Ep. 2523 James MacNay IWA and Cinzia Long from MacNay Travel & Wine | 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, following the specific format requested. Let me first understand what I'm working with. The text is a transcript of a podcast episode (Ep. 2523) from "Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon" featuring guests James MacNay (IWA) and Cinzia Long from MacNay Travel & Wine. They discuss their walking and wine tour business in Italy, particularly focusing on the Aosta Valley region. I need to analyze this content and structure my response as: 1. Content Analysis with: - Key Themes (max 5 points) - Summary (max 200 words) - Key Takeaways (max 6 points) - Notable Quotes (max 3) - Follow-up Questions (max 3) Let me go through the transcript to identify the main points: The podcast features James MacNay (an Italian Wine Ambassador) and Cinzia Long, who run MacNay Travel & Wine, a company offering walking and wine tours in various Italian regions including Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, and Liguria. Key points from the interview: - They previously ran a cheese and wine shop called "Cuccolo" in East Sussex, England - Cinzia grew up in Valle d'Aosta (specifically Val Thurnace/Cervinia area at the foot of the Matterhorn) - James taught English in La Spezia after university - They met while working in the tourism industry - They moved from England to Torre Pelice in Piedmont to start their current business - Their main tour discussed is "Heart of the Italian Alps" which is a self-guided walking tour through Valle d'Aosta - The tour starts in Aosta and ends in Courmayeur after 7 nights - It focuses on walking through vineyards and apple orchards rather than high mountain hiking - They visit the highest vineyards in Europe (Prie Blanc in Maugier) - The tour includes wine tastings, picnics, and stays in family-run accommodations - They also offer guided wine tours with optional hiking components - They emphasize "slow walking" similar to "slow food" philosophy - They provide luggage transport so guests only need to carry day packs - They offer wine and cheese tastings as part of their tours Now, I'll check the search results to see if they provide additional context about the Aosta Valley hiking routes mentioned in the podcast: From search result [1], I see information about hiking through vineyards in Aosta Valley, including specific itineraries like: - Aymavilles – Pont d'Ael circular itinerary - The wineyard path of Donnas - Walk through the vineyards of Gressan and Jovençan From search result [2], there's more information about vineyard itineraries in Valle d'Aosta, including the "Cammino Balteo" hiking route. From search result [3], I see information about an 8-day hiking tour in the Aosta Valley that includes walking through vineyards. From search result [5], there's information about "The Giants Trail" (Alta Via Trail 1) which is a multi-day trek through mountain scenery. These search results confirm that the Aosta Valley is indeed known for vineyard hiking routes, which aligns with what James and Cinzia describe in their tour. Now I'll craft my content analysis following the requested format: **Key Themes** - I need to identify up to 5 main themes from the podcast **Summary** - A brief summary under 200 words **Key Takeaways** - Up to 6 important points **Notable Quotes** - Up to 3 significant quotes **Follow-up Questions** - Up to 3 relevant questions Let me draft each section: **Key Themes** 1. Sustainable tourism through vineyard-focused walking tours in Aosta Valley 2. Integration of local food, wine, and cultural experiences with hiking 3. Transition from traditional high-mountain Alpine hiking to more accessible vineyard and orchard routes 4. The "slow walking" philosophy mirroring the slow food movement 5. Family-run accommodations and authentic local experiences **Summary** James MacNay (IWA) and Cinzia Long of MacNay Travel & Wine discuss their specialized walking and wine tours in Italy's Aosta Valley and Piedmont regions. Having previously operated a cheese and wine shop in England, they now offer self-guided and guided tours that emphasize vineyard walking rather than traditional high-altitude Alpine hiking. Their flagship "Heart of the Italian Alps" tour begins in Aosta and concludes in Courmayeur after seven nights, traversing vineyards and apple orchards while visiting Europe's highest vineyards (Prie Blanc in Maugier). The tours incorporate wine tastings, local cuisine, and stays in family-run accommodations, with luggage transport provided. They emphasize a "slow walking" philosophy that allows travelers to deeply experience the landscape, culture, and terroir. Their background in wine (James as an IWA) and cheese (Cinzia's expertise) enhances the authenticity of their offerings, creating immersive experiences that connect travelers with local producers and traditions. **Key Takeaways** - The Aosta Valley offers unique vineyard walking routes rather than just high-mountain hiking - MacNay Travel & Wine provides self-guided tours with luggage transport, allowing travelers to carry only day packs - Their tours emphasize "slow walking" to deeply experience the landscape and terroir - Wine and cheese tastings are integral components of all their tours - They focus on family-run accommodations that provide authentic local experiences - The tours include visits to Europe's highest vineyards (Prie Blanc in Maugier) **Notable Quotes** - "So the main thing for us was to give a flavor of the not the Alps that everyone imagined. So everyone imagined the the the Alps like higher hiking, but we wanted to go through vineyards and apple orchard, and it's exactly what we managed to do." - "Starting from the main city of Aosta, you just walk through beautiful vineyards and apple orchards, and then you reach the highest vineyards in Europe, which is the one of the Prie Blanc in Maugier." - "This particular walk finishes in the city of Alba. And then from there, you can then extend into into Barbaresco and into the Langhe Of Of Barolo as well." **Follow-up Questions** 1. How do the vineyard walking routes in Aosta Valley differ from traditional Alpine hiking experiences in terms of terrain, difficulty, and seasonal accessibility? 2. What specific wine education components do they incorporate into their tours beyond standard tastings? 3. How has Brexit impacted their ability to share knowledge about British artisanal cheeses with Italian producers and consumers? Let me check my word counts and make sure I'm within the limits: Key Themes: 5 points - good Summary: Approximately 150 words - under 200 word limit Key Takeaways: 6 points - maximum allowed Notable Quotes: 3 quotes - maximum allowed Follow-up Questions: 3 questions - maximum allowed This seems to fit all the requirements. I'll now format it properly for my response. </think> **Content Analysis** **Key Themes (max 5 points)** 1. Vineyard-focused walking tours as an alternative to traditional high-altitude Alpine hiking 2. Integration of local food, wine, and cultural experiences with sustainable tourism 3. "Slow walking" philosophy mirroring the slow food movement for deeper landscape appreciation 4. Family-run accommodations and authentic local experiences over commercial tourism 5. Expertise in regional terroir through combined wine and cheese knowledge **Summary (max 200 words)** James MacNay (IWA) and Cinzia Long of MacNay Travel & Wine discuss their specialized walking and wine tours in Italy's Aosta Valley and Piedmont regions. Having previously operated a cheese and wine shop in England, they now offer self-guided and guided tours that emphasize vineyard walking rather than traditional high-mountain Alpine hiking. Their flagship "Heart of the Italian Alps" tour begins in Aosta and concludes in Courmayeur after seven nights, traversing vineyards and apple orchards while visiting Europe's highest vineyards (Prie Blanc in Maugier). The tours incorporate wine tastings, local cuisine, and stays in family-run accommodations, with luggage transport provided. They emphasize a "slow walking" philosophy that allows travelers to deeply experience the landscape, culture, and terroir. Their background in wine (James as an Italian Wine Ambassador) and cheese (Cinzia's expertise) enhances the authenticity of their offerings. The podcast highlights how their tours connect travelers with local producers, traditions, and the unique terroir of the region, offering an alternative to conventional Alpine tourism that focuses on accessibility, cultural immersion, and sensory experiences rather than physical challenge. **Key Takeaways (max 6 points)** - Aosta Valley offers unique vineyard walking routes rather than just high-mountain hiking experiences - Self-guided tours with luggage transport allow travelers to carry only day packs for comfort - The "slow walking" approach enables deeper connection with landscape and terroir - Wine and cheese tastings are integral educational components of all tours - Family-run accommodations provide authentic local experiences and hospitality - Tours include visits to Europe's highest vineyards (Prie Blanc in Maugier) with wine tastings **Notable Quotes (max 3)** - "So the main thing for us was to give a flavor of the not the Alps that everyone imagined. So everyone imagined the Alps like higher hiking, but we wanted to go through vineyards and apple orchard, and it's exactly what we managed to do." - "Starting from the main city of Aosta, you just walk through beautiful vineyards and apple orchards, and then you reach the highest vineyards in Europe, which is the one of the Prie Blanc in Maugier." - "This is slow walking the way you're setting this up so people can really experience through the landscape, through actually feeling the landscape in your legs." **Follow-up Questions (max 3)** 1. How do the vineyard walking routes in Aosta Valley differ from traditional Alpine hiking in terms of seasonal accessibility and difficulty levels? 2. What specific educational components do they incorporate to help travelers understand the connection between terroir and wine characteristics? 3. How has their background in both British artisanal cheese production and Italian wine influenced their approach to creating authentic culinary experiences?
