Ep. 1805 Pietro Russo MW | On The Road With Stevie Kim

The Italian wine podcast is the community driven platform for Italian winegeeks around the world. Support the show by donating at italian wine podcast dot com. Donate five or more Euros, and we'll send you a copy of our latest book, my Italian Great Geek journal. Absolutely free. To get your free copy of my Italian GreatGeek journal, click support us at italian wine podcast dot com, or wherever you get your pots. Welcome to another episode of on the road edition hosted by Stev 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, everybody. This is a breaking new special edition Italian wine podcast. Today, our guest is the newly acclimated master of wine for eat. I feel like a sportscaster. Hi, Stevie. I'm very good. I feel No. Very good. Oh my god. I just saw you last week in Paris, and I didn't want to, like, overreact. I didn't want to get you all excited. Congratulations, Pietro. Thank you. Thank you. I feel like your dead mother, you know, you and Andrea and Gabriella. You know what a Dan Mava is? No. Like, you know, when they're cup scouts, and then there's a woman, like, a parent who's a chaperone of the scouts, that's called the den mother. So I'm like I'm the den mother of the three musketeers. And yet it is such fantastic news. How are you feeling? I feel super energetic with such a moment, such a great moment. Feel it's a relief, honestly. It's a relief. It's a relief for me too. When I saw you in Paris last week, like, I didn't want to ever do it. Like, you, you know, you never know what to say because you don't want to jinx someone, And then and then when I saw the Corona de Gusta come out with the news, and I was like, holy shit. I was like, holy shit. I was like, and then they didn't even have your photo. It was of another bald dude. And I was like, I hope he's not superstitious. Well, that's done. No. It's done. Yeah. It's fantastic news. So how did you find out? How does it work? How does the institute let you know that you have finally pass the stage three, and they have accepted your research paper. Well, I have this phone call from, the director, Julian, who told me, hi. That's, Julian, can speak with Theodore Russo. Oh, that you said that. That's fantastic. Oh, that's great. It's super fast. Well, not even like hi. Are you ready to hear the news? It was just like Hello, Pietoruso, Master of wine? Yes. That's So listen, who was the first person you told the news to? I mean, obviously, I'm assuming it will be your family. Yeah. The family was with me. Actually, I cried. Oh, yeah. I'm almost crying. I almost cried when you told me. But but the problem was that my three years old, child cried too because he didn't understood. And then my one month old child also started to cry. Oh my goodness. Because, yeah, they didn't know what was going on. I think the same thing happened with Gabrielle or something. Yeah. I can imagine that. I think when he yeah. I think when he heard the news, And then, of course, immediately, you had to tell your buddies. Right? You can imagine who I called. So Gabrielle and Andrea. Yes. Yes. Three Muscateers. Right? Do you have a chat together? Or did you call them together? No. I I would, video call with them. They were in in only because of the seminar, the BMW seminar, and they were waiting for me. They were waiting for the the news. The news anxiously biting the nails, the nail biting. I felt, quite a bit of, I mean, a bit of pressure if you want. Yeah. But finally, I let's that's finished. Yeah. So, I mean, of course, you know, I got a chance to know you better when we started doing the during the pandemic, we did the clubhouse. Right? And that's when I started calling you guys the three musketeers. Because for me, you guys were exactly emblematic of the three musketeers. And I am so proud that this, you have come on board as the official master wine. And I couldn't be happier for you and all of you, to be quite honest. But would you like to for those of us who are less familiar with you, Pieto neruso, would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself? First of all, give us the facts your full name. If you have a middle name, your age, where you're from, and what you're currently doing. Okay. I'm Pedro Russo. I'm thirty eight years old. I come from Marcel. When is your birthday? Twenty sixth of July. Okay. So you'll be thirty nine next year. Okay. Well, I come from a family where my grandfathers used to make wine, they had vineyards and used to make artisanal wine. So for the fortification to the big Marcella wineries, So I grew up with the smell of these all the, leaking barrels and the smell of, this oxidation, but this lovely oxidative character on the wild. And I always seen vineyards around me, even if I grew up in Palermo for my first, nineteen, twenty years. So I I had already quite a clear idea of what I wanted to do when I was, an adult. So I wanted to make wine. I wanted to be in the business. From the beginning, so you knew exactly what you wanted to do. Well, maybe fifteen to sixteen I I thought I I could have