Ep. 1308 Noell Dorsey | Voices Meet the Vinitaly International Academy Ambassador

By now, you've all heard of Italian wine Unplugged two point o. The latest book published by Mamma jumbo shrimp. It's more than just another wine book. Fully updated second edition was inspired by students of the Vin Italy International Academy and painstakingly reviewed and revised by an expert panel of certified Italian wine ambassadors from across the globe. The book also includes an addition by professor Atilio Shenza. Italy's leading vine geneticist. The benchmark producers feature is a particularly important aspect of this revised edition. The selection makes it easier for our readers to get their hands on a bottle of wine that truly represents a particular grape or region to pick up a copy, just head to Amazon dot com, or visit us at mama jumbo shrimp dot com. Welcome to today's episode part of another new mini series on voices as out Davina to the International Academy, Italian wine ambassadors, who contributed to the new addition of Italian wine unplugged two point zero. This new Mamma jumbo shrimp publication was released in January twenty twenty three, and it provides a foundation for the Venitally International Academy, Italian wine Ambassador course. Listen in as Cynthia chats with the personalities who made this revised edition possible, and remember, you can also tune in each Saturday afternoon to hear narrator installments of this new book or head to Amazon dot com to pick up your copy today. Welcome to voices. This is me Cynthia Chaplin. And I would like to welcome you all to the second in a series of interviews with Vinny to the international academy Italian wine ambassadors who contributed to the new addition of our amazing textbook Italian Wine Unplugged two point o. And today, I'm really happy to welcome my friend and fellow, be need to be international ambassador, Noel Dorsey. Noel is a wine educator at the commonwealth wine school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and she also works in fine wine and rare spirits, seller management for skinner auctioneers and appraisers. She's a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Zons in the USA, and she's currently on the path to becoming a Maestro educator with Phoenixley International Academy near and dear to my heart. Teaching an introductory level course for people just beginning their Italian wine journey. So thank you so much for coming on today, Noel. I really appreciate your time. Oh, yeah. Thank you so much for having me. No. Great pleasure to hear your voice again. You're you're quite new to Via. You haven't been with us all that long, but you've become a gigantic supporter of everything we do. I just wondered, you know, how did you first hear about Via? How did you get involved? You know, it's an interesting story. I, at the time, I think it was twenty it was twenty sixteen. And so Via was pretty new at this point. And I had I was a sommelier at Eisenhower Keegoyster Bar, and I had won a trip through wine enthusiasts. They do, you know, these surveys for Psalms. Yeah. Of course. And, you know, if you fill out the full survey, which is very tedious, I might ask. So I can see how some people never make it to the end, then you, you know, get put into a lottery for a trip. And so you never think you're actually, you know, the proverbial hat right. Exactly. You never think you're actually gonna win any of those. And I actually won a trip to the Niagara region. Canada, just for, like, a long weekend for their, cool climate chardonnay convention. It was fascinating, and I've never I've got I you know, I've had mostly ice wines and things from that area, but You don't get or at the time didn't get a lot of Canadian wine in the US. So I go on this trip, and Iandagata is one of the speakers and leading some of the tastings. And I think it was the last evening. There was this big dinner outside. And it was amazing because you're getting to meet all of these really interesting, cool people, and Ian happened to be at my table, and we started talking about it. And that's when I first heard about Via and you know, all of the exciting things they were doing. So it was actually just coincidentally meeting Ian that, I heard about it. And so then Karma, it was meant to be. Yeah. Seriously. It was so cool. And at that time, they were doing the calizione trips where you go to a region and, you know, you do a deep dive just for a couple of days. Of course. So I got to go to Freulee there and then, did Via, I guess, twenty seventeen was my was the first year I did. Amazing. Amazing. So So you've been with the program longer than it would appear on paper, which is great to know, actually. Oh, yeah. And I like to, like, put that on my resume. Like, I am still part of the community starting at twenty seventeen, but I didn't actually pass until last year. Yeah. Exactly. Twenty twenty two. Well, that shows a gigantic dedication to the process, you know, going four years to to get through it and and pass it. Well, I did take a couple of years off, but Still studying, of course. But you didn't