About This Episode
The speakers discuss their love for nature, learning English, and creating good cheese and wine. They share their past experiences with tour guides and creating walking tours for their customers. They also discuss their interest in learning about Italian wines and tour guides, and their desire to create a comprehensive wine list. They mention their love for small dairies and their desire to create a walking tour business. They also discuss their experiences with Italian hotels and restaurants, including a mix of guided and tour-based tours, and offer a mix of self-funded and guided tours, including a tutor tasting of regional wines and a selection of Cheese and ginsengia. They thank their customers for their interest and invite them to join them for a walking tour.
Transcript
So the main thing for us was to give a flavor of the not the Alps that everyone imagined. So everyone imagined the the the Alps like higher hiking, but we wanted to go through vineyards and apple orchard, and it's exactly what we managed to do. So starting from the main city of Aosta, you just walk through beautiful vineyards and apple orchards, and then you reach the highest, vineyards in Europe, which is the one of the Prie Blanc in, Maugier. So and reaching Courmayeur at the end. So you start from Aosta, and, after seven nights, you reach Courmayeur. 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 Millan, 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 travel to Piedmont to the Western Alps not far from Torino to the small commune of Torre Pelice to meet my guests, husband and wife team, James McNay, IWA, and Cinzia Long, who own and run a specialist travel company that offers walking and wine tours in Piedmont, Valle D'Oste, Liguria, as well as throughout Italy. James and Cinzia, prior to moving to Piedmont, lived and worked in East Sussex, England, where they founded and ran Cuocolo cheese and wine, a popular retail outlet that specializes above all in Italian wines as well as an outstanding cheese counter that Cinzia oversaw. James and Cinzia, many thanks for being our guest this morning. How are you both today? We're very well. Thanks. Yeah. Very well. To be here with you. Good. Well, nice to see you, James. I'm not sure when we last met, James. Was it at Vin Italy, maybe? I don't think we've seen each other since then. I think it was. Yeah. By coincidence, we happen to get seats next to each other on the plane going out. Yeah. That's right. That was that was amazing. Yeah. Okay. Well, first of all, for our listeners who are located, as you know, all around the world, can you tell us where you are? Can you describe this beautiful corner of Italy under the Alps where you decided to move to start the next chapter of your lives together? Yeah. So we live in a quarter of Piermont, Piermonte, which is in Northwest Italy. And we live in the valley of the the Western Alps called the Valpolice, which is named after the river Pelice. And, specifically, we've we live in the town of Torre Pelice. And Torre Pelice is, one of those old Piantontese towns whose history stretches back hundreds of years. And Cinzia's family is originally from here, and she still has family here. That's the reason one of the reasons that we live here, just to be close to the family. We have a young son, so it's good for him to be close to his relatives as well. How old is your son? He's 13 now. Yeah. Okay. He's taller than me. Big lad. Uh-huh. He's called Carlo. So when when we were planning our move from England to Italy, we decided we wanted to be close to the to Cinzia's family for that reason. And the town is nestled in a a valley of the Western Alps. You mentioned Turin, and that is indeed the nearest large city, but we're actually closer to the French border than we are to Turin. So you are in the Western Alps, and I'm just thinking that when some of our listeners have been to Alba, to Barolo, to the Barolo wine zones, and looking across, you can actually see the snow covered mountains of the Western Alps, stretching out. It's a beautiful area. It's an area I've explored a little bit, both for skiing, but also, in search of cheese. A little bit further down from you, Castel Magna cheese. But we'll talk about cheese in a in a little bit more detail, Cinzia. Tell us your story then, Cinzia. You're from Piedmont, but you grew up in Valle d'Osta. Is that right? Yes. Absolutely, Mark. So my parents were born here in a house in Torre Pellice, but then for working reasons, they moved to Valle d'Aosta before I was born. So, basically, I grew up in, I don't know if you know Cervinia, where there is the Matterhorn. So I grew up at the foothill of the Cervino, specifically