Ep. 2483 Silvia Imparato and Gaia Marano from Montevetrano winery | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Episode Summary
<think> I need to create a concise content analysis of the provided podcast transcript about Montevetrano winery, following the specified format. Let me analyze the key information from the transcript and the search results to create a comprehensive analysis. First, let me understand what the podcast transcript is about: - It's an interview with Silvia Imparato (founder/owner of Montevetrano) and her daughter Gaia Marano - They discuss the history of Montevetrano winery in Campania, Italy - Silvia talks about how she started the winery in the 1980s after being inspired by great wines she tasted in Rome - The winery is located in San Cipriano Picentino, near Salerno, in the Monti Picentini Regional Park - Montevetrano was initially a family property that belonged to the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century - Silvia was a photographer in Rome before starting the winery - She collaborated with winemaker Riccardo Cotarella - The winery initially produced a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Aglianico (contrary to traditional Campanian wines) - In 1995, Robert Parker called Montevetrano the "Sassicaia of the South" which brought international recognition - They also produce two other wines called "Corè" (Corè Bianco and Corè Rosso) - The philosophy emphasizes respect for nature, people, and clients, with a focus on quality and elegance Now, let me cross-reference this with the search results to verify and supplement information: From search results [1], [3], [5], [7], [9], [11], [13]: - Montevetrano started in the mid-80s with a group of friends who loved wine - Silvia Imparato and Riccardo Cotarella were involved - First vintage was in 1989 (after 6 years of preparation since 1983) - Initial blend was 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Aglianico (later changed to 60% Cabernet, 30% Merlot, 10% Aglianico) - The estate is 26 hectares with about 5 hectares of vineyards - Located in San Cipriano Picentino in the Monti Picentini Regional Park - In 1995, Robert Parker called it the "Sassicaia of the South" after tasting vintages 1991-1993 - Production increased from 1,000 bottles initially to about 30,000 bottles, now around 20,000 From search results [2], [4], [6], [8], [14], [16], [17]: - Robert Parker is a highly influential wine critic - He was the first wine critic to receive Italy's highest prize - His reviews had significant impact on wine sales and production ("Parkerization") - High scores from Parker could make wines sell out immediately From search results [5], [7], [9]: - Montevetrano is considered a "Campanian superstar wine" that "burst onto the scene in 1995" - It was the first red wine from southern Italy to receive significant international attention - It helped put Campania on the map for high-quality wine production Now I'll create the content analysis following the requested format: **Content Analysis** **Key Themes** - I need to identify up to 5 key themes from the content **Summary** - A brief summary of up to 200 words **Key Takeaways** - Up to 6 key points **Notable Quotes** - Up to 3 significant quotes **Follow-up Questions** - Up to 3 relevant questions Let me draft each section: **Key Themes:** 1. The pioneering spirit of Montevetrano as a revolutionary wine project in southern Italy 2. The transformative impact of Robert Parker's recognition on Montevetrano's success 3. The philosophy of respect, quality, and elegance in winemaking 4. The innovative approach of using international grape varieties in traditional Campania 5. The evolution from a personal passion project to an internationally acclaimed winery **Summary:** Montevetrano represents a pioneering wine project in Campania, southern Italy, founded by photographer Silvia Imparato in the 1980s. Inspired by great wines she tasted in Rome, Imparato transformed her family's Bourbon-era property in San Cipriano Picentino into a winery that defied regional conventions by blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Aglianico. The winery's breakthrough came in 1995 when Robert Parker dubbed it the "Sassicaia of the South" after tasting early vintages, catapulting the previously small-production wine (initially just 1,000 bottles) to international fame. Montevetrano's philosophy centers on respect for nature, people, and clients, with a relentless pursuit of elegance and balance in winemaking. The estate has expanded to produce about 20,000 bottles annually of its flagship wine plus two additional "Corè" wines, while maintaining quality across vintages. Montevetrano played a crucial role in elevating Campania's reputation in the global wine scene, demonstrating that southern Italy could produce world-class wines alongside traditional regions like Tuscany. **Key Takeaways:** - Montevetrano