Ep. 1169 Eros Teboni | Wine, Food & Travel With Marc Millon

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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 specialties 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. Today, we traveled to the South Tiiro, Alto Adighe to meet my guest, Erros Teboni, certified Sommelier, who, in two thousand eighteen, was awarded best Sommelier worldwide. Good morning, Eros. Thanks for being my guest today. How are you? And is it a beautiful day where you are? It's the sun is shining. The weather is fine. It's Friday. So I am looking forward to the weekend. So I am pretty relaxed, but excited Yeah. That's a good good thing. The sun's shining here too. Eros, I'd like to go back to the beginning. I can you tell us where you're from? I know you're from a beautiful wine region, and, you know, tell us about your child or where you were born, where you're raised, and you became to love wine. Alright. So we need few days of of everything, every every explanation. But, yes, so long story short, we are speaking about, to Adi, of course, I'm from there. A beautiful wine region. So, of course, focus, or based on, white wines, red wines too, but are more or less a little bit more than the thirty percent of, of the quantity of the surface. And I started in our wine shop, and the wine shop is located in Brenero. It's one of the most Northern, wine shop, I think, from Italy. And we have, of course, a small, small, small, wine import expert. We are speaking about Italian wine, and to skin, of course. And we import a little bit of ocean wine, like, the how, like creme style, the typical riesling and wine regions. And I started with the sixteen seventeen, and I work in the, I work in the shop. I clean the bottles more or less. And and my father, of course, give me her How can I say? He would he'd give me this sickness. He's not like a sickness, a passion, of course, but can turn something in a sickness too about wine loving, of course. And then yes. And then I started the University of, analogy. And then I quit it because, after this, the sixth harvest, what I did because, I was, or it was clear in my mind that I was for me was better to speak about wine, sell wine, communicate the wine, and not to do the wine. So I was a better speaker than a maker if we can explain that like a like this. Oh, that's really interesting. And, just so our listeners have a clear idea, Brenda, we're talking about virtually on the Austrian border in in German speaking, South Terrell German and Italian. But very much, part one scenario that was part of Austria for many centuries. And which as you say is a really fabulous wine region. One of my favorite areas for those wonderful white wines, but also, as you say, for some very notable breads. So you grew up really with wine on around you, with the wine shop, with dusty bottles on the shelves, and that sort of seeped into you. And you learned that your vocation was to to talk about wine, to communicate about wine? Yes. Exactly. And then I started to make some some some small and short some really small tasting with the clients of, and the customers of my of our one shop. And then I move, in Europe, see, as and to work in several. I do my first examination, to reexamination in Austria. My diploma, And then I went to the Court of Mass. Where I achieved, in, I think, two thousand sixteen or two thousand fifteen, they certified the first international level, the diploma of, who added two or four steps to become a master's familiar. And now I am looking forward to the next examination. I think next year, I will try to make the advance level because, you know, if you start to study, wine, you know, every day that you your knowledge really, really small. And then, you know, I am always excited to know more to know, more people to know more one region and to, of course, and why not to try to make the next step that advanced summary of the court of master. Okay. So, actually, I think this is very important for our listeners to know that the the profession of a sommelier, it's a rigorous one, whether one is an ice sommelier, in Italy or going through the Court of Master Similias. It demands study learning about wine regions all over the world, constant tasting, and really honing knowledge. So it's, a really high profession. And I guess the the top of that profession would be becoming a master, Somier. We will see. We will see because, actually, it was my dream. And but now, and of course, fortunately, all the companies are going really, really good and really happy. And so I have, I have to find some times. A lot of times, actually, to find a tool to be able to keep and learning because actually I learned so four hours, six hours a week and for to prepare myself for the advanced level is, of course, not enough time. But, yes, a big, a big thing what I have, what I can do with my companies and what I already do is to go and visit a lot of producer to see the one region to speak with people who know more than you about different wines because if you want to learn something, my idea, my opinion is to absorb information from people that know more a lot more than you. So then you can increase your knowledge. Absolutely. Now, Eros, in two thousand eighteen, you achieved an incredible, award when you were named the best so many worldwide, an amazing achievement. Tell us about this. Tell us about the award. Tell us about what you had to do to win this award. It's a normal, classical competition. You have you are, you have to to be able to pass several, examination. Of course, cervical examination, oral examination, blind taste things, correction