Ep. 1316 Food Diversity Day | Wine, Food & Travel With Marc Millon

By now, you've all heard of Italian wine Unplugged two point o. The latest book published by Mamma jumbo shrimp. It's more than just another wine book. Fully updated second edition was inspired by students of the Vin Italy International Academy and painstakingly reviewed and revised by an expert panel of certified Italian wine ambassadors from across the globe. The book also includes an addition by professor Atilio Shenza. Italy's leading vine geneticist. The benchmark producers feature is a particularly important aspect of this revised edition. The selection makes it easier for our readers to get their hands on a bottle of wine that truly represents a particular grape or region to pick up a copy, just head to Amazon dot com, or visit us at mama jumbo shrimp dot com. Welcome to wine food and travel with me, Mark Binon 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 will 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, my thoughts turned to an important subject, food diversity. Last week, I took part in a panel discussion called bottling diversity that was one of a series of discussions on a rich variety of topics all relating to this important concern. It was in fact all part of food diversity day, an event organized by award winning journalist and author, Dan Saladino. I'd like to share some further thoughts on this important subject in relation to Italian wine. Botling diversity further thoughts arising from food diversity day. In the global supermarket of seemingly endless choice, the real and genuine foods available to us All are sadly getting fewer and fewer. If we are what we eat, then we should all be concerned that this diminution of food and drink is impacting negative, the very quality of our lives, as well as making our planet poorer. Dan Sanadino, the award winning journalist and presenter of BBC Radio four's acclaimed weekly food program realized that many of the most delicious foods and drinks in the world are increasingly in danger to the point even of extinction. Yet these endangered foods and drinks represent generations of tradition, culture, and history, and continue to exist not least because they offer unique flavors and taste experiences worthy of being safeguarded. Dan's first book, eating to extinction, published by Jonathan Cape in two thousand twenty one, was a result of this research, and it has already won numerous awards and has been hailed as an inspiring and urgent book. Full of both loss and hope. To bring attention to food and drink diversity, as well as to celebrate it, Dan conceived an organized food diversity day. But mainly online event that took place on January thirteenth, twenty twenty three. It brought together an extraordinary and widely embracing group of participants located all around the world to take part in panel discussions about all aspects of food and drink diversity. Exploring issues relating to varieties of grains and seeds, breeds of livestock, fish and shellfish, vegetables and fruits, pulses, dairy products, how chefs can help to promote biodiversity, and all the various types of fermented beverages produced all around the world. The aim of the day was to explore ways that food and drink diversity can be increased. In essence, a call to action to encourage all of us to look to achieve greater diversity and what we eat, drink, and enjoy. I was part of the bottling diversity group discussion that explored diversity in drinks. My fellow panelists were Sarah Abbott, m w. Who gave an inspirational overview of the Old Vines project and why it is imperative to safeguard this vital and precious part in the world's Venus Heritage Heritage, who joined us from Mexico City, even insight into the many varieties of Agave cactus, the extraordinary and mind altering spirits that result and their importance in Mexican popular culture. Gabe Cook, an independent global expert on cider and Perry, astonished us with a whirlwind overview of the incredible variety of cider apples and pari pears and made us all immediately want to drink and taste every single one. John Letts, farmer, botanist, and heritage grain expert, explained his motive for choosing to cultivate heritage grains, and how he transforms his harvest into artisan small batch alcoholic distillations. This fascinating discussion was curated by Pete Brown, an expert and prolific author on beer and other drinks. My panel contribution was on biodiversity and wine, and in particular Italian wine. With only five minutes for each of us, there was not sufficient time to fully address this vast topic. So I'm putting down some further thoughts here. There are possibly some one thousand four hundred different varieties, Avita, the domestic European wine grapevine. It Italy has almost half of them. Italy in fact can be proud to be one of the most biodiverse wine producing countries in the world. For indeed, if nearly a third of all wines produced globally, is made from a diminishing handful of grape varieties, but doesn't it