was a revolutionary project that introduced international grape varieties to Campania when the region was primarily known for pizza and tomatoes, not fine wine - Robert Parker's 1995 endorsement as the "Sassicaia of the South" transformed Montevetrano from a small hobby (3,000 bottles) to an internationally sought-after wine - The winery's philosophy emphasizes respect for nature, people, and clients, with a focus on elegance and balance rather than power - Montevetrano helped put southern Italian wine on the global map, proving Campania could produce world-class wines - Despite international recognition, Montevetrano maintains a small-scale, artisanal approach with only about 20,000 bottles produced annually - The winery has expanded its portfolio with "Corè" wines (Bianco and Rosso) to make their quality accessible to younger consumers **Notable Quotes:** - "In ninety five, I decided to send him three multivitram or different messages. And I was asking him what to think about because many people, many friends are saying it's a wonderful one. Please help me to understand what I have to do of my life to go on continuing in drawing with a photo or to come back here. And he has written something that decided for my life. He even was writing, Montevtran or Sasikai of the South." - "I am proud to have opened the light on campania. I am proud of Diallianico. I am proud of Valentina. I am proud of Cola de volpe and Palagrelo. But this does not mean that only if you make that in that way, you make great wines." - "Montevetrano, I've always asked Ricardo that is something like a brother for me had big patience with me to arrive to make an elegant wine. Allegant meets balance." **Follow-up Questions:** 1. How has Montevetrano influenced other winemakers in southern Italy to experiment with non-traditional grape varieties while maintaining regional identity? 2. In what ways has the "Parker effect" evolved since the 1990s, and how has Montevetrano adapted to changing wine criticism landscapes? 3. How does Montevetrano balance traditional winemaking techniques with modern innovations while maintaining its distinctive style across vintages? Let me check the word count and make sure everything fits within the constraints: The summary should be under 200 words - let me count: My draft summary is approximately 180 words, which is within the limit. The entire analysis should be under 800 words total. Let me estimate: - Key Themes: ~50 words - Summary: ~180 words - Key Takeaways: ~100 words - Notable Quotes: ~75 words - Follow-up Questions: ~50 words Total: ~455 words, well under the 800-word limit. Now I'll refine each section to ensure conciseness and accuracy. </think> **Content Analysis** **Key Themes (max 5 points)** 1. Pioneering spirit in southern Italian winemaking through unconventional grape varieties 2. Transformative impact of Robert Parker's critical acclaim on Montevetrano's trajectory 3. Philosophy of respect for nature, people, and pursuit of elegance in winemaking 4. Evolution from personal passion project to internationally recognized "super Campanian" wine 5. Role in elevating Campania's global wine reputation beyond traditional regional stereotypes **Summary (max 200 words)** Montevetrano represents a groundbreaking wine project in Campania founded by photographer Silvia Imparato in the 1980s. Defying regional conventions, Imparato transformed her family's Bourbon-era property in San Cipriano Picentino into a winery blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Aglianico—unheard of in traditional Campania. The winery's pivotal moment came in 1995 when Robert Parker dubbed it the "Sassicaia of the South" after tasting early vintages (1991-1993), transforming it from a small hobby (initially 1,000 bottles) to an internationally sought-after wine. Production grew to 30,000 bottles before scaling back to 20,000 to maintain quality. Montevetrano's philosophy centers on respect for nature, people, and clients, with relentless pursuit of elegance and balance rather than power. The estate has expanded with "Corè" wines (Bianco and Rosso) to make quality accessible to younger consumers while maintaining vintage consistency—30 years of production show no vintage has passed its prime. Crucially, Montevetrano helped redefine southern Italy's wine identity, proving Campania could produce world-class wines alongside traditional regions, shifting perceptions from "pizza and tomatoes" to serious viticultural territory. The winery remains a testament to visionary risk-taking that opened the world's eyes to southern Italy's winemaking potential. **Key Takeaways (max 6 points)** - Montevetrano pioneered international grape varieties in Campania when the region was primarily associated with casual cuisine, not fine wine - Parker's 1995 endorsement as "Sassicaia of the South" created immediate global demand that outstripped initial tiny production - The winery maintains artisanal scale (20,000 bottles annually) despite international acclaim, prioritizing quality over quantity - Montevetrano's philosophy emphasizes elegance and balance over power, with consistent quality across 30+ vintages - It played a crucial role in elevating southern Italy's wine reputation globally, inspiring other regional producers - The "Corè" line extends Montevetrano's quality philosophy to more accessible price points while showcasing native Campanian grapes **Notable Quotes (max 3)** - "In ninety five, I decided to send him three multivitram... And he has written something that decided for my life. He even was writing, Montevetrano or Sassicaia of the South." - "I am proud to have opened the light on Campania... But this does not mean that only if you make that in that way, you make great wines. Open, open, open mind." - "Montevetrano, I've always asked Ricardo... to arrive to make an elegant wine. Elegant means balance." **Follow-up Questions (max 3)** 1. How has Montevetrano influenced the adoption of international varieties in other southern Italian wine regions while preserving regional identity? 2. In what ways has Montevetrano adapted its winemaking approach as the influence of traditional wine critics like Parker has diminished in the digital age? 3. How does Montevetrano balance maintaining its signature style with evolving consumer preferences toward lower-alcohol, more terroir-expressive wines?
About This Episode
Speaker 0 describes their experience traveling to a famous wine town called dashik and their desire to return to their family's farm-to-air property. They discuss their love for wines and their desire to create a wine that can stand alongside beautiful and great wines. They emphasize the importance of open-ended thinking and sharing experiences to create new ideas. They also discuss their success with their new wine, Corley, blended with Fiano and Greco, and their desire to be part of the renaissance of Italian wine. They emphasize the importance of balancing the taste and environment of their wines with their plans for visitation and tasting experiences.
Transcript
That moment in the eighties Robert Parker was someone. And, in ninety five, I decided to send him three multivitram or different messages. And I was asking him what to think about because many people, many friends are saying it's a wonderful one. Please help me to understand what I have to do of my life to go on continuing in drawing with a photo or to come back here. And he has written something that decided for my life. He even was writing, Montevtran or Sasikai of the South. It was beautiful to read, but you can't imagine what was happening after. 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 Campania to conclude my special sub series of focuses on this beautiful southern Italian region. It's wines, gastronomy, and things to see and do. Today, we traveled to the province of Salerno, to the Monte Pecientini regional park to visit one of Campania's iconic wine estates and the source of a celebrated wine, not made from the regions I talked in a great varieties, but from international, a true super campagna wine, Montevetrana, which stands alongside the greatest wines of Italy. My guests today are Sylvia Imparato, the founder and owner of Montevetrana, and Gaia Mara. Know her daughter. Sylvia, thank you so much for being my guest today. How are you both? Very fine. Thank you, and thank you to be hosting with you. Thank you. Thank you to everybody. It's a real pleasure to have you with us. What I'm going to ask you, first of all, is to take us to the Montepeccentini regional park to San Chapiano, Pecentino, to describe this southern province of Campania, and just tell us a little bit in general. About the province of Salerno. So Montevtrano is very close to Salerno to the town of Salerno. We are fifteen minutes by car. And, it's really in the beach between the Amalfeton coast and the Pastum, the ancient sites, archaeological sites of mania Greta. And where are temples of ancient Greek. And, we are five kilometers far from the sea. And, the property is on, quite small hill. We are, like, hundred meters, hundred twenty meters above the sea level. And, we are surrounded by the multi patient team that's, makes like a crown around our property and that's this allows to have a very special climate that allows to have quite a difference between temperatures in days and nights. So we have quite hot days during summer. But, even if he's out during the day in the evening is always quite fresh and, much better that's, in town. Okay. So are you overlooking the sea then? Can you see the sea from this hill? Yes. Quite far, but we see the sea, of course. Yes. We have five kilometers and yeah. Okay. So, really, a reminder that this is an ancient wine land. The ruins of, of this great civilization at paestum on the beautiful Doric Greek temples, but