Ep. 2215 Mario Fontana | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon

For us, it's important not to produce a single crew. Our winery have a prophecy of the three crew, where it's possible for us to produce three different label from each crew. But we prefer to make a blend because the brand is the tradition of the area, arrived from the past where the family pick up the grape from different fruit and produce just only one bar of varroa because, the market not asking of varroa y was very difficult sell Barolo. And at the end, the family producer, one of a v two barrel of Barolo, and the grace was from of the best story of the property of the family because add blood together. Fascinating people with stories to share, fabulous wines, and the best local foods to accompany them, and beautiful places to discover and visit. All of this and more on wine, food, and travel with me, Mark Millen, on the Italian wine podcast. Join me for a new episode every Tuesday. Welcome to wine, food, and travel with me, Mark Millen, on Italian wine podcast. Today, we traveled to Piedmont into the heart of the Barolo winehills of Leilangue, to the tiny Frazione of Perno near Mont Forte, Alba, to meet my guest and good friend Mario Fontana of Caschino Fontana. How are you today? I'm, very well, Mark. Today is a very winter day here in Perno. Is a fog and a very freeze temperature. And, so it's okay. Okay. That typical Nebula, that fog of Leilenge, that is what we sort of imagine it's like in winter. Yes. It's a really winter day. It's very easy. Yes. Okay. Okay. Mario, you recently received an immense award in accolade when Gamo Rosa, the prestigious publisher of the annual Vini, Dittania wine guide, named you Vitico Torres Delano two thousand twenty five, winemaker of the year, two thousand twenty five, fabulous, and well earned achievement. So I just wanna send from all of us here at Italian wine podcast. Our huge, huge congratulations. Thank you, Mark. Is a big honor for me to receive this hour? It's a very special because he's a Okay. It's an acknowledgement. Yes. For, give us the first one. Not only the wine maker, but, the farmer, the man that work in the vineyards, growing up the grapes that he used for to produce wine. Okay. That's that's a very important point that in Viti Cortori Delana, you are the person the farmer, the wine grower, you attend the vines as well as make the wine. So it really recognizes the work that you've done as a small wine grower, and this award could have been awarded to many thousands of wine growers. All around Italy. So it is a great achievement and a great honor, and we're all very proud of what you've achieved. Mario, we first met when as a young man, you used to Drive over to England with a van full of your family's wine to sell. You started your own wine business Caschina Fontana in nineteen ninety four, which is just over thirty years ago. Long time ago, Mario, but not that long. You've achieved a great deal over the past three decades and now been named wine maker of the year. Can you share with us the story of Casina Fontana? Yes. It's a really long family story on, Fontana family, and also for casino Fontana. Because, you know, Fontana was born at the start of one thousand eight hundred when my family moving from the village to outside the village to live in the country in this part of the Terwater Castillo. And, that time was born Fantana family, angina, Greekola, or farm because normally in that time, the name of the farm, take the name of the family. So it was the start of, one thousand eight hundred. So now our, seven generation that we produce wine, install it. Okay. So that's a long story of many generations, and you began your own casino Fontana in nineteen ninety four. Now Mario, I know you've always considered yourself a traditional wine producer doing things as your family have always done both in the vineyard and in the wine cantina. What does being a traditional wine producer mean to you? To be a traditional wine maker, I mean, to maintain an idea and a method in the winemaking and work in the vineyard. The idea of the wine is to produce a very original and a unique wine blending the different vineyards of the family, of the property of the family to produce a very original in the UNiquined. So it's a very old method, to blend vineyards, not produce a single crew. Okay. So that's really interesting. That classic method, where wine growers in Leilangue in Barolo often had patches of vineyards in different areas, which have different characteristics, and by blending them together, you create your own house style, the Cassina Fontana style of Barolo. Now, Mario, in the vineyard, you take low intervention approach, keeping fertilizers herbicides, pesticides, to a minimum or not using them. What are some of the steps you take in the vineyard to keep your vines as healthy as you can? Sure. There is a very big attention for the respect of the water and the vineyards. Sure. Krishna Fontana is is a source enabling farm, winery. And we follow the s q m f p I is a system work in the