have to study a lot, you know? Yeah. I it's a little more than I actually thought, which isn't great, but So we thought we'd have a small chat with you today and drink a couple of wine. So we have all the samples done for you. So we have this one with this. So, Valentina, so how have you been? Go command that. It's fine. I'm fine. A little bit worried, but I'm I'm fine. How was the pandemic? Like, how did you live two thousand twenty? It's not easy because after a beautiful loss between my family in Anguella. When we came back, everything was closed in one week. And then we decided the one is never closed. We closed only the hospitality area and the one shop for sure, but we continue to come to the office. Our routine will be the same, fortunately. I'm not stay at home without the kids all the time because it's very dangerous for a mom to be at home. How how how old are your kids? Eight and eleven. Oh my god. They're still small. Yes. Yes. It's also no. He's but they're not going to school now. Right? Now, yes, they are going to school. They started in the September, and, unfortunately, they go on with school. Right. Sports or anything, every anything also close. Everything close the regime, you know, no basketball, you know, but holiness, fortunately. Oh, look, Stefano bassanese. Do you remember Stefano, he used to be in Hong Kong with Domani. Used to be the general manager for Domani. Do you remember that? Yeah. I think, actually, he's now in, Dubai. He was he works at another restaurant, actually. So listen, Valentina, I I actually wanted to ask you something, which I've been meaning to ask you. So you have Franchesca and also Antonio who works in the company. So I know three of you. Yes. But you're not brothers and sisters, all of you. Right? No. Franchesca is my sister, Antonio is my cousin. Okay. No. Yacopa wants to know if Antonio's surfing or working. Both. He's doing both. But he's he was doing MW program. Right? Yes. Yes. Because Yacupol, I guess, was in the program with him. But he's has he quit? No. He finished the sec the first and the second course. He has to do the exam for the third level. Oh, okay. Actually, it's a little different, but that's okay. Listen. So and what do you do? Like, what do you and Franchesca do? Like, what are your roles in the company? Because you're you're third generation. Right? Mhmm. Antonio, for example, is the person in charge of agriculture because he studied analogies in Visa. Franchesca is the person who's following my father's part, the financial and administration area. And I'm on the Your father is Franco. Okay. And I'm the person for marketing and the export, and communication in general. I speak directly to two. Yeah. Because, you know, I, you know, I met Franchesca, and I'm like, she just looked like you know, you guys look alive. So I'm like, they have to be siblings, but I wasn't sure about Antonio. At least now I know. Okay. And also, I'll be taking some questions from you guys, if you have. Okay. So and then I'll just But we'll do two wines. We'll do about ten minutes, I guess, Max. So we have, two wines that we'll be tasting today. Why don't you tell us about? They're both called Is Elise. Right. Yes. We have Well, what does that mean, Is Elise? Is is the name of the land when we grow two particular grape varieties typical of the area around the winery in Indiana. As Nasco and Monica, and the the wine took the name from the vigna. Okay. Do we have Nasko in the book? Yeah. We do. You have you have Nasko in Clarity too. Okay. I'm just checking, you know, my team to make sure we I I remember Monica. We we've also tasted a lot of wines with, VINital International Yes. Academy. I think Nasco, we've never tasted. I'm not sure. Before you go. It's very rare. What is this? What is your production? It's rare. And, also, it's the wine that grow only around Caliari in the, here, around Cali, very close to our area. It's a lasco de Cali in the denomination. And usually, it's the wine that we use to produce a dessert wine. In two thousand and fourteen, we started with, starting a kind of new version, a dry version. And as at the moment, we are the only one that produced a dry version of Nascot. Maybe this is the reason why did you you didn't taste before. It's very rare. Yeah. Maybe it doesn't get outside of Kagerty. Yeah. Yeah. No. What is the production? How many bottles do you produce? We produce a forty thousand bottles of this one. Forty thousand. Oh, shit. Yeah. That's a lot. They're in Moscow. Like, And, for example, for the dessert version, we produce only ten thousand bottles. Okay. So tell us a little bit about NOSCO. Okay. Has anybody? Listen, have you guys I'm gonna ask a question. Have you tried NOSCO before? Anybody? Just be sure. Just your wine. What a surprise? Just your wine. That's a surprise. Okay. So tell us a little bit about this wine. This is the dry version. We're starting to produce one in, fourteen, as yet to be I as you've told you before, and, three years before, we started with, studying this kind of version, because usually, it's great grow to produce a dessert wine in, Alvarado System as a trading method with a late harvest at the end of October, usually. But we studied the right period to harvest the grape, and we divided that this period in two parts. So the first part at the beginning of September to obtain the freshness, and the second part at the end of September to obtain the the color, the richness, in terms of the complexity. Then we cut the grape. We put the grape in the for soft press. And after the period in seven tanks, We use the only four or five months in the second parcel for the evolution of the wine. Listen, Valentina, I'm seeing Michelle who could