of, wine list, be able to serve in in in exactly exactly. It was eight minutes time to serve, in a gala form. A bottle of wine to speak about them, to speak about, all the wine region, what your isaminator, the judges, all the, the question what the judges will will tell you. And, of course, I think, you need, I think a lot of luck because it should be your day exactly your day should be written in your destiny. But I learned in my short career that, if you learn a lot, you increase the level of the luck that you can have. So and I think, of course, and communication. I have a lot of, of friends, in Europe that actually are doing. Example are preparing now for the for the world competition of Azzy. And, it's every it's all every time really good to to speak with them and to be able to confront yourself with them and to and, you know, it's a connection, and it's really important. So this was like the Olympics of wine tasting. Competition and and and you came out on top. That must have been an incredible experience. Yeah. My my idea, it was to or my my my idea was to become in the top fifteen And then, after the second day, I was in the top three. And then we went together on the final. And, it was, it was a it was a great day. And that was in Rome. In Rome, of course, of course, in Rome. Was it fun? Right. It was Alright. I was super nervous from the seven o'clock from the first day till the second day at night. I was all the time super mega nervous. I bet. I bet. Now, Eros, we think of sommeliers as having, you know, incredible palettes, and that's part of what you what you need to have in terms of not only being able to taste, but in in being able to communicate taste. Do you consider yourself a super taster? Is that essential to to be a super taster. I have, I make you different examples. So I think I am quite a good taster. And, you know, in this, in this, job, in this a part of, of the one world. If we speak about so many, of course, you need a little bit of talent. So I think, between five and ten percent, maybe. The rest is tasting, understanding, learning, learning first and then tasting, tasting with people that know more than you all the time is really important. And, because, If you I have, now I try to make you a short example. A short story, a short idea. If I take, if we are playing football, right, And, you know, there are these people, this freestyler, you know, that are able to make a super, super, stuff with the ball. Are you understanding what I mean? I do. Yeah. Exactly. So if we let's compete them like a blind tester so super talented. With example, with the knowledge to meet some tricks with the ball. And, as cooperation with the colonel, a really, really good and important It was a legend at my time, but, okay, I am still young. But now, example, I don't know, another great, Macy. Of course, the free style will bring will win the competition because, super talented and super great. But who bring a difference in the football world? A a super freestyler or legends like and why? Because you don't need just to be super talented. So don't make it. Don't, I don't want to be arrogant, and I don't want to compare myself as these such great names. But, you need, focus. You need focus. Italian wine podcast. If you think you love wine as much as we do, then give us a like and a follow anywhere you get your pods. Not everything about tasting and about, to be super skilled, to be, to be super blind taster. Because a lot of people think, alright. He is really good to make blend testing. So he knows a lot about wine. Of course, if you are good, you have a really good, memory, tasting memory, of course, but you can taste three times all the wine around the world alone and after you will not be an expert of wine. Of course, you will have taste a lot of wines but you have to understand. You have to study. You have to know the theory. Theory, I think, is the most important thing. With a lot of theory, you can convince a lot of talents. You have to know the theory. You have to know the taste, but you also have to be able to communicate. I guess that is one of the main and most important roles of a Sommelier. Oh, I think most people think that, Sommelier goes on to work in restaurants, but in fact, there are many different things Sommelier can do. And you have some interesting projects. Tell us about what you're working on now. So I'm working about the hunt. I do a lot of stuff, Mark. I do what the main things what I am now doing is the one journal. And the one journal by Ersteboni is, rating, website. Well, we are we, me and my team. We are rating a lot of different ones. Of course, mostly of Italy. And, in a hundred points systems like parker, parker, teach us. And, we want to make something, something new as something super modern. Because if you take a look on the website. It's a lot of modern. I we work a lot with the, to make the one more digital. And and yes, you have to check a look check a little bit the website, and it will be short, clear, we are speaking about prices, different, different categories, from bronze to gold, but speaking about price. So, I just want to say the cheap one. But a low priced wine can achieve, of course, a lot of high points because, some of people or the peep a lot of of, wine lover thing. Alright. The wine costs, I don't know, one hundred, one hundred two hundred euro and then have, of course, to achieve a high points, a high a lot of points. But of course, there are we are working on on price value. And Of course. That's it. That's vital for consumers. Exactly. This, then I do a lot of, of education, Italy, a lot of, events and