vineyards, meaning that we are used at the minimum. They use the chemical, and we not use examples, chemical just it deserves. And, also, we work for two maintain intact the characteristics of the soil and not transform nothing. So we work for to have a protection of our vineyards and our soil. Okay. I know that you take a number of steps, for example, using fertilizer natural cow manure from the mountains. Yes. So we use a natural cow from one time. It is very special because before putting the vineyards, we age two years. We mature two years before so put in the soil. Okay. So that's the cow manure from the unpolluted beautiful alpine meadows of the mountains, which you then age for two years to really get all the nutrients and enrichness before putting it on the vineyards. Yes. And also we use a sexual confusion. So it's a ceremony for the insect to reduce the problem, from the insect. Okay. That's very interesting too. I'll just explain that to our listeners. The use of pheromones released in the vineyard, which cast sexual confusion with the vineyard insect pests. And so that they can't reproduce. It's a way of controlling pests without necessarily having to spray a chemical to kill them. Yes, sir. It's a very important point. And also, we use it to cut the grass down the device by hand or by a mechanic machine special. But every year, we do that. We're moving also. Okay. So, again, you're not wanting to use a herbicide or chemical to get the grass out between the vines. You're manually cutting the grass or using mechanical machines to cut the grass rather than to kill the grass. And those were to move in the soil, on the the vine. Okay. So that movement of the soil is very important. Of course, we're talking about, certainly, in Castelionefilato, slopes that are very, very steep. Yes. See if Vigna's, in the sub bars, those are very dangerous with the truck. Or, but, you know, with all That's right. Yeah. Mario, I know you are in the vineyard yourself. Throughout the growing season, you work so closely with the vines, has climate change had an effect on how you work in the vineyard and how are you dealing with the challenges of the changing climate? I know there have been some difficult years lately. Team, we changed the work that we do in the last twenty years in the vineyards because I'm a change also our work, our way in work in the vineyard. Because that temperature, every year is more, growing up. And there also there is less rain, so it's more dry. In this condition, the risk for us is to have a too much sugar in the grapes. So to have at the end too much alcohol in the wine, Second way is to have too much early maturation on the grapes. We prefer because we're looking for to have a more later maturation in this moment. Until thirty years ago or twenty years ago, we're looking for to have a more early moderation because the moderation was in the middle of October and the October. With the climate change, you know, in the last meeting, that's not twenty four because the was a lot of rain was strange. But normally, in the last minages are very, very early maturation. And to check, this problem or not have too early maturation. In the last years, we leave a more volume graph in the vineyards. So we don't need use a lot of the production in the vignettes, but we need more points and more volume for to despair better the concentration in the gray. And also for us, it's very important to maintain the distance and from every vine, classical style in the winemaking mean also to decide when you plan to Minas, how many vines to plant by hectares. In Nepio, we have less over four thousand vines by hectares. What mean that we leave more space every vines and also mean to have more leaves, more green vegetation. For every vines. For twelve, at the end, more, for giving the wind to resist better, and the more difficult weather condition. That sometimes are a very extreme condition. Well, that's really interesting, Mario. That all of these steps that you're taking, as you say in the past years, the aim was to get their sugar levels high enough in order to make butterola wines. But now the problem is the opposite so that the grapes don't ripen too quickly sugar wise before they're phenonically ripe, but also that taking steps by spacing the vines and also keeping this canopy of foliage to assist in the photosynthesis. Foleyage is well, Mario. I remember thirty years ago that sometimes you would take leaves away to allow the grapes to be better exposed to the sunshine, but now I guess it's the opposite that canopy of leaves protects the grapes from becoming burnt from this intense heat. Mario, let's move into the cantina. In the wine making process, you also take a classical approach trying to interfere as little as possible. Tell us some of the steps you take in winemaking. In the first, in the cellar, we were to preserve the simplicity of our wine, not for change. Our approach in winemaking is, not so technical, but he's very artisanal. We're looking for in the one to exile the parts of the TPC team. So, meaning that