disappear. See. So that's really good. And well, and then as immediately, I think probably the ink on your certificate wasn't even dry. And, and I nabbed you to contribute to the new addition of Italian wine unplugged two point o. Yes. By rewriting some of the five grapes for for the must know grapes section of the book. So, you know, besides the fact that I nagged you and bugged you to do it, You did not you did not bug me in it. It's fine. I I've wanted to do it. Very kind. Very what motivated you to take part in the revamp of the textbook? I mean, I I now understand a level of commitment more to the community than I knew about before, but Why did you wanna be involved with book? You know, I really loved the original Italian wine and plugged. I thought it was an amazing resource. I mean, it still is, but new could go even deeper with a second edition, and I kinda jumped at the chance to be part of that. I mean, the first edition sought to make a more of a streamlined version with Ian Dodd as native grapes book as sort of the the source or one of the main, influences. And I it did well, but there were some technical aspects of the book, which we all know about, you know, that some of the pages weren't lining up and just, like, errors, etcetera. And, like, the the power of that book was there, because just having those grapes and the maps and the food pairings. But I think everyone in the Via community knew it could be better technically and a little more streamlined and easier to read at the same time going even more in-depth because when did the first issue get released. Right? Like, twenty seventeen? Seventeen? So it definitely, you know, there's more to know every year, you know, every month there seems to be an update. But I'd tell you in what? Yeah. That's a good point. Yeah. Italian wine never gets old. They're always they're always doing something with the DOC DOCG regulations. There's always something new, more developments in DNA. That's a very good point. Yeah. For sure. And having Shen more involved with it. And, yeah, I I feel like we achieved it. I have not actually officially gotten the book yet, but I've looked at it. And, yeah, I'm excited. I think it's a very cool thing. As you said, professor She ends at who is the leading light in you know, great DNA and, you know, so vineyard Geology and things in Europe. He contributed a a huge amount of new material to the new book that amazing. You know, I'm very proud of to have there. So I'm so glad that you were open to to doing it. It's it was a big job. I think pre more than anyone thought, you know, just rewriting some grapes. We have such a great community with people who took that responsibility quite seriously, and, of course, you were one of those people. So were really grateful that you did that. Oh, no. I was happy to. I mean, the beautiful part of that is getting to do a little bit more research and digging in, because even though you do so much studying for the Italian wine Ambassador and expert, there's always gonna be more to know. Right? Like, that's Absolutely. That's how it goes. And just being in the wine world, you can't know everything. And, you know, it was awesome to to just dig dig deeper in and, be able to share it in writing with others. So It it's it's interesting this whole idea of being an Italian wine ambassador. You know, that's that's what's behind the course. That's what's behind the book. We we want that book to go out in the world and not only be used by students and and by teachers, but also by people who are just enthusiastic about Italian wine and and want to sort of, you know, as we always say, spread the gospel, spread the word about, the excitement and the variety in Italian wine. So how do you see your role as an Italian wine investor? Now that you've achieved it, you've got the pin. What are you doing as an ambassador for Italian wines over in Boston? Well, first of all, I think as an Italian wine ambassador, my role is, of course, to promote Italian wine. But it's more than that. It's also Italian food and culture. I mean, there's so much to know about Italian food and culture and grapes, cuisine, history because each region of Italy brings its own identity and tradition. So in a way, you're not just promoting the Italian wine, but you're showcasing the beautiful distinctions of each area in each region. I mean, you have, like, the pesto of La courier or sue Filandu, which translates to threads of god. It's this beautiful cross stitch sardinian pasta. Or, you know, the pizza of Naples, they're in Chaney. I mean, that's what the US would kind of put them into a blanket of general Italian food. I'm putting that in quotes, you know, general Italian food. But each region's history and distinctions are, like I said, what makes them so unique and wonderful. And being able to translate that as an educator is very, very important. Right now, I teach wine classes privately. And at the Commonwealth Wine School in Cambridge, I will be doing the Italian wine master class as well. I hope to be doing that in the spring summer. Time. I'm gonna nag you even more. Of course, you