Ep. 531 Stefania Pepe | Voices

Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. I'm Rebecca Lawrence, and this is voices. In this set of interviews, I will be focusing on issues of inclusion, diversity and allyship through intimate conversations with wine industry professionals from all over the globe. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating through Italian wine podcast dot com. Any amount helps us cover equipment, production and publication costs, and remember to subscribe and rate our show wherever you tune in. Welcome to the Italian wine podcast with me Rebecca Lawrence. I'm excited to be joined today by winemaker and social activist, Tefania Pepe from Aburso on the East Coast of Italy. Welcome to the podcast, Tefania. Oh, I'm sorry. I was speaking with Chandra. I'm sorry. Okay. Thank you to you and thank you to everyone. They are listening to us. So no doubt our listeners might be familiar with some of your wines or perhaps your fathers, but just in case they are not, can you tell us where we could find your winery in a brusso and what grapes you have planted? Yes. I was a very baby. I have a big heritage on my side because my father is a mini baby, the one that is believing in a wonderful child I will saw from the beginning. I've been watching for with him for thirty years. I decided to start on my own. We are in the center of Italy. We are really lucky because we live in the Boston region that is uh-uh call in the green heart of Europe. Three hundred meters on the, you can see, just fifty minutes from the beach. One hour from the mountain, that's it's like a painting of an artist. And here, I am he's everyone has his own land. So they're cultivated their lands like gardens. Everything is very well, keep, small vineyards, small, olives tree. Everyone has his own vineyard, his own olive tree, and it's really very nice to see it. With my winery, I decided to create my winery before while I was working with my father. I decided I told him that, I wanted to create my own, from the beginning. And it was not so happy in Sierra, but you are a woman. What do you wanna do? And, but I'm after I finished my university, I am twenty three years old. I did my, first project because I did the phases in organic and biodynamic wines. And, I won a competition on the financial health that was giving to a younger entrepreneur And when, they're asking me, who are the people that are creating it? And, yeah, me, myself. Just a woman. Yes. Just a woman. And you want to create a win seller of five million euro Yes, we do. They decided not to give my resume money because I was too young. I was a woman, and I was, just one. At forty years, I did the same. I did by myself. Not asking for that to anyone. I started the vignette, my father gave it to me when I did the the way. He gave me a gift for that. So I do small vignette. Then I ask it to my father to give it to me his old wine cellar where four years old, I was tapping on the waves from there. So it was rebirting again starting from the beginning. But I was forty. I was alone, and I was a woman by myself. Then when I created my first wine and won the first prize on the Italian wine guide, they said, okay, now I'm gonna do my wine cellar. In two thousand and six, I started. And now after eleven years, I have four different farms. One and one I created in two thousand and six. Second, the farm is one where I create the paper also, pepperoni, pepperoni, and pepperoni, is dedicated to the biodynamic wine, very old vine, dynamical activated. Another one is where I have, the international, Sylage, I have my multiple channel, also the middle of the company. Why? Because after the master of wine, I made in France, and I went to do a stage of Chateau. Everywhere there, they were using, cabernet sauvignon Menlo, and they were taking my head with all the percentage of different sebaj that we're putting on why? Say why? We have only want to put China and Figana in our place. Maybe we should try. We should see what happens. And so I I did it to our multiple channel that is very strong, very tough, the menu, and the cabin is ringing. So, and now I have, an international one that is called, I called control aware. That means against the world. And it dedicated the first to my father because he didn't want me to bring my own, and I did it. And second, to all the producer, because to a mix together different vineyards, maybe it can be useful if you can get a better wine. And my controller web at two thousand and six won the first prize, on the Italian wine guide, then I, introduce you also to the, the leasing competition and has always a great success because it's more international style, mainly. People are using monitoring this kind of wine. And it's always made without chemicals and without using any So it was a great success for me. Like, different minerals or the piece of the swine I make using wood. And then the original farm, that's, if not my, married or my I I got this from my husband because I lost my husband many years ago, and he left me one big fan of thirty actors in, watching someone who is close to Aso. And it's a wonderful place, but it's, it's so hard for me to go there because every time I go there, I feel, sorry I'm not telling my husband, we've given that. So I decided to, let other people take care of it. How, I want to create a kind of community of person that will go there and work there with a, their personality. They were leaving their way of, working. They have a time of fifty