been, botanis. Oh, okay. But I love plants. But then I realized that it was something boring in a way. Right. I called the practice also my inspiration. So I I always had wine in my in my family. So is it fair to say that you are the first Italian winemaker master of wine? Yes. Right. So there is a first as well. So, Pietro, let's talk a little bit about your research paper. But before that, explain to us the three stages of becoming a master wine for those who are less familiar with the whole master wine program. Okay. So first of all, if you want to enter the program, you need to be, in one business for at least three year. Right. That's the requirement. Right. The first stage is, single day exam where you have in the morning at twelve wines and in the afternoon to essay in English. So oxbridge type of essay, which is very specific. And also it is actually, you know, more challenging, of course, for non natives, such as science. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. And I think this is one of the reasons why there hadn't been any time master wine. Number one. Okay. Go ahead. Stage one. And then Once you've seen stage two, that's the I will say probably the more difficult part of the of the process is the stage two because it's a four day exam where you have three morning, twelve wines each morning. So day one is white. Late two is red wines. Mhmm. And day three is, can be mixed bag. So forty five is wheat, again, white or red, rosa, sparkling. And in the afternoon, the first three days in the afternoon, and the fourth day of the day, you have a thirteen, essays, which are divided into five papers that can range from a Viticulture when making quality control and and, quality management. Right. And business, marketing, communication. And then the last two is they are about contemporary issues. Last technical It's a very comprehensive overall and overarching of the both the, you know, the theory of Viticulture, wine, wine making, but also wine business. Wine business. Absolutely. So the practical part is the testing and the theory, the theoretical part, which is not that true. It's not only theoretical. It's also you have to put in to the sales, your experience and, your knowledge about the wine is not only, putting the facts. So, putting the theory on this paper. And I will say it's not only about knowledge. It's also very psychological and physical exam because it's a four day. Quite exhausting. Quite exhausting. Are you enjoying this podcast? Don't forget to visit our YouTube channel. Mama jumbo shrimp for fascinating videos covering Stevie Kim and her travels across Italy and beyond, meeting winemakers, eating local foods, and taking in the scenery. Now, back to the show. It's absolutely mind boggling. I can't believe it for four entire days. So Pietro, I know the stage two is the toughest obstacle, if you will, because many never make it quite through the stage two. But when did you start the program? Like, what, yeah, how many is ago. Well, in the fall, two thousand and fourteen, I was in the residential master class, organized by the institute of Grandi Markey with the hospital master of wine in Massey in Balpolishale. And is that where you met Gabriella and Andrea? Was the first time. Right. But the friendship didn't start at this moment. Right. It wasn't love at first sight. Let's say. No. It was also I was there by chance by fate at this time. So I couldn't understood really the intricacy of the program and also the network involved. So it took me some time before to really realize the potentialities and also the demanding aspect of this program. How long did it take you to surpass stage two? So I entered the program. First time, I moved to stage two, the first attempt. And, I spent three time. So in the first time, in stage two, I didn't sit together with Gabriel and Andrea. We decided that we weren't ready. Mhmm. And I had to attempt and stage two before passing the practical in for nineteen. And it was a quite a big achievement because usually people pass the theory instead of the practical. Right. Instead, you were the opposite. You passed the practical? I was yes. Yes. That was the the strange one. Right. Then in twenty twenty, there was the pandemic. In twenty one, I almost achieved the theory, but I left only one paper. Which is also my background, which is quality assurance and quality control. So Life is a paradox, you know? That's what they say. Paradox is that I know too much for the exam. In this field. It was difficult to put it in a a dozen board, what was required. Yeah. You take it for granted. You had to be more concise. So in a way, it was a disadvantage because you had so much the wealth of knowledge was difficult to put into a few words. And then in twenty two, I passed also this single paper receipt in quality assurance equality control, which is paper three. And I moved to stage three. Where I've done my research paper on Tarteric stabilization. And in particular, it's, I've compared in the wiring where I worked for. I compared different method to achieve a turtleneck stabilization on wines from