will be doing it by then. Oh, I definitely will. I definitely will. But I've been doing, you know, just singular classes, wines of Sicily. I did, I took a trip with the Via community in twenty twenty one to Sardinia. And so I did a class on Sardinia, and I did a lineup of Sanjay, and very, you know, various grapes and Italian wines. We also try to have fun and we'll try to mix you know, food and literature, you know, to try to mix it up and not have it just to kinda cross. I don't know where the word word would be, like, just, you know, different arts, get music involved, and pair them with with the books. And, you know, that was a fun class that we did, you know, having, like, reading some Dante and then having some Venetto, you know, Bell Pollachella with it. It's cool. 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. That sounds amazing. I mean, it's it's so right what you said about, you know, how in in places outside of Italy Italian food tends to be sort of clumped together as as you said, quote, unquote, Italian food, but All the regions are so different. And we forget that Italy is smaller in, in size, in land mass than the state of California. Yet we've got this enormous wealth of, of not only grapes, but culture, and food, and and history. So that's very cool what you're doing. That's exactly the definition of what we want Italian wine ambassadors to be doing, showcasing all of all of these really important things about Italian wine and everything that goes with wine, the food, the literature, everything else. So, I think that's a perfect definition to to that, quote, unquote, job of being an Italian wine investor or responsibility or I don't know, honor, which I always think of it as one when I'm out there doing that sort of stuff myself. I I wanted to ask you a little bit about, your thoughts on the Via community. You know, we this book was very community driven. Our our students who have used it, teachers who have used it, other people who have read it all came together and said, these are the changes we'd like to see. The community was very active as you were in helping out with rewriting grapes. And I just wonder, you know, why are you such a devoted via supporter? What is it about via and the community that has engaged you to such an extent for all these years? You know, I mean, immediately, doing, you know, that first trip and the the first course, which, you know, I didn't pass, but learned so much. It's just the amazing people, the energy, you know, knowledge is contagious. And being around these like minded folks who are so engaged, who love wine, and are just just fun, deep, interesting people. I mean, I love the it felt like adult camp in a way, that first year. I remember talking to Henry Duvard, and we were like, you know, that first year was really something, you know, and you continue to create these collaborations and friendships over the years. So it ends up being like a beautiful reunion. And you don't just learn from, you know, watching the seminars and listening to Shenza, but you also learn from each other. And, there's always, like, lots of opportunities that people are posting about. And, you know, I've I've made some really great friends along the way. So it's a fantastic community, and I recommend it to everyone right in a chance. We are super proud of it, and I I love to hear it's be spoken of in such a warm way. I know for myself, it's played a big role in sort of cementing my ideas about my career and and why I'm living here in Italy And it's it's really, really good to hear, you know, not just complimentary words for the sake of compliments, but, you know, a a a really heartfelt endorsement of why the community itself is important. As you said, you didn't pass the first time. A lot of people don't. We've had masters of wine fail that exam. It's a really rigorous course. Oh, yeah. It's difficult test. Yeah. It is. But it's, you know, it it does. It has created as you said, this this wonderful network of people who are very like minded. I love the idea of adult camp. I think we're gonna have to do something with that for VIA this year. Well, what I also love too is even if you don't pass, you are still have access to everything that you need. You know, and you're still able to go on some of these Judith Galastica trips, which I know we haven't really, like, talked about or gone over. But the fact that there are these trips that you can go to various regions taste from the producers, have the seminar see, you know, the region, and and meet these other people. I I found that just wonderful because then you're able to really soak in everything you need to know about that wide or as much as you can. I mean, you might not be able to get everything. But And it it brings it all to life. I mean, that's our that's our goal is to get your feet in the vineyard standing on the soil, you know, holding on to the grapes, listening to the producer. Mhmm. Mhmm. It it brings it all alive. And the next time that you're sitting in Boston on a snowy night and drinking a piano, you remember, you know, oh, when I was in Campania, I