the houses, the whole space. And they can take care of the of Pennsylvania. They can take care about the oil free. They can take care about the vegetables, animals that are happening. So I decided to, give the opportunity to people that are not happy to live in a city side. They're not happy to live with the family they are in, and they have the strength to change their lives to live what they have, and to start in your life. If you can, I give them the opportunity to be in my wine cellar, in my lab, and start a new life creating their own product, because my idea, my concept is that everyone has to be happy? I'm a teacher too. When I'm informed someone, I think always, what can I do for him to let him grow and do the best? This project that you talk about Yeah. Has been particularly inspiring for the team here because as we understand it, it's your mission in particular to give this land, to give this opportunity to women because you are a great advocate of women. Yes. Exactly. First of all, because I was always, penalized like being a woman, this world of men. And I was a really young, and we started the association of woman of wine when I was just eighteen. And I was so proud of it. I've always had close to me. My father, I will say, well, you know, you are a woman, the workers that are always older than men. I will say, but you are a woman. So, like, always have been kind of, disappointing to me to hear this. Yes. I'm a woman, and I've studied so much and I work with so much. I'm able to do everything I want. And the same are for the other woman. But a lot of them, they cannot do what they want because they've not believed to matching themselves. I think because I started by my own without no money, without no guarantee and I created everything by myself. So why cannot they do the same? Also, if they, and maybe they say, oh, I do not have the money for doing it. Okay. We're gonna find someone that's gonna help you. That's fine. Or I don't have the house. Yes. We're gonna do, a project. You can project or we're gonna do a project like the one I've, launched, out of the vine, out of life, with people that needs to have organic product, natural product, organic wine, organic olive oil, they can give a contribution. They can, buy a quarter of adoption and they can, have their own wine. They can have their own olive oil, have their own family, jam, eggs, everything. I mean, this woman can create their own project in my land. It's a great opportunity. Aji. It's fantastic and and so inspiring what you're doing. It's very, very exciting as well. The project, adopt divine, adopt a life. I think this is such sending such a positive message. And as you say, a a lot of your work is involved with organic and biodynamic. Obviously, you wrote your thesis on this. Why did this become important to you? Why is organic but not just organic biodynamic, so important to you and your project. Because I lost my grandma for the chemical that my grandfather was, using on the lines. I started from there. I was a child. My grandma was on the back of the Semina region. My grandfather was in front. The the only consultant they had at that time was, the people that were selling them the products, and they were selling them the chemical products together with the, May, they were watching or saw some chemicals that is, mister Manda. Things are damaged like that. And she was on the back, because you have to move the blade while it goes into the machine. And so the the the food, she was uh-uh inspiring this kind of chemical product over there. And she died. So I decided why do we have to use chemicals for having more product and have this big loss in our life. Why do we need to have more products and the kids with someone? And from there, started studying the organic words because before there was no one talking about organic. I think that was one of the first few in Italy here in our store to create organic wine. It was a eighty eight. And I had my first wine organic wine on ninety six. Biodynamic came after, why? Because, then the politician, they have made something everything now is organic. You see all the producer, they are organic, but it's not truly organic. I'm sorry to say that. And they are kind of launching the sustainable product. It's just a way of giving money to someone that is taking care of the land, not avoiding chemicals, but using in a Russia way. It's always something, and thanks to god. Someone is changing. I I want to have all my country organic because we can. We have the sun, we have the land, we have the exposition, we have the hill. We can do everything organic. Why don't we do it? Does it too expensive? Yes. It's too expensive if you do it. But it's better for your health, for the health of your of the person who lives here. What is the most important about your health? It is important to drink a safe wine. It is even more important to have, a great car or a great bottle wine. It's better to have a great bottle wine, great food, safe food. So I want this woman to produce also safe food for our customer because I believe that we can create a kind of a a group of a entrepreneur that want to eat good and to drink good that's gonna new to us the money for cultivating this land organically for let this woman work in the land and create for them and the father. We are able to do that. I have a on a keep of workers of analog that can uh-uh follow the production of the land. We have planted now twenty three thousand new vine, and it's, all so much