most, Italy by contrast can proudly boast some six hundred official wine grape varieties that are still in use around the country. How has Italy managed to maintain such heartwarming virus biodiversity? The answer may in part b historical in part due to the proud individualistic psyche of Italians. Who simply refused to be surehorn into conformities, whether virus or anything else. The Italian Peninsula after all was only unified for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire as recently as eighteen sixty one. Prior to unification, Italy was made up of a collection of duchies, principalities, and kingdoms, with the Spanish ruling over all of Southern Italy and Sicily. The Austro Hungarian Hobbsburgs oversee Northeast Italy. The sequoia ruling the so called Kingdom of Sardinia that extended even over the Alps into what today is French Sabois. The Paphel States covering much of central and eastern Italy, the Grand Duchy in Tuscany, and various other duchies and principalities, some of which were surrogates to greater powers. There was no sense of Italian national identity, and indeed people's loyalties lay mainly with their own community, not even with something so nebulous as a region. After the unification, the statesman Masimo Tazenio famously was compelled to declare. We have made Italy. Now we must make the Italians. It is a task that may still be something of a work in progress for Italy and Italians have come stubbornly and beautifully to a sense of identity that often seems to go no further than the bell tower of the neighborhood or Prilione of the town or city in which they were born. This is reflected in their language, culture, loyalty to a sporting team, and, of course, in their preferences for food and not least mine. It is no accident that the slow food movement, born to safeguard traditional foods, wines, food products, and produce, even traditional dishes could only have been born in Italy. The precision of local taste is extraordinary, and one happy result of this campanileismo, is Italy's incredibly rich biodiversity in food and also in wine. Great varieties. In many cases, outstanding and unique varieties of world class are quite simply grown in one locality and nowhere else. Virgicchio, one of the great white line grapes of Italy and indeed the world. Is only cultivated in two parts of Lemarte, the Castelli Diazi and Matellica. Why has it not been planted elsewhere? Arunacho, possibly Tuscany's best native white grape variety, has cultivated only in vineyards around the town at San Jimignano and nowhere else. Sabarantino, a red grape that makes dense concentrated in highly canic red wines, It's found only in vineyards around the town of Montefalco in Ubria. Corvina, the great grape of El Pollicella and Amarole, rarely if ever strays from the vineyards of verona. Nebiono, one of Italy's greatest red grapes, reigned supreme only in Piedmont, and in one tiny wine grain in the high mountains of Lombardis Faltilina. Across Southern Italy, each region has its favorite grape varieties that are grown there and rarely anywhere else. In Sicily, Naralo Masca is found almost exclusively on the slopes of Mount Aetna. Calabrio has Galiapo and Greco varieties that have ancient roots extending deep in time to when southern Italy form part of manja Gracia. Napoleon, Neegu Amaro is cultivated on the Cemento Peninsula, the far southern heel of the Italian boot. But Nero Gietoya is a preferred variety just a little further north. Montepal Channel, a red grape capable of making both juicy, easy pizza wine, as well as complex and concentrated reds that rank among Italy's greatest seems to thrive only on vineyards that rise above the Adriatic coast in Nebraska. And the market. And there are countless other examples, almost too many to drink. Italy's virus via diversity is so rich, so rewarding for the intrepid and curious wine lover, that is easy to think that it just is because it always has been. However, an important lesson to learn from Italy that may be applicable not only to wine growers elsewhere, but also to growers of other edible crops. Is that biodiversity must never be taken for granted. Indeed, Italy's great biodiversity of wine grapes would be far less rich and far less interesting if it were not for a handful of dedicated wine growers who have toiled tirelessly to rescue grape varieties from near extinction and to champion them for us all to enjoy. After the devastation of World War two that left many, if not most of Italy's wine country, in ruins, Some growers took the decision to replant vineyards, not with their own native or local grape varieties, but with alternatives that were possibly more prolific, less prone to disease, and or possibly more marketable. The containment But others resisted and kept faith in the traditional varieties that they and their families had always grown across the generations, not necessarily for commercial reasons, but simply because they were part of who they were. Who they had always been. Antonio Messro Baragino, whose family wine estate