Ep. 1118 Nicola Prudente Aka "Tinto" | Wine, Food & Travel With Marc Millon

Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. This episode has been brought to you by the wine to wine business forum twenty twenty two. This year, we'll mark the ninth edition of the forum to be held on November seventh and eighth of twenty twenty two in Verona Italy. This year will be an exclusively in person edition. The main theme of the event will be all around wine communication. Tickets are on sale now. So for more information, please visit us at wine to wine dot net. Welcome to wine food and travel. With me, Mark Millen, on Italian wine podcast. Listen in as we journey to some of Italy's most beautiful places in the company of those who know them best. The families who grow grapes and make fabulous wines. Through their stories, we'll learn not just about their wines, but also about their ways of life. The local and regional foods and specialities that pair naturally with their wines. And the most beautiful places to visit. We have a wonderful journey of discovery ahead of us, and I hope you will join me. Welcome to wine, food, and travel with me, Mark Millen, on Italian wine podcast. My guest today is a well known and much loved Italian broadcaster. Tinto Crudente. Tinto is a presenter on both radio and television programs and his passionate about the food, wine, traditions, and culture of Italy. Originally, from the province of Brin Desi in Pulia, Tinto is joining me this morning from Rome. Thanks for being my guest today, Tinto. How are you? Hi. Hi, everybody. Yes. My name is Tinto. It's a nickname, Tinto, because my, name is Nikola prudente. I am in the room. At home. In my job, I am a TV presenter, radio, and TV. And you've done a lot of programs that relate to food and wine. Is that right? Tell us a little bit about some of the work you do. Yeah. I I love food and wine Italian food and wine. And, I will I am TV presenter for, talking about the Italian and Food wine. In the radio, the program is called Decantor. It's like the the newspaper. Decantor, but it is a a radio program in the second channel of, public, radio, radio. Is that mainly wine? Is that a wine show? No. It's a wine and food as wine and food is called the counter. This is the first program from, twenty years. And, in this program, I talk about Italian and food wine with the chef, with the people, and, this is on radio. And on TV, the, the last program is Camper. Okay. So this is really interesting. How did you become I know Italians love all Italians love food and wine, but how did you, come into this profession? How did you make it your work. It sounds like a wonderful way of life. But I studied, communication and marketing, but I live in Italy and Italy is the the the the perfect place for loving wine and food. So I was born in a puglia and soot of Italy, and, the food there is wonderful. But I studied in Tuscany and so other, region of wonderful wines, and, cheese, and, food, cuisine. So, this mix of, Poria, and, Tuscany, was perfect for my career. Of course. And if and, as a child, did you really love eating and drinking? Were your parents? Yeah. Really passionate about food and food and yeah. When I was a child, I didn't heat, junk food. Only slow food. Okay. Great. Now tell us a little bit about your program camper. What channel is it on and what do you and your co presenter, Roberto, get up to? Where do you travel in when you're going around Italy. Tell us about the show. So, Camper is a TV programmer, was all the summer on, it's the first channel. Of a public television, try one. And, this program started before lunch. So every day, from Monday to Friday. When people are just getting really hungry, Yeah. Yeah. They are very, very angry. And the the program, deals with tourism in Italy, food, and beverage, tracking in the natural So in Italy, we have, the mountains, Trintino Alto adige, Piamonte, and, this program talks about, also, Ancentown, very, very full is a complete this this program. The the menu of this program was very from north to to to shoot. And, the first program of tourism, I think it's impossible to talk of tourism without, anogastronomic tourism. Okay. Because if you go in, in a small little ancient town, you can taste the the the wine, the cheese, and typical, food. So it's all embracing, culture, history, nature, and, and, of course, wonderful foods and wines. Yeah. Yeah. With me, a woman, Roberta, Maurizae, she comes from, Calabrio, from pseudo Italy. She, loves, food, Italian wine. We are friends, and we enjoy the very, very much in this new and exciting adventure because the campus, the first program talks about, tourism and, touring and of astronomy tourism. Wow. That's really wonderful. And that's so important. It's such an important enjoyment for anybody visiting Italy. Interesting though that your audience is primarily, I imagine Italians. Italians who want to discover their own country. Yeah. Yeah. The the Italian target, the the the audience, families, and tourism lovers. But, this program camper is, on the Ray one, Raiuno, and so in in Italy, but also in right Italian. So all the word. So if you are an Italian and, you live in New York, you can see this program and, TV. Italian TV. Okay. So that's that's really interesting that you're actually introducing Italy. The the areas that people don't know to Italians. Italians, not just living in Italy, but around the world. So, for example, places that they wouldn't have otherwise been to. Foods and wines, they wouldn't have tasted. Italians generally love the foods and wines of their own area best. Is that right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's it's impossible to to do tourism in Italy, without, food and wine, Italian food and wine. With camper, we have a show to our people more than one hundred different places. For example, you you can go to multiple channel in