Grillo and meadowed up. Yeah. I mean, it's so geeky. Right? Of course, they had to pass you. Right? It's right up the alley of the MW. The complete title is comparative analysis of different tartaric stabilization techniques, including the impact of new ingredient labeling rules for Grillo and Nero da vola wines from Sicily. I feel like that's already a thesis. Just the title. Yeah. That's a long one. It's a long one. And it was quite complex also. Very extra long asleep because, I enjoyed the technical especially. But then I realized it was, because, I mean, in the technical field, I have to check the facts for the analytical comparison and also the cost analysis of this different method. So it was very actual. And then I realized that it was also another part that was something to develop and was also successful. I mean, it was important to succeed, which is the legal aspects considering that there are new labelling rules in, in place? Yes. It's very relevant right now. The labeling rules. I have checked. I've studied the impact of these labelling rules on Sicilian wine business in the Sicilian wine production. So what wave makers feel about these new changes and how they will react? I've surveyed around a hundred twenty We make it in CCD, which is a bigger exam. Wow. That's very significant. Yes. That's very significant. I'm very happy to all these, let's say, collaboration. Yes. I mean, I won't promise you that I will be able to read this paper, but if should people want to read this paper, can they access this paper? And how do they do it if they can? Not yet. Not yet. Right. They can access the summary. Right. Like an abstract. Yes. The abstract, but there are sensitive data for the moment. Okay. Okay. Alright. So listen, I just want to remind our audience. We had a chance actually get to know a little bit better Some of the backgrounders was privileged to because about eighteen months ago, I think it was in June two thousand twenty two. We were thinking about actually doing a book together of the three musketeers. So we spent an entire day videotaping, and I was interviewing all three of you, sometimes together, sometimes separately. And for a various reason, we decided not to publish the book, but we have just dropped the first teaser of the video. It's a series. It's a four part series plus the teaser. And I just think, like, you know, it's so so fatalistic that because we kind of forgot about the video. And then I said, you know what? I would really love to do the video as a short mini series. Of course, my video team, they wanted to kill me, but we can follow your story and of the three musketeers. The next few weeks. So I hope our audience will also join us on our sister channel. It's called mama jumbo shrimp on the YouTube channel. It just makes me laugh because I specifically remember in one of the segments you said, the MW program is like the lord of the rings. So would you like to share your perspective? Of the program and and making this, you know, comparative reasoning behind the lord of the rings. See, before to answer to this question, I I really wanted to say thank you to you because you released processing. Has we were privileged because you understood also the idea, which was in the treatment's criteria, and, you trusted us a lot. We are very grateful for you. No. I I listen. I think what you guys together have done have accomplished, which no one else has done in Italy. It is absolutely fantastic. It is a lesson lesson to be taught, to be learned, and this is why I wanted to spread the gospel of what you guys are doing. And, hopefully, we can make that book, that fabulous book we were planning one day. If you don't get too busy. So tell us about the lord of the Rings. But I when I was a child, I I loved this book. It's a book where the character, the network, they have always some adventure and some discovery, and you can feel that they change as far as they achieve, the next adventure they succeed in the process. For this reason, I it was something that, remind me of the program because I was unaware of what I was expecting. I didn't expect such complexity my life has changed, though, when, when I entered the program, not when I finished. I mean, I changed, as far I discovered things, as far I studied, as far as met such, intriguing and knowledgeable people in the process, not necessarily Mw's, not only Mw's, but what the wine business is about. It's about person. Right. Right. So and, lord of the ring is about person, which have to be go and they require some network for this adventure, this continuous adventure. You know, I saw you last week in Paris, and you said something interesting to me. You said you made a comment about during the program, at some point, at certain moments, you were ready to give up. But you couldn't because you had the solidarity. You had the brotherhood of Andrea and Gabriella. Do you think that was the secret sauce for the first three of you? All three of you becoming the first Italian Masters of wine? Absolutely. Yeah. That's true. I own everything in the program. Well, except my family for