Ep. 1299 Daniela Mastroberardino | Voices With Cynthia Chaplin

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 the Italian wine podcast. I'm Cynthia Chaplin This is voices. Every Wednesday, I will be sharing conversations with international wine industry professionals discussing issues in diversity, equity, and inclusion through their personal experiences working in the field of wine. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate our show wherever you get your pods. Hello, and welcome to voices. This is Cynthia Chaplin. And today, I'm very happy to welcome Daniella Masro Veradino to voices. She's the newly elected president of Ladonna Delvino. It's an association I'm very proud of being part of myself. Daniella is the director and export manager of Teridora in Campania, and she started her career at the family winery over thirty years ago. Daniella has held several roles in the promotion wine, including National President of Movie Mendo Torres Delvino. Welcome to the show, Daniella. Thank you so much for giving us your time. My pleasure to stay with you today. Well, it's great. To hear you. And congratulations, first of all, on your election as president of Legoni Delvino. It's a wonderful accomplishment, so Tantiagoori for that. Put that cross. Nadona Delvino began in nineteen eighty eight with only twenty members, and you were just a very young woman and starting out at that point, enter your career. So I'm wondering what it meant to you to see a group of Italian women start up an organization in the wine sector. Was it important to you to see women in Italian wine take on a role that way? I have been in, the wine industry since nineteen ninety four, and those twenty white women represent the women who had the reason to leadership rules or become such a full entrepreneur in a money industry. Therefore, they were the best example to give us the courage. We could see that by working out that we could reach a different position from the lower set of our beginning. I think that's a really good answer. I think giving courage, is really Warton. Back in those days, in nineteen eighty eight, there weren't a lot of women in strong positions in our Italian wine sector. So I think they did give courage. That's that's very true. I believe that they were very few and for younger people was really important to to see, a different position, you know, from the lowest steps. While we are, while we were, at the beginning. I think you're right. I do. And it it's interesting because in all that time, there have only been seven presidents before you. And the last one was, of course, the the infamous and wonderful Donatella Chanelli Colombini. The organization has got thirty five years under its belt now and over a thousand members. So how does it feel to take overlay Donna Delvino at this point in time? It's a great legacy. Sometimes, I I think it's not easy for me, and, I'll have to work a lot. Nunatella was a great president of many web and projects. For example, the attention to the gender gap, and the the growing rule of women in charge in the one of hospitality activity, which is more and more interesting to the development of a branch in general. And you say that, as you mentioned, there are, now many of us, and I feel that there is a great will to do more in each region. Indeed, we mainly work in the region, but I hope we can develop a new action with more connection among the different regions. That's wonderful to hear. When when I first joined Ladona Delvino, it was in lazio. And I think you're right. There was a focus on doing things regionally, and I would love to see more things happen nationally. The main activities of Ladonna Delvino have been culture and promotion and training. Awareness of issues affecting the wine sector, like the gender gap, which you mentioned, and also internationalization. What does the organization and its members do to to actively work with these issues? We were talking about Donatella and things that she's done. What do you think late Donna Delvina is doing best to to work with these issues? In each region, we are working hard to grow the culture of wine, which is important for developing the right approach to drinking for the younger generation. The promotion was always important as well as we have been working for years to support the training activities. In fact, The continuous training of of all of us is the most important thing. We should also work more on internet centralization. In general, export is a very important. So to have an hour network of other association of women of wine in the world that will be able to be an elder for each of us. That's a good point. I think you're right. We do need more associations of women in the world of wine. In America, of course, they have many, but I don't think many other countries have this sort of a a formal association of women in the wine industry. You make a very good point. I think we could do with a few more of those. You need to set a good example for them. I believe that it's really important to have the idea to be part of of, in a network. As I said before, we needed to work more, not all in the region, but in a national way. And also, because, I said before, the export is really important for, for the Italian wines. We cannot, not consider how important his the international point of view. This is is, my, my opinion. I think that's really true, especially now with, as you say, younger drinkers, we know the numbers are falling with young people drinking wine. So we need to make sure that our export, carries on to, to further and further areas around the world. Italian wines need to stay ahead in export. I think that's very true, and it will be interesting to see Leona Delvino work harder on on export. I know you've been involved in in the organization for so many years. You were national counselor and vice president, so you know all the secrets and the strengths and the weaknesses of Ladona Delvino, How would you like to see it improve? What are your goals for the organization now that you are in charge? I can say that they know enough well the association because they grew up with the Ladona Delvino. The calls, in my opinion, are always the same. As I said that the day of my election, I will work going