Tuscany and, without drinking an excellent glass of nobelle de montepulciano is a red wine and tasting local food like peachy, connie ragu, typical fresh pasta, with the meat sauce. And, I think, I'm very, very lucky to to live in Italy for for the one. Yeah. Absolutely. Just a few more examples. Do you visit every one of Italy's twenty regions? Yeah. Yeah. Not all none this summer, but, my job, and I I love my job because I can go in a in every I think I visited the every region of Italy. From Valeda, Austin, the north of, sicily in suit, and, every region of Italy is, is wonderful. You can, can discover seaside, a mountains, snow, sea. So I I think it's the best place in the world for, wine and food. Yeah. So I think I agree with you. Now do you have a favorite region? I know that you've you're you're trying to give a good representation of all of the country, but do you have a favorite region and if so why? My I I think my favorite region is a is a Tuscany. Because, you can stay, in, in in the nature and, in silence without talking and, simply see and contemplate, you know, the the the and discover the the the natural. What about the foods of Tuscany then? What would you mentioned the Vino Nobilean dimontepul China with the peachy those handmade, fat noodles. What about to some of the other dishes of Tuscany that you particularly think are classic Yeah. Iconic dishes. Oh, yes. Picorino toscann is a cheese and tuscany cheese, and we denobulate, the multiple chamois, a red wine is, perfect. And, I love, Pinoccionna is, from, prosciutto, but with, with the fennel, the fennel key. Yeah. With fennel. Yeah. With the fennel, and, is it wonderful. Oh, I love that too. It's quite crumbly, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Fennel it's called the fennel kona. Wonderful. And what wine would you would you like with that? Yeah. Not be the the montepulciano is, is a good wine because, it's not like a brunel de or de Montaccino, so expensive, but is, is, for everybody. A class of novel and of multiple channel is for everybody. I love this kind of wine because it's like, a fashion. It's a very, very, easy to drink well if you have, one hundred hero. No. But if you have, ten heroes is a perfect Are you enjoying this podcast? There is so much more high quality wine content available for mama jumbo shrimp. Check out our new wine study maps or books on Italian wine. Including Italian wine unplugged, and much, much more. Just visit our website, mama jumbo shrimp dot com. Now back to the show. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's important too that, food in wine in Italy is at all levels from simple, simple things that are really delicious, simple wines, simple food to more elevated foods. Do you think that, the younger younger Italians today are as interested in food and wine as an older generation. Who is your main audience? And are younger people going to keep these excitement and traditions going? I I think, the tradition in Italy is a very, very important, are the base of our country. The family, in Italy is a very, very important, and Italy has a very strong family concept for a traditional food and cuisine. For this reason, Italian's learned to cook from their parents or grandparents. My mom is a wonderful chef And I think for this reason, Italian tradition are not going to disappear. Sure. Yeah. It is it is indeed a a real richness and and this regionality of the food as well. But it's also more difficult now with with younger people when both couples are working to keep those cooking traditions going. Do you think that people will continue to learn from the, for example, the cooking of the grandmother's I think, COVID, the lockdown gave us more time to to cook at home. So, also, it's mark working when you work at home, and you are talking like now with computer, you can go in a kitchen and, taste the cheese and also, you know, and all that wine, you can work and taste it at the same time. You work better. Yeah. I think that's true. And, it's not working. All those people to have more to spend in kitchen. I think that the the time today is different. It's not like in the past. Where, your grandmother was spending most of time cooking for all family and preparing long time, and consuming fresh pasta every day. My grandmother, every day prepared pasta. Ragu, the first, the second, the, the the serve every day, wine every day, lunch, and dinner. I think today is, there is a good balance from the person, and after COVID is more slow food, slow think of a and way of life. That's really interesting, and that's interesting as well to think that something good has come from COVID. It's made us think about what's important. And, obviously, food and wine is is very important. It's a pleasure. The important of time. The time is very, very important. We I think, we understand this the the time, is very, very important. And the time you can spend is time in, at home, cooking, and drinking, and Do you like to cook yourself? Yeah. Yeah. I, and I can cook in Roman cuisin, like, carbonara, amatriciana, the classics. Yeah. Cachappepe, traditional dishes of, yeah, classic Food deck and the Roman cuisits. I read an interesting thing in the paper just this morning. It was at Gam Baroso, has given an award for the best street food in Italy, I think, to a kebab shop in bologna, which is really interesting. I was in bologna last week and, you know, the food is so traditional and there, you would maybe have a Piedina with salumi. But this kebab shop was started by Palestinian refugee, and it's given an award is the best street food. Is do you think that Italians are becoming more open minded to new flavors to cuasines from other countries. I think the richness of Italy is a tradition. So you can mix, the pasta, the present, and the future. But for us, Piedines, Piedina, and kebab is alike, but but is not a pedina. Or, for example, last