testing to, in to increase the passion and the knowledge of people of people that come to me and to hear what I have, what I have to say and what I'll let taste. Well, that's really important. I think to, communicate that passion. And I guess to get to get people ready to not be frightened of wine, but to understand that wine is brings joy and and And something that I want to do is, to simplify to make the world of wine easier. Why? Because, the world of wine is super, super difficult. It's complicated. It's complex. And, so we are speaking now about the wine, a lot of complexity, a lot of difficult to understand it. And we and I am speaking about, the communicator of of the world and the song. Yes. We have to simplify a little bit the one word with normal words, you know, because sometimes you go to tastings and it's like, a competition who knows more flower names and who knows more, I don't know what. And so we have to speak clearly, speak easy, and to be really concrete. And people from the super professional to the beginner have to stand up after the tasting and to and to say and to think. Alright. I understood everything. And of course, if a professional want to know more about some wines, and to go a little more inside, a little more deep on the conversation. Of course, we can. But everyone from the one to the last have to understand it's a hundred percent everything. I think that's a very good point, Eros. We need to make wine accessible, as much as possible. And, you know, language, trying to find descriptors for wines, so many flowers, so many minerals, all of that. It it it it can become a barrier, but if you can communicate clearly. Exactly. We have we have to speak about the flowers or fruits that everyone, every day can eat and try and smell. Not about something really, really difficult. Because if I speak with you, Mark, about the the flower, what are above, one thousand five hundred meter here now in my mountains, I think No. No. Exactly right. Yeah. We need a common language. Exactly. We will need a comma launching. And this is what I am trying to do. And now I am really happy because people love it and people understand it. And I hope, that, will that the other communicator will join me with this method. Yes. I think that's a very good goal. Now we say a common language, but I imagine that you undertake tastings in many languages. How many languages do you speak? So English, you are you are, you hear my level of English. You're speaking very well. I am I am pretty I am pretty happy, but, of course, I have to increase, but, my German and Italian, there are the two language that I know mostly or maybe perfect. Now looking at the role of the Sommelier in a restaurant, what do you think the most important thing is for a Sommelier to do to be able to do to help, enhance a dining experience. So to have, some ideas have to try a lot to try a lot of different stuff to to invest a lot of time, of money, of course. To taste different stuff and to taste what other restaurant are doing, other plate, other dishes, other wines, and to be a little bit to have a vision of three hundred sixty degrees about wine. I'm making an example. We are speaking about, is an example that that always I do this example always, but it's really, really clearly. We are speaking about fried lamb. So fried lamb, if you are thinking now to put a wine with fried lamb, you think about high acidity, of course dry. We can go for rats, we can go for whites, we can go for riesling, we can go for, I don't know, something like Sierra, New Orleans or something like that. But what we try it in my in in in several restaurants where I was to, to put it with ice wine, ice cream of Canada. Why? Super high acidity, super sweetness. So we have a contrast between the saltiness of the land, the intensity of the land and the sweetness. And then the effectiveness of the lamp is is, and it's went really perfect with the high city of the wines. And of course, I will not serve a full glass because a full glass of sweet land with the main course is really difficult. But a half of a glass, a quarter of a glass. And then what happen, we have every time a super wow effect. And this is really important. Why? Because people come to the restaurant to make a fantastic and fabulous experience and not to just drink and eat something because if I am hungry and thirsty, I can stay home. I have a wonderful seller. I can not cook so really well, but I can order some food. And but if I go in a restaurant, where it's a family, so a hell of a restaurant, I want to make an incredible experience. I want to try. And somebody have to create, this experience for all this this experience for all the customers. I think that's absolutely fascinating, about the need to think outside of the box. It's very easy with wine to begin, you know, to think, you know, fish is always a white wine. Bam, you know, most people would pair lamb with a range of different red wines. Certainly, you know, I'm thinking of so many Italian wines that we think goes so well with them. I never would have thought of a Canadian ice wine. Actually, I don't know why people think that people fish have to go with white wine and meat have to go with red wine. Because some meat, I prefer a lot with white wine. Example, if I if I, if I eat rabbit, so of course, could be good pinot noir, could be in a bjork, could be green ash, could be we can find a lot of things. But the average and the quantity of white one that I can eat with its example rabbit or with fasten or with something like this, there are a lot and like bubbles, like sweet ones too. We can go we can comb, we can create