Ep. 1377 Jess Helfand | The Next Generation

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 the next generation. I'm Victoria Chache, join me as we chat with young Italian wine people shaking up the wine scene. We're going to geek out on a grape or grape fam and hear about all the wild wine things are guests have been up to. From vineyard experiments to their favorite wine bars. Hello. Welcome back. You're tuning into the next generation. If you didn't know what you're listening to. But I assume you have control over your SoundCloud Spotify, Apple Music, whatever platform you're using right now. Hope you're doing well. I'm doing fabulously because we have a lovely, lovely, lovely guests coming on shortly. Jess, she is a Via student and also a fellow ambassador of Orvieto with me. So it's nice to catch up with somebody a friend that you share similar passions with, one being mostly bubbles, sparkling wine. But before we get into that lovely chat with Jess, we are going to go to our book. The Italian wine unplugged two point o book with all the juiciest details about Italian grapes, if you didn't know already. And I mean, if you've been listening to my podcast, maybe you have the book, you should get the book, actually. It's it's really great. It's taught me a lot. And I'm hopefully teaching you some things. Okay. Cool. So we're returning to the Vetanache group because I was going through Vetanache, and I think we took a little detour away from Vetanache. I'm going back to hit on the third main grape in the Verinaccia group of grapes, and that is Verinaccia Nero. And it's probably the least known of the Verinaccia grapes. It is. I would I would assume just being not. Is pretty well established, along with Verinaccio di Ristano in Sard. So going to Verinaca. Now can you take a guess where you would find Verinacaera? Don't worry if you can't guess. I wanted to give that pause. Maybe you can get a little creative for a minute. So it is found in umbria and lemarche. And this red, so remember, the other, the other, varieties are white This is red. So the one red Vernacha variety, it has been famous throughout the past few centuries, even though there's very little of it planted today. So it used to be famous. It used to be a little movie star. Not sure what happened. It's an aromatic red, and it is responsible for the unique wine that Anaccia di sera Petrona, DOCG, which is a bottle fermented sparkling wine. You knew I was getting somewhere in a sparkling wine that must be made with at least forty percent air dried grapes. So similar to fuller body Lambrusco veronaccia di serapetrona wines show beautiful floral aromas such as rose and violet, as well as deep cherry notes on the nose and palate. That sounds quite seductive. It's well to air drying, sweet pastito styles are also made. So we have different styles of this sparkling veronaccianera, and set up a ton of DOC turns out equally rich in non sparkling versions. So veronaccianera, sparkling, and non sparkling, but most famously sparkling. And that is going to lead us because clearly I need to let somebody else speak now getting it back. We're gonna have Jess on the podcast. Let's go. And welcome Jess to the next generation podcast. How you doing today? Thanks. Tory. I'm doing great. Doing good. Doing good. Good, Sam. It's creeping up. It's it's looming. It's tomorrow. I know. Crazy how these days have just flown by. It's been a whirlwind for sure. I cannot imagine that it it's March. And it's gonna be April in, like, five days. Really? Yep. No. I looked at the calendar and was like, okay. Oh, goodness. Okay. Great. Yeah. And by the time people actually listen to this, it'll be probably I don't know when this podcast will air, but it will definitely not be March, and it might not be April. It could be May. I don't even wanna think that far, so honestly, I'm gonna stop before. I don't have future. Two into the future. Yeah. Anyway, so you're here for Via. It's your first time in verona. First time in Verona. Yeah. How are you I know you haven't had much time because you're studying in class, but like any thoughts on Verona? The city is so pretty. The the old district, in particular, finally got to go down there. Well, with you, as well as last night with, with a friend, and everybody is so friendly. The Italian people in general have always been very hospitable when I've been visiting, and this is certainly no exception. Yes. There verona's just a sweet, sweet. I wouldn't say little. I feel like it's little in comparison like a big city, but it's like a don't know. It's kinda like a bigger village in the sense. And like, it's a city, but it's kinda has this like small little coziness. Sure. Sure. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Super lovely. Yeah. So have you been studying? Maybe that as much as I should be. I applied to Via on the later side, like, in the middle of February. And so I didn't really give myself a lot of time to prepare we're coming here. And life got in the way and everything else. I've just been trying to absorb what I can. That is fair. Life does get in the way. Actually, when I did Via and I failed, by the way, because I don't lie about that, everyone can stop listening me now because I have no credentials. Just kidding. I'll take the test again. That's exactly what happened with me. Like, my I underestimated how much I had to study. And then, like, I had a a lot going on, and I was just like, okay, like, I'll, like, you know, do the little thing and like figure it out. And then, I mean, the exam is I mean, the the course is fantastic and it's so detailed and everything, but you really need to give your heart and soul. Yes. Oh, and I think it's worth it, but I think, like, that's why people come back and redo it do it again is because it's such a fantastic experience, but then you really your brain needs to be like, you gotta kinda slap the book against your head a few times. And, like, I've carried these books to Antiga on vacation. And I've carried them to Scotland on vacation. And I've carried them around Nashville at home, but I have not actually read them all the way through. So osmosis was not enough. Oh, at least you're a world traveler, just as the traveler, she's always somewhere. And it's, like, beautiful. She's, like, on a beach. And then all of a sudden, she's in a whiskey, distillery scoping up, m mash. Like, Marley. Marley. Molting Marley. Molting Marley. Is it not isn't the mash? Oh, the mash is the thing in the I'm So after the barley malts, after it sprouts, set your Germany, then you put it with some hot water, you grind it first, and then you put it in some hot water, and that extracts the sugars that you can then ferment into beer. Okay. But isn't that like when you do add the water and it becomes that kind of like the match. Exactly. Okay. Because I was like, I didn't make that word. It's not that old TV show that my parents were able to get them to watch, and I did. Yeah. It was a train horn. But we are in a match tab. We are in the Italian wine podcast bunker right now, though. We are. Yes. Very much is. Wow. Do you enjoy it? It's cozy. It's very cozy. It feels I like it actually. I was a little scared at first, and then I was like, I actually it's not because I'm a little claustrophobic, not time. You have a nice window. Yeah. Actually, you see the world. Well, I mean, we can see the village. It's a weird world. You can just spy on everyone. Just getting along. Maybe. A little birdie told me that you don't have a full allegiance to Italian wine. And I don't judge you for it, but Well, part of the reason I'm here is because there's so much to Italian wine that I don't know, that I don't understand. And there's so many nuances when I've been studying and teaching, because I've been doing that for like, you know, forever at this point. I've been teaching for goodness six years or so, somewhere in there. And I still feel like there's so many parts of a timeline that are outside of my range of knowledge. And so that's maybe part of why I don't reach for it. Mhmm. Maybe also because the Italian wine that's distributed, in my region is lovely, but not the full extent of everything that could be available, it could be interesting. But I love high acid white wine. So there's so much of that beautiful Italian high acid white wine. But generally speaking, I'll just get a bottle of champagne. I can't argue with you on that. And you you know that I would not turn down a bottle of champagne either But, no, that's that's absolutely valid. I think actually, it's a really big topic, but it's true. It's like really where you're based in, like, what you have access to. And even though you're a world traveler, it still, like, conforms habits that you, like, know and, like, even if you work in the wine industry, And it's a little bit about Jess. She you're like superwoman. Like, she has a full amazing day job, and then she works part time as a it's a w set your you teach w set. Right? Yeah. You teach w w s n t one two three and four. Not all of diploma, but different parts of diploma. Wow. I teach champagne. Yeah. Fun things like that. Alright. But I also teach Central Italy and southern Italy. And so especially spending time with those readings here at Via has been really helpful to help me understand a little bit more, again, of the the nuance and then, like, of tasting these varieties that can sometimes just really all model together and be able to better explain to my students how to differentiate. That's that's one of the biggest benefits of being here is to try to absorb some of those details from Sarah. Amazing. No. And it's, I mean, Italy, Italian wine. It's a lifelong pursuit. I mean, and even not even a time. That's like too big. You know, it's and I mean, it's the reason a lot of us get down this rabbit hole. Is because you're like, oh, another grape. Oh, another cool produce. Oh, oh, another town. And then it's like, oh, I can eat this with that. And then all of a sudden, you're just like five plates of gnocchi deep and like, I'm trying some other crazy wine. But So that's amazing. So you're, and you're based in Nashville, is that right? Yeah. Cool. It's cozy. Did you have any issues getting here flight delays or your smooth sailing? Especially, the smoothest trip I've taken in forever. I didn't make two connections, but beyond that, you know. 