on his tech, the originality of our soil or our vines. And for to make this example, we only distanced the grapes, and, we found the berries with the skin intact for to have a more soft extraction. Okay. Without crushing the grapes, just with the whole berries. The berries are broken, but not. Okay. So not pressed. And at the end, this way during the fermentation, the extraction is, is more soft because we are not looking for to have a metallic wine or big concentration y in the color and in the material. We're looking for to produce wine with a classical style, mint finesse, and elegance. And you're keeping the indigenous yeasts that is present on the grapes rather than introducing cultured yeast. Is important point. For us, it's important not to use selected East, but, use the East that arrive in the cell with the grapes that they, start the fermentation. And the wine is born when the from a special star is important that is, made from natural east for to maintain the originality and the diversity in the wine. Okay. That's a very important point. I want our listeners to understand that the tipicity of the sense of place in a wine comes not just from where the grapes are grown, but from the yeast that is existent in the vineyards. And that yeast that's naturally on the bloom of the grapes is used for the fermentation rather than introducing a cultured yeast that could have come from a laboratory. The second time should the internal, the second time are in Vision East. Okay. They use the tar in the cellar. Of course. So these yeasts that have been in the cellar for thirty years that populate and, again, give the identity to the wines of Casina Fontana. Yes. Is it? And, sure, it's important for us. Also, we not, check the temperature, the fermentation, going in a very natural way. We not check the we not have thermic masking. Okay. Temperature control. That you don't need that. No. We prefer not use it because at the end when the fermentation start in natural way, without use, selected this. Also, the fermentation start very slow, Also, the fermentation is a little bit more longer, but the temperature remaining lower than if you use it, like, these because like these are more power and, push the temperature during the fermentation more upper point. Okay. So it's a very artisanal, very natural approach to making your wines. Yes. And, for this fermentation, it's important to prepare the grapes in the vineyards. Is important for it. It's the reason that we're looking for not to have too high sugar or very early matrician because we need to to preserve the the obesity in the white. Okay. So, again, an important point that the character of the wine, the quality of the wine comes from the quality of the grapes and the work carried out in the vineyard. Yes. For us, is is our idea is our, aside. It's what we live in, in Waime. Mario, can we go through the typical grapes of leilangue that you cultivate and the wines that you make from each? Can we begin with the wine that I love? I mean, I've enjoyed all your wines for many years, but Dolceto is always a special wine, not least because it's the first wine that is released every year, and it seems to press something very much of the identity of Leilenge when I'm with you. Let's start with Dolcshedo. Yes. Elcshedo is a very popular wine, in our area. In the past, the duchess, so also was, my family said a lot of in, big size, Tamijana. Fifty four liter. Big demijohns of wine that used to be the container to go to bars and to go to homes. He bottled. The the family come in the center. We bring the feminine seller. Big side is, demijana or wine. And the family drink every day is wine. And the wine was considered, like, in a common element, like, you know, like a food, like a food, something to have every day with meals. Yes. And, also, today for me, the Dorachete is very important. Every day, I have a a glass of potato and, Also, it is the first wine that we start to drink from the new vintage. It is a wine that's normally in eleven of November when there is a facial day is, a date when they finish the, and not. Okay. So this is the end of the farmer's year when they when the farm workers have finished their year. And he's a Okay. So it's it's a celebration day. The hard work of the farmer's year has come to an end. It's a time to celebrate. They would be paid on that day. So You see. A day to to really celebrate and enjoy. Yes. The in that day, I received the the money of the furniture that they produced, tried the furnace day, product that they, produce. Also, there was a moment that sometime when they pay also the the rent because in the past too many, farmer or end, in terrain, Okay. They rent their venue, their land. Land. They rent land for rich man of the area or and there was also a moment that they pay, but also they receive the money of the product, you know, the RAVES, or, pitch basket that they produce. And for us is until, also this year, we made parts in the cellar, in the eleventh of November for San Martino. And then we drink Doctor. I am me and theresa