in Val Thurnace, which is the main, village because it's not a town. And, yes, I absolutely loved it. I loved skiing and, winter, the snow, and the summer, hiking. So, therefore, my passion for nature, for even cheeses because I always loved cheeses since I was little and, all that. That's why I studied forestry in Turin University. Okay. So you were probably skiing almost as early as you could walk. Yes. Actually, they put the first skis the way you know, the plastic skis. I put them when I was two. Oh, my goodness. Two. Wow. That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Valle D'Oste, it's such a beautiful region underneath really, really tucked on underneath the mountains. And I know that some of your walking tours take in this special area, so we'll talk about that a bit too. James, you were teaching English in La Spezia. I met one of your students last week, Matteo Bonannini. And what brought you to Italy in the first place? Just chance, really, Mark. I didn't choose to come to Italy. When I finished university, I wanted to travel, and I needed to to earn some money while I did that. And the obvious thing that presented itself to me was to teach English as a foreign language. So I did my qualification and happened to be offered a job in La Spezia by an agency that posts teachers all over the world. And the moment I arrived, I was absolutely smitten by it. It's a city at the head of a a a beautiful gulf, the Gulf Of Poets, as they call it, because Shelley and Byron lived there. And Shelley indeed died there. And I spent a lot of time in the cycling, walking, and just, generally visiting. So it's an area that's very close to my heart. What, what did you study? English and history at university. In English and history. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. In Bristol. That's similar similar to me. And so you came to La Spezia. I I hadn't been to La Spezia until last week, and, indeed, I was only there really passing through on the train, but I was up in the hills. I think it was Corniglia with, Walter de Bate, Looking down on La Spezia and looking down on the coast leading down to Porto Venere, and that coastline, of course, being an extension really a far end of the of the, with the trains connecting so easily from La Spezia. But it did look a beautiful city, an historic city, a city that, of course, was once very important economically with the Arsenale and the ship repair of ships. So still quite a a big city. Yeah. It is a historic city, and it's, it's an important port. It has a a a mercantile port and a merchant port and, still has a military port. And in fact, Jinsea's dad did his military service back in the what would have been fifties, in La Spezia, and it remains, an important military naval base even now. And it's one of those cities that just a a really bustling city. People don't necessarily go there for a holiday particularly, but there's so much going on. You can really get some under your skin, and, and it's it's a really fine place. I I enjoy going back there. Yeah. I I I just had a good feeling in the brief time that we were there, and it is somewhere that I think would be worth exploring. How long were you there for, James? Just one year. And, Cinzia, did you meet James in in Las Betzia? No. Actually, I met him afterwards because we were both working in the tourism industry. Because, of course, I grew up not only so I studied forestry, but I grew up in a touristic area. So even before I finished university, I was already working for the tourist consortium and for the tourist office. So the tourism is in my in my blood and is what I like to do, connected to nature. And that was in Valletta? Yes. It was. In Cervinia, and then I worked as well at the I don't know if you know the Rifugio Capana Margherita, the highest managed hat in Europe. I've heard of that. Yes. I
Episode Details
Related Episodes
Ep. 2544 Crafting Michelin-Level Hospitality with Sommelier Marco Nardi | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Episode 2544
Ep. 2537 Heydi Bonanini of Possa Winery in Cinque Terre | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Episode 2537
Ep. 2530 Adriana Valentini of Monteverdi Tuscany Resort | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Episode 2530
Ep. 2516 Riccardo Giorgi and Adeline Maillard of Cián du Giorgi winery in Cinque Terre | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Episode 2516
Ep. 2510 Elena Penna of Cascina Penna-Currado | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Episode 2510
Ep. 2496 Chiara Condello from Condé and Chiara Condello wineries in Emilia-Romagna | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon
Episode 2496