in inland Campania was founded in eighteen seventy eight, was one such postwar visionary winemaker. After the devastation of the war with his vineyards and cellar were left in ruins, he chose to rebuild on a foundation based firmly on the ancient, finest patrimony of the area, which could be traced directly back to antiquity. Alianico and Greco were both grape varieties that had probably been cultivated by the ancient Greeks and certainly the Romans. Another grape he managed to rescue almost from extinction was Fiano. A variety once prized, but what should become virtually nonexistent because it was difficult to grow, low yielding, and so it'd been grubbed up and replaced by easier and more prolific varieties. Astro Barardino, however, believe that this ancient variety possibly cited by pliny the elder in his Astorous naturalis should not be allowed to disappear. So he carefully nurtured old vines from them and from them propagated new. In nineteen fifty two, he was thus able to harvest fifty kilos, the piano, and made just thirty bottles. Today, Fiano Diavalino is considered one of the great white wines of Italy. Italian wine podcast, part of the mama jumbo shrimp family. Another example of dogged determination to rediscover and safeguard a historic great variety can be found in Le Marque. Merilena Kochi grifoni recently explained to me how her father, that their wine estate in the southern part of the region around Ophira had long heard talk of a fabled wine grape that once been highly regarded, but due to its low productivity had been replaced with other more prolific varieties. In nineteen eighty two, Guido Coccipione, somehow managed to track down one of the few remaining examples of this ancient vine discovered somewhere around our Corta del Toronto in the Sibilini National Park, He took some cuttings and made the first grafts to propagate the plant. He was patient, and it was not until nineteen eighty seven that he had sufficient to sow what is now known as a pecorino mother vineyard. To they the Pecorino grape varieties widely grown across the southern Le Marque, as well as in neighboring Abroso. Though the finest example still come from around Ophida where such wines are entitled to select DOCG status. Just think if it hadn't been for Guidoki Guri Soni's curiosity and dedicated efforts, none of us would have ever had the chance to taste the magnificent, compact, and structured Pecorino white wines that are the result. Elsewhere intrepid archaeologists of the vine sought to discover and rediscover ancient varieties. Viticulture was once prevalent within the Venetian lagoon, with vineyards planted even in the many campy of Venice itself. After the war, however, it made little economic sense to continue this activity when cheaper and more plentiful wines could so easily be sourced from vineyards on the mainland. The devastating flood of nineteen sixty six was a final straw and an agricultural activity that had existed for centuries in millennia and for a turning ceased to exist. However, people still remember the line of Venice, dream perhaps of one day tasting it again. John Luca Bizol, the visionary winemaker from the Praseca winehills of Valdo Bialdene believed that it could be possible to restore vita culture to the Venetian lagoon. He began to search islands for any remaining ancient grape vines and eventually discovered some of the last remaining examples of a vine the old Venetians remembered as Dorona. Unique to the Venetian lagoon because it had evolved and adapted over the centuries to its unique watery environment, Avaya remarkably, even to survive regular flooding with the Brackish martyrs of Akwalta. Again, the few discovered vines needed to be patiently propagated to reproduce efficient to plant a vineyard. A site was found on the island of Watzorbo, and the wonderful and exciting Vonisa project was born. Preserving biodiversity is not just living in the past. Italian winemakers have brought modern sensibilities and technologies to ancient, sometimes forgotten vines. In Royalero near Alba in Piamonte. The white grape Arnes was often found amongst vineyards mainly planted with Naviolo. The row here, a row there, the red grapes mixed with a little white, and all harvested together to make a field blend, the white softening, sometimes harsh tan, another red, to produce more supple, an easy drinking wine. Bruno Charetto, however, considered that our nace had the capacity to make a great white wine in its own in its own right. And out of nowhere and from no tradition, he planted a vineyard of our nation and created an ultra modern winery with the latest technologies to produce the sleekly beautiful and elegant Arnaise Blanger that is one of Piedmont's most outstanding whites. The cross Piedmont's winehills to the Coley tortonese, Walter Masa has done something similar with another previously unheard of variety. Kimoraso. Masa's rediscovery and championing of this ancient, almost lost variety has resulted in an extraordinary white line that has an ability to evolve with age in the