divine. We need to in the study as I did when I was ten years old. When I was ten years old, my grandfather, teaching me to do the enesta that is, kind of work to do on the vine to let them change the grape gave you to you. So this is the practice that we do see here in the wide vine. We do the nesto, and then we have the wide grapes of Triano, or the red grapes of one double channel, or the red grapes of So we can, create the wine our customer wants. So we have a farm of thirty hectares, seven actors, convenient, and the partners can add up the line and create a wine. The house that we're gonna create there would be also for them because they can have together with the the land. They can have also a tiny house and a tiny wine cellar. For the big supporter, obviously. Not to someone that's oh, yeah. Someone to adopt a vine. I want to adopt a one nine. He has twenty euro. Thank you, but you cannot count doing the wine. If you want to adopt one actor wine, so you're gonna spend the invest twenty thousand euro. Then you're gonna have a chance of working on the vineyard, working on on, Wensela, and create your own line. And if you want, you can also create your own Wensela and have your own houses, where you can come with your guests, with your friends, and enjoy the countryside, and, create your wine, and then go there and drink with your friends, age the wine there, I know this is a dream. I was dreaming when I was eighteen about creating my wine cellar and I did. I was forty. I was dreaming, when I was working with my father, and I was saying to him, we are gonna sell the wine all over the world, and we are gonna be one of the best producer of Montego Chouda Brouso. He said, you are the one that you want to be big. Yes. I am the one. And now, the medium baby wine is all over the world, and it's very well known for his wine that is so good, so pure, so natural, and they're one beginning. And now we are the only one that we have a fifty different vintages. Of wine, and we show them that our wine can age for twenty, thirty, fifty years if we make it in the right way. I know there's a lot of effort, a lot of work, but we can do it. And if someone wants they can come and share our passion, share our vision. I know that in the future, the, entrepreneur will be way more social. I start already now. I did already three contracts with three different association for working together, let them come in the vineyard, let them come in the wine cellar, let them come and create their own wine and be proud of sharing it. And imagine how good we be when you have given, parts of your money to someone that is starting in real life. And with all her strength, all her desire of being better, she's gonna make one of the best one for you, one of the best olive oil, one of the best, the soap, one of the best pasta, and she gives to you, and you give to her the freedom, and the happiness of being herself being satisfied about what she does. For me, it's a blessing. Just a few days ago, I was, to, the ceremony. And I would imagine to be there, like the one that was inside, and I was imagining to have a four or five women that will come there and say thanks to me for what's for the future. I gave it to them. I believe that this is the future. The entrepreneur has to be social, and I can do it because I have a big farm that is waiting for you. So enjoy, come, have a take your time, give your contribution to create a better world because that will keep safe, land, green land. They will create great product because there is all dialogue inside. A love is the key, I think. And I It's so lovely to hear you talk so passionately about these projects and about how you took something so tragic as, you know, if your grandmother's deaf, and you turn it into this, you you use the word rebirth. You made this rebirth and this passion for organics and then took that again and took your dream to share this with other people and help other people and give them opportunities, not just to simply help them, but give them their own opportunities to help themselves. This is such an important thing that you're doing, and it's so exciting to have someone in the wine industry who takes the dreams and really makes them into a concrete reality. It's very exciting for the future of of not just Italian wine, but I think wine globally. We have to. I think every one of us has to feel inside the necessity of giving some to something greater the world. We have gone through that. Why are you in this world? You have a mission to accomplish? You have something to give to others. It's not enough to have. Well, I do not have just for having. I want to have for sharing. When I let them people taste my wine, I'm so happy to see their face. That they were starving. People are calling me. Oh, yesterday, I'm January two thousand and twenty, white wine, David Bianco, that was married. I went on the leave because they were thinking that it was only by myself, I was not able to create a two thousand and three white. So powerful, so great. It was after almost twenty years. Now he's eighteen years. Say, yes, I can. And you too, you can. I can just I have to to share with people my passion for, being contagious. When people come to my place, I am so full of energy. I want to share with them. I take them to the wine cellar, take them to the vineyard, I take them to the house of Agriturismo. Say come, there's a place where he's staying. Come here is a place where I can learn, and here is what we can do. The problem is