choose connecting from New York. It's kind of early. So she's a great fan of yours. She says, love Iyanka's. She's one of my of course, ambassadors. And she's now working with Gina Colangelo. Oh, okay. I know you're very good. Alright. So Gina got lucky. We send Michelle his way. Okay. And this is a one hundred percent of Nasko. We don't use any other kind of, grades to obtain this kind of the freshness also. Is it similar to any of the other indigenous group that that you have? No. No. We are also starting the connection between Nasko and the other varieties and around the world, but it's very difficult to catch the the the similarity. Okay. So what we're going to be doing is one of the things that I do with the kids. I call them the kids, you know. They're my kids. I do with my kids is that we translate the wines into w set form. You know? You know why? Because, you know, internationally, that's kind of the under tasting notes. So what we're trying to do is translate, you know, your very beautiful tasting notes, but maybe, you know, not everyone is familiar with the very peculiar notes that you have. So we make it more standard so that every everybody understands it. So we'll do it and we'll also publish it so that everyone has those standardized amounts. That's that's one of the things that we're doing. Okay. So We are doing almost the same because we have a the only positive thing in this period that is that we have time. And for example, Evan, Wednesday, we are organizing the tasting with our staff Oh, that's great. Experts stuff, focus on each traditional varieties we grow and comparing with our varieties with the variety that grow in the similar area. For example, the last week, we study about Vermontino. From us. I also, Rematino from Liberia, toscaling in France. This today, we have a tasting about the Canal, and we are also studying the, for example, of the varieties and the trading method. And then the, the, uh, ological characteristic, the origin, and also comparing our account now with the account now from France, Shanissa Pappe, for example, account now from, priorat, And come on out from another kind of come off from serving and we say come off on the mountain in the center of serving. It was like, did my invitation get lost in the mail? What happened? Do you want to join us without No. Listen, do you remember that we were supposed to do the Jitaskolastica in Sardinia with, Shenza? Do you remember that? Are you enjoying this podcast? There is so much more high quality wine content available for mama jumbo shrimp. Check out our new wine study maps or books on Italian wine, including Italian wine unplugged, and much much more. Just visit our website, mama jumbo shrimp dot com. Now, back to the show. And then first, sergeant, it seemed like it was a very safe place to go, you know, when the COVID happened, but then it got very bad. What is the current situation now? We are we are better than the other area, maybe because we are isolated. Also, we don't understand why we are orange now because the numbers is very low. Mhmm. Maybe we are because we don't have an and and ask the hospital, say, the hospital, what is set up and see about something like that. I see you. Yeah. Yeah. This is a mess because all the rest are not closed again. And today, we are a kind of, protest or the restaurant or the wineries of the Oh, it's a mess. The restaurants, are they open? Or are they All day. They're not working? Yes. All day. Because here, I think it's open till lunchtime, and then they have to come. We are on to use to travel a lot. Right? Yes. I love. So you haven't traveled at all. In two thousand twenty. When was the last one you took? In Avila in February with my family in Caribbean. The last one. My last one was my my at least it was a nice one. Yeah. Well, they're beautiful. Yes. You know? Do you guys have any question for, Valentina for this line or anything else? Okay. If you don't, then we're going to go to the next line. Okay. Oh, yes. Soil. She would like to, Rebecca would like to know about soil. A soil is a metallic soil as a cicario soil because this, kind of variety lead, a poor soil And, also, we can irrigate for this kind of one. We don't try to irrigate. Yeah. We can. We can. So we have a very dry climate, you know. For this one, we irrigate for the disturbed one. We don't irrigate. Okay. For this wine, we have a umbrella system. We have a a a higher production compared to the wine that we use for this serve, and we can't agree. Our, strange denomination allow us to be really Okay. So we are going to, compile as a group a tasting note for you. Okay? We're going to write the tasting note for you. Okay. Okay. Great. And share it with you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes for sure. One question. Yes. Ahead. So he wasn't asking about the the global climate change, with regards to this specific, great variety and where it's grown. Has it affected? At all? Or what what is your prediction? Okay. Unfortunately, we are in the perfect area when we don't have a lot of differences in during this year. Especially the global change. But also another positive way is that we are using a particular trading methods, Alvarado. Yeah. And, also, we use only traditional varieties. And maybe professor Shenza said that this traditional variety will be the one the the variety that will resist to climate change. Yeah. To the climate change. How how how old are the vines? Are the are they old vines? No. No. We have a fifteen fifteen years old ones, vines for Azales. It's not so There's so it's it's fairly new, but it's a traditional variety. Yeah. And it's a bush vine. Yes. Okay. Any other question for this one? Okay. We'll go to the