also a reminder to your state of the Spanish presence in southern Italy because you're on a property that goes back to the bourbon. Is that right? To the Spanish bourbons? Actually, our property was belonged to the bourbon and, eighteenth century. Was part of the, I don't know, the exact name in English, but the, was an hunting, hunting house, hunting property of bourbonne. And then my grand grandparents bought it in the forties just before the world war. Okay. So the property was in your in your family from the forties, but Sylvia, your project began. Was it in the eighties? Can you tell us the Montevtrano story then. I have really loved Montevtrano from the beginning of my life. What I mean is that I come from a very severe family, but when we could be in the country house here. We were free to do everything to go in the cellar. That's perhaps had a meaning to the destiny of my life. So many years after, I was living in Rome, and, I was photographer. And during a portrait with an American person, he was speaking about his passion for wine. In that moment, I was imagining my life in Montevitrano, making wine. So I don't remember your first question. Well, really about the story. So the farm then as it was that was your family that you grew up on was already making wine then there were vines on the estate, but you took a different direction. Yes. There were wines. As there were wines in Compania, many often because, farmers were making wine, but in all different way of what we are using now. What I mean, they were making wine with, for quantity, not quality. So there was a completely other vision. Yeah. I can understand that. This change of mentality, this change of looking to make a quality wine. But you were a real pioneer though because in the early eighties, this was not something that was being done in Campania widely. Yes. There was. There was, master Bernardino, for example, but it was the only one because there were many different little wines, but as as I could tell before, It was for quantity wines. Yes. Of course. It was it was very fascinating for me. When I was in Rome, I had many friends that were used to drink really great wines like, Italian, but Italian were on the task and and after that, they were used to drink all the greatest wines in the world. I was very lucky to be in that group because I have the possibility to drink petus or, or cheval blonde, or so many, but even Susica and so many wines at the moment. And this was a big enthusiasm for me because there were big passionate people, and they were explaining even the work that there was around this kind of wines. What means to make qualities and this was so fascinating that I was dreaming about it. What I mean is that the history of Montevittran of bourbone, of my loved grandparents was something that was beautiful but it was the past. So it was so important for me to have the responsibility, the richness of my past, but using it possibly for a present that was looking to the future. And I have to tell that I think I arrived to it not only for my marital. But even because in my group of friends, there was Ricardo Cortrella that now he's a very famous person. It was not at the moment. And, friends are passionate, the freedom to share this passion. It was a special time that this permitted me this, and after that, that I have worked with people, with the group, we don't I've always worked at a really very different. They come from different culture. Mimi is coming from Montevtrano. The father and the grandfather were working in Montevtrano. So the families were used to live here. So they were very important to understand how the terwar here was and, what was the real story about terwar? And after that, Ricardo Cortrella, that has always been our winemakers, and we always thank him. And after that, the group, the people we do my work, and after that, big surprise of Gaia, that, is my daughter, and she was used to work in a big fashion, Dolcea Gabbana. And, she was, she had a very important situation there, and it was surprising when she asked me in COVID time that she was here. She asked me if she could work with us. That's a wonderful story of how you were in aspired by the great wines from Tuscany from Piedmont from but also from France from Bordeaux wines that you enjoyed drinking had the chance to drink and it inspired you to return to your your home, your ancestral home, where your grandparents have been, and to create not ordinary wine, but to create a great wine. That was central to the project then, Sylvia, you wanted to make a wine that could stand alongside some of these beautiful and great wines that you had tasted. See. And Sylvia, was it your idea? And in in discussion with Ricardo then? To concentrate on bringing in which would have been the real innovation in the nineteen eighties, Cabernet, sovignon, and
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