on in the same way of the press dance of the past. Even if there will be something, on difference, not because, it will be my will. But because the times will be new, and we should work understanding that the situation That's that's a very good point. We have to keep aware of of everything that's happening as we go forward. And I think keeping our eye on the future without losing the legacy of the past is is really important. I'm wondering how you feel in terms of how the organization's doing currently. Is it reaching enough women in wine in Italy? How are you planning to get the message out there and attract new members? You know, I believe in that, just a number in the last seven years, we increase, forty percent. So in my opinion, I believe that there is a interest interest around us, also for, the younger generation because, I believe that, are considered a very interesting the network, in the wine. Because we are not only producer. So definitely, there is room enough, for all, all people, who are working in this, beautiful, and this incredible sector. That is the one business We are so lucky to be working in it. I I always feel lucky to be part of this industry, especially in this country, and especially as a foreigner. I think we're very lucky to to have this industry. And it you just mentioned briefly that some women in Ladona Delvino. There are a lot of producers, but what other jobs do members of Ladona Delvino hold? In the sector. All of these, women can join the association too. And, in my opinion, this is, an important, legacy of, Ladona, because since the beginning since the, nineteen eighty eight, we have been, starting, not just, looking for a producer but looking for all women that are busy in different way in this sector. Wine is the main actors. And it's important to have the difference, women that work in, in this sector. 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. I think you're right. It gives a better balance to the organization having women who aren't just producers, but, who are writers and judges and journalists and bloggers and all of these new things, new jobs in the industry. And people who are involved in wine tourism, things like that. I think getting everyone's perspective in the conversation is a good good thing to do. We we learn more if we talk to more people. So I think that's a good point. Let me just ask you for for those of our listeners who don't know. If you want to join like Donna Delvino, how do you go about doing it? It's important to just that, you are working in the one business, you have been working in the one business for two for two years. It's important that you have been working in a managing the rule because this process is an important experience that the new members can give us. It's very simple at the end. And for this reason, two years of experience, I believe it's something that is, easy also for young women, like, the way to to come in in, in the association. That's that's good. And I think two years of experience is is not a lot to ask. I think that leaves the door open. It's very inclusive to people who are new. So do they go on your website to apply? How do they apply? Yes. Yes. On our website, people can find all information not to come in in the association. Yes. Perfect. Well, let me just ask you, what do you think, in your opinion, are the biggest challenges facing women in the Italian Weinstein there are many challenges facing people in the Italian one sector. And I believe that for women, there are ways a few more as a summer research on the gender gap also show. How does the government support them? I like I would like to say by showing some of the best example of women who don't give up. We'll know how to spirit and of opportunity. At the end, in a very easy way, I believe that the value is to be passed over network. And you know how important is today not to to work without having a a a an only zone general of its own because We are in a global situation, and it's important, the value of the network. If you stay in a network, probably your work is a little bit easier than other people. That's true. It it really is having a group too to support you people you can talk to is so important, especially if you are young and new to the end industry. I'm wondering, do you think Ladona Delvino will ever have a formal mentoring program or a scholarship program to help people get into the wine industry? No. At the moment, there is nothing like you mentioned, there there is a just a specific project that that, we like, to call a like, a few, future in the sense to to share all some opportunity, but it's not something that, a mentorship program because, it's a way why we are trying to work more because we know how important it is to support the younger generation. It's that's true. And I I'm glad to to hear that. I feel that as a member of the association, but, so many people are supportive and have certainly been supportive of me in the past, And I've learned a lot from some of the older, more experienced women in the organization. So I think it's great that the door is open for young people to join, and we still have much more experienced older women to to talk to and to learn from and to laugh with, that's very important some days. In general, if if I can say something, else, is a really important thing to approach the new generation, because, we need to give the value of how cool is the one also for the younger generation. I think it's uh-uh something of how we needed to work a lot of of the one factor, not only around the arena. I believe it's a a general matter. Very important for all of us. I agree completely. That's that's part of why I still love teaching wine because it's important to get the message out to young people that wine is cool and interesting, and and accessible to them, not just, older or more experienced people. We want more young people sitting at the wine table. So I hope, Donna Delvino continues to grow, at such a rate, forty percent over seven years is is a lot. So I hope that continues. And I wish you all the success from us at Italian wine pie cast in your new role as president of the organization. And we hope to see you here in Verona very soon. 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.