that the one they come altogether so it's complicated. Then once you come here on the harvest time, everyone wants to come over the harvest time. So now I said, okay. Yes. You can come where we are organizing before. We have to calculate it. This day, you come, you're on a day, Pamela, and you're the person. So I ever, I the timing of for a person to come and to organize themselves. I think when all of our listeners hear this, they will be desperate to come to Abrutso and see a winery. Also because it's so beautiful when I wake up in the morning, and I see the sunburst is starting to grow on the on the scene because I'm missing the receiving seed on here. And it's so beautiful. There's such a kind of energy and I want to share this energy with everyone. I want to create here my wine cellar when I'll be to eat more so they can come and wake up in the morning and be full of energy. And start the day with so much great, mission to create. We will assume it's something that's unbelievable. And to share this, it's nothing it's not something that you can buy. It's something that you need to share because there is no ice for that, but the happiness they have when they see. That's my payment. So you love to share, and I'm hoping that you have just a few more minutes before we finished the interviews were running out of time. I was hoping to to ask you to share how you managed to say so positive because you are such a positive, passionate person every time I see you speaking, every time I see you on social media, you are so positive and passionate. How how do you stay so positive in such challenging times? What's your secret, Stephan? Is it the white? I've had also by time. And maybe also only because I ever had a very bad time, I can be so happy now because I had, I have gone through a different that people around me. And it's for that. I say, thanks to God I'm alive, and I can give. I can, create an opportunity, create new products. Be joy through my wine because people that drink my wine gets my energy, gets my lower, and how well does it come from? I believe in god. I believe in god, and it's, better give me to to me so much, courage I was, twenty, and I was alone in New York. And everyone was, you know, you never have to go out by yourself at night. I was coming back from my work. I was a waitress. It was one o'clock in night. I didn't have any affair. It's my faith, maybe. That gives you so much strength. I I feel that I'm, always, followed by my angels, garden angels. You know, I have my husband in the sky, my grandmother in the sky, my teacher in the sky, So my friends in this guy, so they are, pushing me to do a lot now, and that is another thing I have. I have to do everything now. I cannot wait. Because life is so short and also in this period. As you see, this period is very tough because it is tough. We have to do it now, not tomorrow now. Now we have to start giving. Now we can buy, ten thousand euro, of adoption, and give one room for one woman to give now with a fair baby. We have to do it now because it's a short we have a just a short time here. We have to invest we have to invest our short time here to creating the best. So if if we can give new opportunity for someone, let's do it. If we're giving, we can get back wine and products that is good for our head. So we'd have to do double because we are giving benefit to others and benefit to ourselves because we can, if we are a partner, we can decide it also to create our own logo our own bottle and have the bottle on the market with our, signature, telling people that we are creating our wine, olive oil in the countryside. Thanks to a lot of women that are rebooting in their land. But I have everything on the website. Everyone that needs no more information that can write to me, Stephanie Pippe, is on the web. And, multiple child uploads, point it is my website. They can write to me and I we give all the information. Either for people that just want to, buy one adoption or ten adoption or one hundred option or one thousand option, Before you and me, Carter, and you are buying wine, why don't you create your own one thousand bottle collection of your wine and be proud to tell your customer that you give opportunity to ten women to start their own life with their baby in a countryside, in a safe place, working and living, with their work. I think this is, the most important thing is that for me, I don't know if, if you'll email that or not, but I think we should do it. I have a great business plan. We can, share this with a big investor and let them do it for benefit. Trussian benefit and for name benefit because they're gonna grow. I think this is such a fantastic thing that you're doing, and I'm so glad that we're able to share it Fania, thank you so much for joining me on the Italian wine podcast today, sharing your passion for your wine, for your projects, and also your positivity. I think everyone can learn a little bit from you about how to approach the world. In such a positive and giving way. Thank you so much, and we look forward to hearing more about what you're doing in the future. Thank you to you. Thank you to you, and I wait for you here in my Listen to the Italian wine podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. We're on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, HimalIFM, and more. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating through Italianline podcast dot com. Any amount helps cover equipment and publication costs. Until next time.