made, Banyakao, that is a special dish, is a sauce made with garlic, anchovies, and the oil olive, cooked for too many hours. And it's a sauce that is good with, used to eat with seasonal vegetables, like pepperoni or cardo or Verza potato, and, it's very convenient moment. And the wine that we use with this dish is, the new dulceto, take from the tank, directly from the tank. So this new dulcato, this is wine that is not yet complete wine. It's been harvested and made. The grapes were harvested just weeks earlier, so it's still working a little. And that wine is drawn directly from the bat, still foaming into jugs and put on the table. The first line of the year is a very special and important moment to enjoy with this great moment of San Martino, this feast of Banyakauda, this special sauce of anchovies, garlic, an extra virgin olive oil, nothing else to dip in with the seasonal vegetable. It's a tradition, an annual tradition that is very, very special. And as you say, Mario, that new Dolceto This is the moment to first taste the wine of the air. Yes. For me, it's a very special wine and very important wine for me. Yes. I represent the story. Mario, when would you actually then bottle the dolciatto? In the spring. Because normally in spring or spring, yes, for to maintain, for to preserve, sorry, freshness and, juicy of his wife. Okay. Okay. And this is the earliest and youngest one, but still a wine that I know has a capacity to evolve in the bottle. I have bottles of Casino Fontano that are fifteen years old that are still drinking very, very well. Mario, let's turn to another important grape that you grow that I know is also part of the identity of Caschino Fontana, which is the Barbara. Yeah. Barbara diaper. We produce, Barbara And characteristic of this wine is, very crunchy fruit, crunchy juicy fruit, and also higher c d d. And this wine does have it anymore. So it's wine that normally farmer when in the past when they go to work in the vineyards and early morning, they bring with them, salami or, cheese, and also bring wine, and the wine was Barbara. Because the accident of the barbera had the digestion. And also the barbera is very rich, So it's a it's a powerful wine. It's a rich wine. It's a wine to take to the vineyards. First thing in the morning with that second breakfast that the farmer would be having a salami and cheese and a glass of barbera. Really, I think what you mean that this is a wine that almost it it lifts you up and gives you power. Is very nutrient. Okay. It's very nutritious. It seems nutritious. The propeller that we produce, is, we age for one year in the center. For fifty percent, the age is in a cement tank. And for the other fifty percent of the wine, is in a French of, ten percent new break, French of break. After twelve months, we blend the two parts of the wine from cement and French of break. I'm bottling. In this way, we can preserve from the slimes, the for the part of the cement, the the freshness and the juicy. And, from the water, we can, a little bit softness, from alder, especially for the part of the city. Okay. That's that's very important. As you know, Mario, I've loved your barbera for many, many years, and seen it evolve as well. And I think barbera for me is such a great wine because of this acidity, because of this ability to be such a food wine. As you say, a nutritious wine, a wine that is meant to be enjoyed at the table. It's interesting that it has very little tannin, but it has this marked acidity. And the casino fontana, Barbara Dalba, rounds this off and balances this in a very elegant way. With that little bit of touch from the Barrique, but still maintaining this acidity and this beautiful rich character and fruit. Mario, let's turn to Nebbiolo. Now Nebula, of course, is the king of grapes in Lehlanga, but you grow Nebula to produce to produce, to produce your castiglione Fallato Barolo and to produce your tripple a vino rosso, which we'll also discuss. But the grape is Nebula tell us about this grape grape. Sure. The nebulis, and many grapes that we're growing up, in the mostly percent one. We have seven actors on vineyards, and the mostly of four actors are, dedicated to the Beyond nearly five. The rest is Burbera and, Dolceco. There is also a little part of phrase that that is a new blade. It's another another way. So we produce, like the bioli is a wine and they represent the mostly easy way, basic way of the bioli. Right? What mean? Sure. Our bioli is, is important wine. But, example, we use not the vineyard, not the best crew that we have because the best crew that we have of the be all of use for the production of the Perolla. So our three other vineyards that we have, and we use it for, like, and a for to produce a wine with more softness, and more easy way. What mean? Example, we need more volume on the grapes. Normally, the vineyard that we use, are more freshness, condition. So, exactly, the the juice of the the piano. And the the fermentation is very sharp. There is not, long maturation or summer so much cut. So we work for to preserve the parts of