next one. We'll go to Monica. Monica is something that we're more familiar with, but it's also a small blend. Right? You also have something else? Yes. We produced two two kind of Monica as also the favorite great variety of my father because of the very, soft tonnage. We say the season there the reason why is a female name Monica. And usually was produced for a daily wine, a very simple wine, easy to combine with food also with a glass of wine without food. But we would like to give another opportunity to Monica to Express. There's a characteristic selecting, for example, using the master selection in our Sabiana vineyard and selecting the best plant that produce low quantity, but better quality in terms of concentration and timmins. And also, this this one is a result of, three year of study, selecting a plant, replanting, and then giving a a a new life to the traditional variety. Because this wine is capable of age better than in normal Monica. For example, we use less production for sure. We use still first. The seven tanks, and then second passage, for twelve months to allow the wine to age, to age well. So this is a mast cell selection. How how long does it take to do that? Did you say that? It takes a really long time. Right? Yeah. How long did you do that for this one? We started in, two thousand fourteen with the biodiversity camp. We have selected eleven different sardinian varieties all over the island and planted them. These varieties in different clones, a combination. To analyze, first of all, the agronomical, characteristic of these varieties, and especially the clones. And then we replanted two years after to analyzing the, technological characteristic doing the micro verification. And then when we, we selected the best plans that can produce the kind of aging potential wine, is a very long process, but very important to protect the biodiversity in in Sardinia because unfortunately, we don't have any camp of any regional camp. So, for example, CCI have a lot we don't have, and we have to produce this material by ourselves. What what is that main regional camp? For example, what you said, Vivai, when you can, plan the the the diversity of variety of clones and build types of, a typical, of, certain young variety. Usually, you have, original games where you can study, Oh, okay. We'll we'll ask Shenza. Okay. He comes here once you know, you know. So yeah. Yeah. We actually should do this. You should listen to us because we do this thing called Everybody needs a bit of Shansa. You know, we ask him questions. And then I just ask him a question. I go get a coffee. I do stuff. Come back and he's still talking. Alright. We have a career. Some hello from Korea. I saw Mark O'Gate before. I'm surprised. I aren't people working, you know, like this kind of work. They don't have their dogs. I don't know what they're doing connecting at this time. I saw a question about it. It's not a one hundred percent, Monica. Yeah. It's twenty five percent of Monica, Karigna, for ten percent. I have a valid five five percent. But what is it? What is it? Did you always decide to put in the blank, Because, can you help to give some elegance, the one you have a buy for the richness in term of color, in term of, anti oxidant properties of wine. Because it is the Monica, like, itself. It's it's not his dog. Is that correct? Yes. They're dark and also, sometimes it should not be, it'll be, concentrate. You can produce a very wine with any kind of structure. You need to produce less quantity and also use the other variety to add for the longevity and also the body of the wine. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers, Valentina. Okay. We're I'm gonna close this up. So do you guys have questions for, Valentina? You know, if you want to know the soil? Let me guess. Yes. We'll do. The soil, please. For Rebecca. Daniel. She's she's in two w sets. So, you know, she's okay. Soil we are in the same vineyard in Srianna, but in a different space, we are, for example, we have, and, Marlique, I carry a soil for that. Is Alice, and we are in a solid outreach of, rec composition for the, for the Monica. Okay. And what about the volume? How many bottles? I'm saying not in the commercial side. Mhmm. Almost the same. Thirty five thousand bottles. Okay. Did you did you have a follow-up question? Oh, okay. How far is it from the seaside? We are only twenty kilometers to the sea. And this is a very good question because also the breeze from the sea influence Yes. They in a moderating influences as they call it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh-uh. We have this is the Vignal of Missouri. This is the Vignal that is very close to Calia. The Calia is the on the beach. We are the on the beach. Twenty kilometers far from, from the beach. As you said, per fundamental, the the the breeze arrived from, during, especially the mistral. That is very important for us because during the summer, the mistral, drop the temperature also during the night, from, for example, we have thirty degrees in the morning, and we can have also thirteen, fifteen degrees in the night that the excursion is very fundamental to maintain the perfume and the elegance in the grape. Okay. Great. Listen, we're going to say goodbye because it's almost one o'clock. Here, everybody eats at one o'clock. Okay. So it's yeah. And also, that's that way we'll let you go now. Okay? Thank you so much for the wines for sharing your wines with us and also the chat. So I hope you'll see you very, very soon. We hope we hope to. Okay? Do you guys wanna say child? Thank you for joining us on another installment of On The Road Edition, hosted by Stevie 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.