process gaining richly textured and concentrated flavors and aromas. Other wine growers in the area followed suit, and the resulting Dectona wines have inhaled as the region's white barolo. Sometimes the risk to biodiversity can come through state bureaucracy. In Frioli, the nonino family, seeking ancient native grape varieties to distill it to Grape, discovered that some of the most representative and traditional of them, namely Skio Petino, Tazzilenge, and Pignolo had not been inserted in the European community list of viticultural varieties allowed to be cultivated and three only. The noninos worked tirelessly to getting recognition for these traditional grape varieties. Thus, vitaminly preserving the biodiversity of their corner of Italy and resulting in grapes that are today widely grown to produce some of the region's most distinctive wines. As a bonus for lovers of strong alcoholic distillation, the Vinache, were great promise left after the winemaking process. Is sent to the nonino artist and distillery to be crafted into magnificent, the mono varietal graphe. In some cases, preserving biodiversity is also a means to preserve ancient ways of life. In central, Sardinia, tending low yielding old vines and becoming activity that was no longer commercially viable or capable of supporting families. So many Vignettes were being abandoned. His families moved to the city in search of work, and a better life. The Ben two Luna project has sought to revalue an ancient patrimony and risk of being lost by bringing life back to these vineyards and restoring communities that had almost died. With a new generation of young people now returning to their family farms. Today, working in partnership with some twenty five families, Ventura Luna is reaping a precious harvest from old vine grape varieties such as Bovale, Monica and Canal to produce a range of wines that are uniquely individual and of the highest quantity. A climate change hindered biodiversity or can it even help. Those who make wine those who drink wine are no doubt whatsoever of the realities of climate change. For the increase in average temperatures is having great impact on wine regions around the world. Italy's Frances Corta an area of Lombardi around the beautiful lake portal has long been considered the country's premier wine zone for the production of quality, sparkly wines made by the classic method of secondary fermentation in the bottle. These iron are sparkling wines produced mainly from chardonnay with some pinot noir and pinot bianco grapes are entities answer to champagne, prestige wines for special times and celebrations. But as average temperatures continue to rise, the very character of Frank Acotta is at risk. For early ripening, especially of chardonnay, can result in examples that are rich in flavor and complexity. But lacking in that necessary backbone of studio acidity that gives them their freshness and vibrancy. However, an ancient great variety, urban map, long grown on the gentle terrain slopes of this area, but almost abandoned, they proved to be something in the savior. Its disease resistance, long growing cycle, and high natural acidity means that when judiciously added to the couvet, it can land that missing extra zip and finesse that is the hallmark of great sparkling wines. The same thing is happening in wine regions around the world, even bordeaux as new and ancient varieties are having to be sought and introduced to combat the effects of climate change. In Italy and everywhere else, biodiversity never just is. If it exists in rich abundance as it still does in Italy, it is for a myriad of reasons. Historical, sometimes by haphazard chance, but mainly through the efforts of hardworking generations, as well as the determination and dogged curiosity of inspired wine growers who never stop believing the value and worth of their unique patrimony of Native grape varieties. Bio diversity should never be taken for granted, especially in a modern world where the lure of commercial homogeneity at the expense of individuality is ever present. It is something that must always be jealously and joyously safeguarded and indeed celebrate it. So the next time you are perusing an Italian wine list, we're looking for a bottle from a wine shop or online or perhaps traveling by urging to choose something that you have never heard of before or known nothing or little about. Susumaniello from Pruglia, sponatino from Uumbria, Pri a block from the valley Dosta. Vitoska from Frulie's carousel, Bianco Lella from iskia, or so many, many others. The same goes for wines from many other countries too, with notably rich biodiverse wines coming from Georgia, Greece. Portugal and elsewhere and not forgetting all the exciting and unique Prionia varieties of South America. The clear message from food diversity day is be bold, the adventurous. Be curious. The future of our mind world depends on it. For more information about food diversity day, visit w w w dot food diversity day dot com. 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.