sure, which was so important. If you don't have the support of the family, it's impossible to make this successful. But, really, I own everything to be in the program. The biggest success to me was meeting these people and meeting these guys, Andrea and Gabriela, and achieve this friendship. Which is, incredible. The most difficult moment was in two thousand and eighteen when I had my second, bad result in the program. In eighteen, I'm we have done a lot of master classes around Italy and around Europe. I spent a lot of money. I was, far from my family for a lot of time. It was exhausting also for my finances. So when I had, my second bad result in the program, I decided to leave. And, again, as in seventeen, but this time was even more impactful. I had a phone call with these guys with Gabriah. The same day of the results, and we decided it was, pretty natural. The fact that we decided that we had to keep this process together. Mhmm. Sure. And continue in order to be successful. This was the greatest achievement, and I have to thank these guys. You guys are like brothers. In a way. Right? You're through Muscateers. And this is a reason why I called you through Muscateers because I saw this successful journey only because you were able to support each other, and you became a team player each and every one of you and supported in other. It's not only, because we shared our knowledge or we shared our experience, but it's also because we made some funding in the program, and we always told that it it is about wine and it is about patience. So in a way, it was, such a bit of relief to keep this thing together. Yeah. Listen, you guys are role models for the future MWs of Italy, but around the entire world, speaking of which for those students, MW students, who are struggling right now, and or potential new students who are thinking about going into the program, How would you advise them as to why they should continue or maybe why they should stop? How would you advise them when they come to you for advice? I would say that the patient is not enough. It's it's a bit rude to say, but, It's a bit romantic. Right? You just need passion. Right? Yes. No. But the patient is not enough. I mean, if you only have passion, that's you will not succeed at it's, rude to say, but, you need some discipline and you need some, methodology to proceed. So the best thing is to understand the way you can develop something more where you can, implement your skills and work in this direction by searching people that can end because the network is already the mission of the MW. You have to embody this vision and this message as far as you are already a student, not at the end. You need to be already connected to other people to understand also the complexity of the wine business. Right. And you have to play in this direction. You have to call. You have to keep and work for disconnection. And then it's a matter of time. Yeah. And so far, there are many, many Italians who have tried this journey and have yet to be successful. So congratulations once again. Just one last thing before you go and you can join your family, your newborn, and celebrate together. I mean, of course, it's it's very premature, but how do you think your life will change now that you have become an MW? Will there be some different career prospects? Will you be writing a book? Will you have different priorities? In the perfect world, where would you like to be and where would you like to go? Well, as I told you, my life has already changed when I enter the program. I would love to focus on the things that intrigued me more where I can really develop and add some value. So there will be some change. Well, I'm a technician but in this process, these studies have still had me, more complex vision of the wine business. So I think I want to develop, not only the production because I I'm, in the especially in the production, But I think this could be really an occasion to exploit my connection. Also, my sensitivity for terwar, but also the sensitivity for the market, and how the dynamics of the wine board, facts. Yeah. And just be able to share the wealth of knowledge, the vast amount of experiences that you have acquired during your journey of not just winemaking courier, but as a master of wine. Student and becoming a master of wine. Listen Pietro, congratulations once again. I feel like a very, very proud, done mother. I look forward to seeing you again very, very soon. And looking forward to working with you hopefully together in the near future. Thank you, Siri. I'm looking forward to to see you and toss with the the guy. Absolutely. You you owe me a very tall glass of something special. Maybe masala. Yeah. Absolutely. Okay. Alrighty. That's it. That's it. It's a wrap. And thank you so much for joining us, Pietro. I know this is a very exciting moment. And we got you on the first moment as you have received the great news for Italy and Masters of wine for Italy. So congratulations again, Pietro. That is all. And chat I got. See you until next time. 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.