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 food, and taking in the scenery. Now back to the show. Small town to Small town, basically Nashville de Verona's. Not gonna be a direct route. So these interviews would be as students are full of surprises because the other interview I did, she told me, like, she was excited about the exam. And I, you know, you rarely see someone like light up joy about exam. And then you tell me you had the smoothest trip to Verona. Meanwhile, everyone else is like, I had two cancellations and all these things, or there's always something going wrong and it's just I love when people surprise me. I'm like, wow. It was a welcome respite from really crappy travel that has been the rest of this year, basically. In last, like, three years to get Oh, we had the COVID thing in here. When I came for Via, I had to do the COVID testing play. And that was like, I are you okay. I'm going real off topic now. When you go to the airport, are you one of those people who arrives really early? Right? On Time ish? You got a good, like, you know, gauge, or are you a last minute person? So I'm a pretty, pretty princess, and I like to go sit in the lounge. And so I get there early and go through security and then have time to have a glass or three of champagne before I get on the flight. I see you working them points, Carol. Yes. That's the status. Yeah. So So I ask you that because what I was about to say about the COVID testing flights for us, all of us have remembered, so you had to be at the airport so early. And I'm, like, I have, like, a very good sense for one to get to the airport. I'm more, I guess, on the last minute, because I just don't like hanging in airports. Like, I just it's yeah. Even if I'm in the lounge, like, it's nice if I have the time, but I'm, like, I'd rather just getting beyond my plane and I know it'll be fine. Yeah. And some people, you know, they, like, wanna get they have an eight PM flight. They go at, like, eight AM. They're like crazy. No judgment to you guys. It just you like to hang out at the airports there. They're really updating the food there. Can we get people watching? And if you're like, I don't know, Singapore where they have really cool airports unlike Newark, New Jersey, New Jersey, EWR. That place can there's a special that place came. I don't know where EWR came from New York Liberty International. Any who's easy, that that was crazy. Just having to wait and to get those tests. So I'm very grateful and very grateful to have you here smooth sailing to Verona now. This question, I guess. If you were an Italian grape, Which one would you be and why? So when you sent me questions in advance, it just said if you were a grape. Oh. Because I don't think I'd be in a tying grape. What has to be the tying grape? Well, if you look at the side Oh, fire. That's really one. Okay. Okay. K. I'll give you a pass. I'll give you a pass. I can I can work with it? I can work with it. Because I do wanna know the other grape too. Okay. Well, I'll give my other grape first. The Shenobouen. And I love Santa Blonde. When I finished my diploma, I actually got a tattoo of a Santa blonde vine on my right leg. Six hours of joy for that. But it's beautiful. It makes me happy. Wow. But yeah, but I love Shenan because it's bright and high acid and exuberant, but also there's some expressions of it that are really austere and subdued, and I can lean toward being exuberant, but also very introverted. So I feel like it's a good representation of, my personality. Oh, yeah. So but if I had to be the Italian grape, goodness. I don't know. Okay. Yeah, I do. I would be for Patto. Because because it's relatively fruity and easy and lotanin and cheerful and it just makes me smile. So I would like to make it a people smile. That's sweet. Yeah. We we do have a friend who does have a nickname for Babato. I was not with him when he got the nickname. So I He it was Avia that he got this idea. I was not there. That was more of my time. So I feel like I can I can still claim for Pacho without, Camacho, minding too much? I know. Shout out to Camacho, the o he is the Oji for Patsu. He is the Oji for Patsu. Like, he is just I I can't there I can't even explain why he's photopilot. You have to meet him and just be sitting somewhere with a beer and and negroni. Yeah. And he has a great time. Exactly. Like, if you look at your no matter where you are in this world, if it's five o'clock, Kamacho is somewhere drinking a negroni and having a beer. We love you camacho eats. And and, honestly, camacho is the reason that we met. Yes. Because, we did the Orvieto Ambassador together. Mhmm. So I guess there's some kind of magical licksor in that between the negroni beer said that something where I think, yeah, oh, the love for Camacho. Sadly, he's I don't think he's coming for financially this year. He might, I don't know. But moving on to Italian wine things. Woo. Sorry. I'm very excited. I have this horrible thing where I laugh all the time and everyone probably hears it all the time on this podcast and I need to. It's charming. Is is it Yes. Thank thank you. Let's go. Yes. Okay. I'm gonna start being very serious now. Okay. Next question. Next question. Let's go. Very Winston Churchill. Let's talk about sofroberto. Tell me your your favorite pairing, food and wine pairing. So handful of years ago, I was in the Republic of Georgia, and I tried this thing. It's called a, Hachapore It's the silver K. Oh, yes. And it's basically like cheesy bread. But there's a type of hachapori that is made in, on the coast in, like, I guess the black sea, closer to turkey in Batumi, and it's called an Injaran hachapori. And it's this little boat made of dough with cheesy goodness inside, and it's served like fresh out of the oven. We put a egg yolk on it and some butter and you mix it all together, and it's just amazing. Thanks. Yeah. Anyway, but it's