the juicy and the part of the elegance of the New York. The wine is aged one year in the cellar. In a barrel and cement, we're bouncing after one year over age. It's a wine that is positive to drink, also with the simple food. It's not necessary for our, and beyond to have a souring meal is correct. Saporito. Zapori flavor really rich flavors. It's not necessary Okay. To have a cheap beef burritin. Okay. Rich flavorful foods. Yes. So why not that have a good combination. Also, with more simple food. Example, fast aragu, or, fresh cheese, or salad. The good wine for the people that, in the exam, in lunchtime, in a with a short time, just only one dish of fast that I go and one glass on the bioli is perfect. Also, is the wine that is possible to drink, also with more savory, food, see. But, the culture is, more seem to facile. Okay. So it's still a important serious wine. I love the language Nebula, but it's a, a different expression from Barolo. The maceration on the skins being shorter means that the tannins are not as complex, and the wine can be enjoyed in simpler ways or indeed with more savory food. Mario, let's discuss your barolo, your classic, Casino fontana barolo. Casino fontana barolo is a wine that I continue to produce for all the the same content that my family use in, winemaking from, more than two hundred years. What mean, mean that in the first in the barolo, for me, it's not the power wine or black color or or matter required. No. Barolo, for us is a one that must show the elegance finesse ten in, but silky part of the ten in, part of the field in reality. And at the end, every element must be in the equilibrium. In balance. In the good balance, well integrated. Also, for us, it's important not to produce a single crew. Our winery have a property of three crew, where it's possible for us to produce three different label from each crew. But we prefer to make the blend because the blend is the tradition of the area, arrived from the past. Where the family pick up the grapes from different brew and produce just only one bar of barolo because, the market not asking out of barolo. It was very difficult to sell barolo. And at the end, the family produce one or maybe two barrel of bravo, and the glass was from of the best story of the property of the family. We cast and blend together. So the tradition of bravo is not a single crew. But blend. And also, the philosophy while making the barolo in the past was to produce a very double wine that showed the elegance, the finesse, and the wine for to keep very long time. In fact, in the past, two years, two hundred years ago when was the start, the the technical, capitalist, a summer's cup. And, for tomato, very long maturation for tour of force, the structure in the wine, and they complex it in the wine for taking the wine very long time. Okay. This is really interesting. This classic style of Caschino Fontana Barolo, blending the three crew vineyards that Akashina Fontana has to make the classic style that brings in the best characteristics from each to have a more balanced and elegant style of barolo. And the tradition, as you mentioned, Mario of linemaking using the Capelos, so this is where the skins on the mass that rise to the top of the fermentation vat are kept wet and moist in order to extract a long slow, instruction that will allow these wines, these great wines, these noble wines, but all, of course, being the wines that the nobility, that first king of Italy, Victoria Manuelisicondo, was so fond of these great wines, that have the capacity to age for very, very lengthy periods. So, Mario, is a wine for wine drinkers with patients. It's not a wine to enjoy when it's young. Is that right? Yeah. Especially in the past, the complaint was to drink barolo off after food, after meal. Okay. After the meal. After to the meal. Normally was a very old vintage of barolo. It was very old wine. Minimum. In the past, the family opened a barolo with the minimum twenty, twenty five thirty years. And, they, drink this wine at the end of the meal just with a little bit, the piece of biscuit or, chocolate or also nothing, but all the old, was very important, element for the convivial moment to stay at the table, continue to stay at the table with a friend, with a family, and speak about many things. The project is also a bottle of wine, the family often when, some people arrive in the family to visit. And they opened a bottle of parole to show his, for to show the the happiness of seeing the respect and happiness. See. The respect or the steam. Okay. The esteem that the guest has an honor to have that bottle of Barolo of old Barolo open for the guest. Yes. Was when the people arrived and you opened the bottle of Barolo was a very important respect, for the people. Especially when, in the where I'm, Paris from, so far, they need they do not see too many times. Okay? Okay. When relatives arrive from distant times, Yeah. I think it's very important for our listeners to understand these traditions of where traditional barolo comes from because it's so famous a wine now