remember this. So You described the GTus Galastica perfectly. I don't have to go into that. And like I said, I wasn't an ambassador yet, but they're giving you all the tools. Or if he is giving you the tools to you know, hopefully come back and take it again and have this knowledge, you know, in your back pocket. Well, this is this is what we want to do, and we want to, you know, keep the door open for for more people to join the community Who do you think are sort of the best candidates to become via students? How would you recommend people get ready? You know, aside from reading our amazing new book, it, you know, we just said it's a it's a tough course. It's a tough exam. You know, who do you think should be applying and how should they prepare themselves? You know, I I was I was thinking about this a lot. And it kind of goes in a lot of different ways. I mean, taking the class, and meeting these people, they kinda come from various backgrounds. So, of course, you have the Psalms or the people who are working with Italian wines and the importers and or distributors, writers. People have, like, an intimate knowledge V Italian wine already. But you also have people from various jobs, maybe more marketing, or a friend Justine, who is an ambassador, and she started off as a housewife, and now she's doing wine related stuff. But she didn't have the specific you know, wine title. Just people who are super passionate engaged and curious who, you know, are willing to put in the work and and and dive in. You know, yeah, anyone who's basically willing to go down the rabbit hole and discover all of the interconnectedness. Yeah. I think that's absolutely right. Engaged and passionate and willing to do the work. That's our of course, our email address is half just do the work. That's true. So you you've thrown me that phone so I could get that out there. But it's it is interesting, and I do think that that also plays a part in why our via community is, you know, the way that it is. Everybody in there has gone through the course. They may not have passed. They're still passionate. They're still taking part as you said in these, trips and other events that we do. And, you know, reading the book, keeping up to date on our social media. And I think it's, yeah, it's very It's very open to a lot of people. You don't have to be, you know, at the top of your game in the wine world. So that's a that's an important thing to you, yourself, are a wine educator. Yes. Exactly. Having a history of Italian wine and already having a background will only help you, of course. Of course. Of course. And, you know, I'm an educator too, and and I know you are. And as we discussed, you're on your way to becoming certified, as a maestro educator for for Via to teach the intro level course for people who are just taking their first steps in the world of Italian wine. And I I just wanted to ask you. We talk about this, a lot on voices. It's kind of a a point of interest for me at the moment. Do you think wine education is keeping up with the changes in the global wine sector? You know, we've we've put out our new book. I'm hoping it will be relevant. I think it's, awesome. Of course, I'm biased, but it is an awesome book. It's up to date but Bookstone stay up to date. And I just wonder, you know, what would you change in wine education? How would you like to see Via grow and the book grow in the future? I think I think overall that wine education has been kind of keeping up with the times. I mean, there is, of course, really solid the W SAT. You have the Italian wine scholars, Spanish bank scholar, you know, that sector, and, of course, you know, the Via courses I do like to, like I said, have a little bit more fun and try to do the literature or the arts or the music background. I love, Rebecca Lawrence, doctor Rebecca Lawrence and how that whole hip hop in wine, I think that's really, really fun. Absolutely. And why should be fun? Yeah. I think it's just engages people in a way. Not everyone is gonna resonate, which is a classic textbook and lecture. And so I think that having that as part of it I will say that I wish there was a course similar to Via for other countries because it is so comprehensive. And I know that, you know, Virgonia wines has you know, a section and, you know, they do the Napawine Academy and things like that. But there is something about the whole country and being able to focus and specialize and get just an expansive opportunity to learn about these wines that I I think other countries, like, especially, I mean, France or Spain would benefit from something as in-depth as this. That is a very interesting idea. I'm I'm not sure we're gonna find, another Stevie Kim Managing Director. We need to be international to go and do these things in other countries, but I know. I don't. I doubt. I doubt that. But it it it's very interesting that that what you've pointed out that it is such a comprehensive course. It really is a deep dive. And I think you're right, again, I'm biased, but I think you're right. I think Via does something for Italian wines that other countries don't necessarily do for their wines yet. True. And I think it I mean, honestly Italian wine has just been doing so well in so many markets. There's so many more Italian wine restaurants that I've ever seen before and just Italian lists with interesting wines on them, like seeing Rosese on a list or Ruce? I mean, you know, more than Bruce go, you used to not see that. It used to be more of a general, you know, pinot grisio, the hits of Sanjay. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. And now you're you're getting more unique varieties and people excited to talk about them. And it just goes to show how beautiful they are for food pairings. You know, they should be in restaurants and they're getting more exposure. That's true. And and economically, you're absolutely right. The Italian wines are gaining in, you know, in market share. They're number two in the UK. You know, they're they're they are gaining in market share. People are more curious, I think, now. I think so too. Absolutely. And and there's so many interesting wines to try. So Absolutely. You know, there's a lot there's a bigger pool to draw from. I do love, and I I've been thinking about this too, is, Nina Hotania Morningstar does her Orvieto. Class per Avieto program, which seems so spectacular. And I what I would love to see would be more of, micro focusing on just, like, small specific regions, you know, like, having, like, a Mataltino ambassador. I, you know, I know they have, like, a larger Velachella Ambassador, but something like that, you know, I thought could be really fun. You know, Sardinia, like, going even further and and having an ad another little not little, but just another certification. Yeah. No. No. More specialized, even. I understand where Yeah. More specialized. That's what I'm exactly. Exactly. Could be cool, you know, just like an extra. Absolutely. I don't know. That's something that I would like Well, before I let you go, I happen to know a fun fact about you that you've kind of alluded to in this conversation about pairing a time line with literature and with other cultural things. And I happen to know that you are an amazing singer with a degree in voice and opera. And I just wonder if you could dream up a way to combine singing and Italian wine, what would you do? Oh my gosh. You know, I've I've had these conversations with people. I actually have talked about this a lot with Jody Hillman and Aaron. We are studying, because they were part of the study group. And, you know, you're trying to do the mnemonic, you know, getting a poem or a song or something to remember. It's it's easier because it kind of gets in your body. Right? So you're studying And I think we were singing Shakaatra to the to the tune of Shaka Khan. I love it. You know, like Shakara, Shakara, which is really funny. Or of course, like, a little bit of Monica in my life, like, getting those integrating them with a song. But also doing a schoolhouse rock style for wine. I always thought would be really fun. Oh my gosh. We're showing our age. I remember schoolhouse rock. I think half the people listening to this show are gonna say what are they talking It was on Saturday morning TV, and it gave you little songs to remember the the multiplication tables and the preamble to the Constitution. Yeah. I think that's a great idea. Something like that. Because I remember that. It didn't work. Yeah. And just animations and just fun, catchy tunes, you know, either about the grape or wine making or, you know, DOC, DOC rules. You know, or just like small campaigns for grapes, like commercials or something like that. Okay. So now we know what Noel is gonna be doing in the future. She's going to be doing Italian grapes schoolhouse rock edition, and I'm looking for to that already. It was fun. A whole new career. Erin Demarro is amazing. I actually messaged him this week. I was like, Hey, do you remember some of the songs we were really riffing on? Because he has a wealth of them. So definitely tap him for it. Sorry, Aaron. This is a new project. Well, I can't thank you enough for coming on today. Thank you so much for chatting with us, and thank you again for helping, to do the rebrights of the grapes for Italian wine unplugged two point o. You'll have to tell me what you think when you have it in your hand because it's my baby, and I'm very proud of it. So Oh, I can't wait. I can't wait. I hope you'll, you know, put it up on a stand in your classroom and encourage people to to take a look and fall in love with it. Oh, definitely. Definitely. I'm very much looking forward to to having it in my hands. Well, thank you so much for having me. This was a pleasure. You're welcome. Thanks, Noel. Take care. Alright. Take care. Thank you for listening and remember to tune in next Wednesday when I'll be chatting with another fascinating guest. Italian wine podcast is among the leading wine podcast in the world and the only one with a daily show. Tune in every day and discover all our different shows. You can find us at italian wine podcast dot com, SoundCloud, Spotify, Himalaya, or wherever you get your pods.