cheesy and and, dense and amazing. And that with sparkling wine with a long long champagne would be probably my first choice. But if we were to Italian, then probably a satin Frenchicorta, but something that had like that little softness to it plus the acidity that kinda cut through would be. Lovely. A boat of butter and cheese and egg, a great bottle of, like, block to block is just, I mean, what, like, Marie Antoinette would, like, resurrect from her grave without her head. She'd find it and she and she would come to your door. Absolutely. She'd be like Well, it's something I make at home too when I'm feeling very self indulgent. Yeah. Once you're twice a year, I'll make it, and it's fantastic. Yeah. Instead of let the meat cake, it should be let the meat cut. I'm great. Yes. Oh my god. Oh, that sounds divine. That's really cool. When'd you go to Georgia? Mhmm. Twenty seventeen? No. No. Wait for that. I don't know. A friend of mine was, working at the embassy in Tbilisi I went to stay with her for a week or two. Yeah. I've never been there. It's lovely. I've heard great things. Oh, yeah. People are so generous and kind and yeah. That's really great. Gosh. There's so many places in this world. And then in Italy, it's like multiple little countries in one you should explore, but like, I'm so dedicated and I'm like, oh, are there any other other places? And I was like, you know, but, you know, life has many chapters, nose one day. I'll, like, turn a page, maybe end up in Dibley. Who knows? But, anyways, important question to ask you. Given this is the next generation podcast, I'm sure you did your research because you seem very organized. She's like Sure. Maybe. So the next generation, you know, we're seeing the new wave of the young Italian wine people coming in whether winemakers, retailers, and even drinkers. And, you know, with via via is is really, you know, as you've been doing the course, it's very rigorous, but it it really opens you up to, like, the diversity and the approachability of Italian one. Yeah. So with the education you're receiving from this course, how do you plan to, you know, spread the love of Italian wine with the younger generations? Or how do you think it can be in general, not just how you'll do it yourself but for others. Yeah. The biggest maybe the biggest takeaway from Via is the sense of community and the having that line in common with other people, the love of wine, be it Italian or not. But just that sense of community that's fostered there. And I think that's so important, with like the inclusivity of it and the diversity of students that are here from some of different countries, from some different parts of the industry, and then just some enthusiasts as well. I just think that there's a richness to that. And if everybody kind of takes that back to their own communities and has a little bit of that energy with it, I think that that could be Really great to just get more people interested and feel comfortable with such a overwhelming topic. Yeah. Especially as you're saying, like, a national and whatnot is, like, kind of introducing these you have to kind of introduce it slowly and, like, in an approach in a way that match it, like, in a not matches in a way that compliments, like, the culture of the space and, like, allows people to see, like, oh, like, I can relate to this, you know. I think a positive side of, like, the new generations and younger generations with, like, social media and whatnot, is that there is an increased relatability. Mhmm. I don't wanna get into, like, how genuine that necessarily is given it's mostly online. But there is that kind of like awareness and that, like, ability to connect with, like, people very different from you. And like Italian wine, I mean, every yeah, Italian wine. I'm just thinking how, like, everyone does love Italian, not telling things, it's very, you know, marketable. But, like, when you get into the details of it, that's when it gets a little harder, but we can always make Italian wine sexy. Always. We don't need to make it sexy again because it was always sexy. Right? Never stopped being sexy. Super stopped being sexy. Super. Well, thank you so much, Jess. Of course. For being on the podcast. Mhmm. You have any thoughts, comments, criticisms, last words before you leave the bunker. Wait. You were having me in the bunker. It's been great to chatty chat. It's been great to be here at Evvia. I'm glad for the experience. Might be back again soon, new to depending on this exam goes tomorrow, but we'll see. Maybe expert. Oh. Oh, yeah. I don't know. I feel like you have some secret like w set skill car, like skills or cards that you're gonna pull. And all of a sudden, it's gonna be like, just get spin, and it like, the pin, and they're like I'm excited for the tasting. I feel like my calibration is overall pretty good. There's some things that, like texture and those sorts of things that are new to me, but generally speaking, like, calibration's pretty good. If I if the open ended questions are, like, one of the two topics that I'm comfortable with, then I'm great. You know? And then we'll see if I can figure out who, Maria whomever is on the night of the show. Meredith. Exactly. Yeah. Alright. Thank you so much, Jess. As always, a big wrap here for hanging out with me today. Remember you can catch me every Sunday on the Italian wine podcast. Available anywhere, you can get your pops.