and it's found your wines I know are found in many countries but to go back to the roots, the questy. It's very important for people to understand the soul of Barolo. Sure. And also today, change because, we usually drink, baro, with the food. But the vintage that we use, with the food is more. Now, also for different reason, for stability, economic, for the people, or also for the different crime. The barolo is having different approaching, more easy approaching when he's young, because in the past, when the with the low temperature, a very difficult feedback Normally, the profile of the barolo when it was young was very hard. Also, the ten, it was more hard. And also the acidity was more high. I guess than now. Now the barolo when it's young is, more easy, more easy approaching. That's interesting, Mario, because it it's an indication that climate change, has affected the style of the wine. And in this sense, perhaps, in a a good way, because consumers, wine drinkers, wine lovers, can enjoy Barolla without having to wait fifteen, twenty years. The younger boroni are still very enjoyable and more approachable. Yes. Mario, can we quickly turn to just some of the classic foods of Lelangue foods. I've enjoyed around your table many times, but I want our listeners to gain an impression of the importance of food of la gastronomia in the culture of enjoying these great wines of Leilonge. You've mentioned the Banyakauuda, and how that is such a great wine to have with the new Dolceto. The Dolceto still drawn directly from the vat. What would you say? One dish for each of these important ones for Barbera. What would you say the best food to enjoy with your Barbera dalba? Barbera dalba enjoy doing Barbera dalba. For me, the best example, steak of fasona. Okay. Fasona being the local breed of beef, a very fine rata breed of beef from So it was beef fasona steak. Take, la grilla, grilla. Okay. So grilled, ideally, over wood or charcoal. But also cheese, pork, or, salumi. But for me, crostata de fasana, la grilla with the barbera. It's something already special. Okay. Great. I try also Barbara with the crostata in the Christmas time and the sis in the nigeria. With seafood with the shellfish, Yes. With the crustace. Yes. Oh, amazing. Yes. It's in interesting because I have a good acidity and clean where where your mouth. And this good way, if you don't want to drink a white wine and to drink a glass of berry, That's really interesting because there's no tan in in Barbera, but it does have the acidity. So there's no reason why it wouldn't go well with seafood with shellfish. Yeah. Sure. Sarah with a little bit low temperature. And it's perfect. Yeah. Something different. That's very interesting. I shall try that, Mario. You know we have very good shellfish here in Devon. So maybe with Devin Crab, I'll try a bottle of your Barbere dalba. Maybe a little bring it out at cellar temperature, not keep it a little bit fresh. This is better. Honestly, in the I prefer to drink house red wine, a little bit fresh. Uh-huh. Okay. Now you've mentioned the longue nebbiolo, how versatile that was. I can remember once in senior, we had a bottle of, longue nebbiolo with, with a pizza, and it was very, very nice to enjoy with pizza. With Barolo, I guess the great dish is Barazato al Barolo. Sure. The best for Barolo is the short Barolo. If you drink Maria, the vintage. With all the vintage, for me is Beton. Chocolate or biscuits, pasta de melica, pasta de, mice, mice, the biscuits. Okay. Corn. I see. But with the young meat, sure, I'd also drink a barolo with Rosace or barolo. Okay. Mario, you've made everybody I'm sure want to visit Leilenge. Visit the barolo wine hills see this nebula, this fog that you have today for themselves or indeed to come in other times of year. Can people visit Casino Fontana? Sure. It's a very ever. It's a pleasure for us to receive the people in the in the cellar. Is possible to book, visit, by telephone or by main. And we enjoy to show the vineyards and visit the winery and have a glass or maybe two glass of wine together. Okay. Well, that's a that's a great invitation to all our listeners. And I think I think from this podcast, people will understand that to you, Kashino Fontana, really represents your family history and who you are. And I know that you're very proud that your son Vasco is now working in the cellar with you as well. Yes. Mario, I'm looking forward to seeing you in just a few weeks time. When I'm over for Grande Langay. So it won't be long before I'll be able to share a glass of wine with you. But in the meantime, I'd like to thank you for being my guest today And congratulations again from all of us at Italian wine podcast on this great award winemaker of the year twenty twenty five. Okay. Thank you. We hope today's episode of wine, food, and travel with me, Mark Millen, on the Italian wine podcast has transported you to somewhere special. Please remember to like, share, and subscribe wherever you get your pods. Likewise, you can visit us at Italian wine podcast dot com. Until next time, Chinchin.