our menu only with white, only with red, only with bubbles, only with sweet ones. And the the world of wine is fascinating exactly because of this because you can compare a lot of things with several and different wines and to create them, you know, because everyone want to create the perfect match, my perfect match, Come on. We're about perfection. It's really, really difficult to speak. And, of course, if you want to compare or if you'd want want to put a wine in a traditional dish example, if you go to Italy or we can stay in, in in in tuscany because then everywhere we know this kind of dish. And we have a fiorentina stake. So, of course, there are some red wines, of course, some white wines, but you have the fiorentina on in Europe later and the different maybe the difference, like potatoes. We can have some spinachy. We can have, you know, something that come with the ferrentina. So we have ferrentina and two or three different things on the plate. But now, the sommeliers, they are in the in difficult, but why? Because the mother and the gourmet cousin, of course, it's to find the the perfect one with the plate is super, super difficult. Why? Because on the same plate, example, if we want to to to modem to Argentina, you have, on your plate, your piece of, of, of meat. And then you have, a sweet sauce, a high acidity sauce, a umami sauce. You have a green vegetable part on the plate. So in the same plate in the modern cuisine, you have ten different kind of flavors of taste. And it's always super difficult to find something that go and something that works with everything. So the modern Sumilje, he don't have, a, easy life. No. No. No. And I think it's really important that you, you, reassure people who can become obsessed with finding the perfect match, that it doesn't exist, that it's not only the complexity of a dish, the sauces, or whatever. It's also the personal taste of everybody. Of course. And our idea is to the idea of the family is to find, of course, something, not that he like specifically, but the people and customers should like. Right. So you're assessing in conversation, perhaps, with the diner. The types of flavors, the wines they like, and then steering a way towards making that match that will in they will enjoy. What about what foods what are the most difficult foods to pair wines with. Are there any foods that you can't pair wine with? Ma'am, I think, you can't. No. You have to be really, really careful with vegetables, of course. If you're just things tomato, Tomator is super, super difficult. Why? Because, when it's raw, you have high acidity, saltiness. If you cook them, it's sweet and salty, and the acidity is still high. So, you know, vegetables, change a lot, the taste and the aroma during the cooking process. But, maybe the most difficult things to compare with wine is cheese. Because, cheese completely change the flavors and the texture when you are eating with a glass of wine. And the glass of wine are cheese changing too. So I think if I have, my most or my highest difficulty when I was working as, as so many in restaurant, it was to make a to find the perfect one, which is. Well, that's interesting. Because and I guess there's so many different types of cheese. You could have a cheese plate that has, you know, different styles, rhinewashed, blue, soft cheeses, and all would require a different wine. Exactly. It is. It is, like you said, and We can work, which is example, really, really well with the contrast. So put in a really, really spicy cheese, something sweet. Of course, we can do like that, but the contrast, you cannot always play with contrast because it's too much intensity. A whole menu with contrast, combination. So you have to find some combination that want to be like, an affinity combination. Okay. Balanceing the whole not just even that dish, but the whole meal, the whole experience. Exactly. Final question, What do you most enjoy about your work and what are your next challenges? So my next challenges is, to find some, some time to rest. No. I'm just kidding. But, my next challenges are to increase, the testing numbers and to increase the quality what we can give to to our audience when they come to to hear what we have to say about wine. And, I love the connection because, in the wine world, you can meet, you can learn a lot of people, a lot of different, to taste a lot of different foods, to taste a lot of different wine, to come in contact with a lot of different cultures, And this is, the most fascinating, fascinating part because you can see all the word just just through the wine and through tasting and through speaking about what you are loving actually. Like wine? Well, I think that's actually a beautiful way to look at, what you're doing. The wine is, a a doorway to culture, to enjoyment, to food, and wine, to people, and to learning, constantly learning. Yeah. It it eros, it's it's been a real pleasure meeting you. Learning about your life as a professional sommelier, but I think most important is coming through here is as a wine communicator. You really love sharing your love of wine. One is an experience. One is something difficult and must be experienced. So we are do we are here for doing that. Well, good luck with all of your exciting projects. And I hope to meet one day. All the best and bye bye for now. Thank you, Mark. Thank you to everyone. We hope you enjoyed today's episode of wine, food, and travel with me, Mark Millen, on Italian wine podcast. Please remember to like, share, and subscribe right here or wherever you get your pods. Likewise, you can visit us at Italianwine podcast dot com. Until next time.