week, I was in Sicily in San vitolo Capo for, cusco's championship. And, cuscous, is, typical of, Africa, for example, but also in Sicily. So this is a sicilian cuscous, So I think the the the Italy, the the the part of tradition in Italy is a very, very important. We are open minded but with the an accent of Italian. Of course. Yes. And I actually that tradition of cuscoos goes back to the Arabs in Sicily. Doesn't it? Was that a cuscoos de Peche in the competition? Both, sea and the meat. Yeah. Oh, good. With vegetable, but the the the the the flavor is an sicilian flavor. You can taste the sicily with the ciscos. So I think the the the the the good of Italy is this mix, but for us lasagna is lasagna. It's not it's lasagna with a an English accident. No. No. Yeah. Absolutely. And a dish like you mentioned, carbonara, for example, that has to be made the right way, doesn't it? You can't just be done in any old way. For example, I hate the the, the new carbonara. When the a chef propose, carbonara, the new version. So with carbonara without eggs, I I I I think both. I don't understand. Carbonara is with eggs. Yeah. Of course. Now, you mentioned an interesting thing. How COVID has has changed, made us appreciate, slower life. What about wine drinking? Do you think that's effective wine drinking? Are people perhaps thinking to drink more intelligently, better wines, maybe a little bit less, but better. I think, people today love, quality and, love, local wines. People, love drinking their local wines. Red wine, white wine, sparkling wine. In Italy, we have many wine regions, and many kinds of grit wines. Compared to France, for example, in France, you have less wines in Italy, more wines, but this is the richness of Italy. Yes. And all of those local grape varieties that you only find in a particular not even region in a particular commune even. Yeah. Yeah. And, I think today, we have more culture of wine in Italy. Thanks to TV. Thanks to to web the social network. Thanks to to the the books, the the events. For example, I think, Vineethally. Vineethally is the the most important, heaven of wine. In, in Italy, and is important in Italy, like a business meeting back in Italy, like, in, a party of the you can meet people And so, VIN Italy offer is important like VIN Italy in, Sierra verona. Yes. You're right. It's it's, a party that the whole country is invited to because you have wine producers from everywhere in Italy. That's what I always find so interesting about the Italy. What about younger people? Are they drinking wine? Are they going to understand and appreciate wines more? But I think, young people love wine. It's not like, their grand grandfather, for example. Young. People love, cocktail. For example, I I don't like cocktail. I prefer wine. Especially during dinner or lunch. I love wine, o, or beer, but I don't love this, this, new, flavor. Do you know flavor? No? So you can taste the engine tonic pairing with the carbonara. No. For me, during dinner, I love wine. It's it's like, more, equilibrium. No? Yeah. More more balance. Yes. Yeah. More balance because, is is is too is too much. The cocktail for me is too much. No. The attention is more and more in in the glass. With wine is, very, very balanced. Yes. And I guess in your travels, it's always the local wines that go best with the local foods rather than trying to find imagine it of pairings of lions from anywhere in the world to go. It's the local wines. Yeah. Yeah. With local wine, you I think, when young people, asked me to me, which kind of wine can I taste here? I say. No problem. If you taste and, if you choose a local wine, you are in a perfect situation. Absolutely. So if you are in modena, and you can order, at Sumeli, Lambrusco. We are perfect situation because, the pairing is a regional pairing. It goes with the Richard Foods, a Sadoomi, all of those wonderful things at tortellini. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You you you you it's not a mistake. Yeah. No. Definitely. Now my final question, I'm just going to ask you, If you had one last meal that you wanted to eat, what would end wine to have with that? What would you what would you choose? I think the, Italian dish, the the the like a flag, Italian flag, you know, spaghetti, tomato, and basil, it's like Italian flag for the color, red, the tomato, green is, basil, and, white is, the color of, pasta. So I think, is a perfect, it's a simple, and the same time, difficult receive. Wonderful. Yes. And sometimes the simplest is the hardest to get perfect. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think the spaghetti is the happiness. Yes. Wonderful. You are reached with the five and six euroson. Yes. Brilliant. Tinto, it's been a real pleasure talking with you this morning. I'm I we look forward to trying to find camper on, TV myself to follow you around Italy. It's an exciting journey you're taking people on, and I look forward to, to following that, and perhaps to meeting one day. Yeah. Yeah. So thank you very much. Cheers. We hope you enjoy today's episode brought to you by the wine to wine business forum twenty twenty two. This year, we'll mark the ninth edition of the forum to be held on November seventh and eighth twenty twenty two in verona Italy. Remember tickets are on sale now. So for more information, please visit us at wine to wine dot net. Hi, guys. I'm Joy Livingston, and I am the producer of the Italian wine podcast. Thank you for listening. We are the only wine podcast that has been doing a daily show since the pandemic began. This is a labor of love and we are committed to bringing you free content every day. Of course, this takes time and effort not to mention the cost of equipment, production, and editing. We would be grateful for your donations, suggestions, requests, and ideas. For more information on how to get in touch, go to Italian wine podcast dot com.