Ep. 1535 Sofia Ponzini | Wine, Food & Travel With Marc Millon

Since twenty seventeen, the Italian One podcast has exploded and expects to hit six million listens by the end of July twenty twenty three. We're celebrating this success by recognizing those who have shared the journey with us and giving them the opportunity to contribute to the on success of the shows. By buying a paper copy of the Italian wine unplugged two point o or making a donation to help the ongoing running costs, members of the international Italian wine community will be given the chance to nominate future guests and even enter a price draw to have lunch with Stevie Kim and Professor Atigioshenza. To find out more, visit us at Italian wine podcast dot com. Welcome to wine food and travel. With me, Mark Billen, 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 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. Today, we continue our special series that highlights the winners of the prestigious five star wines and wines without walls, competition, that took place earlier this year. Over the course of two days, in end of March, early April, it was just before in Italy. More than two thousand two hundred wines were tasted by an international jury of wine professionals, Italian winemakers, Sommelier's journalists and Italian wine ambassadors. We're celebrating today the wine producers whose wines achieved the highest scores and which won special awards. So I'm delighted to welcome my guest Sophia Ponzini of tenote Bolsco located on the northern slopes of Mount Aetna. Tenote Bolsco won the wines without walls award for the best organic red wine for its piano de Daini two thousand twenty Aetna Roso Doc. Vino biological. Many congratulations, Sophia, to you and to the whole team at Tinoutivolsco. Thank you very much for being my guest today. How are you? Oh, fine. Fine. And thank you for the presentation. I'm very proud about this award. Well, it's a very important award, and I was a judge myself. So I know how rigorous the tasting was with each panel of five. Tasting and the winning wines being retasted by a special jury of the chairs of each grouping of jurors. So it was a very, very rigorous tasting. So it's something to be very proud of. Yeah. Now you're on the slopes is on the northern slopes of Mount Aetna. For our listeners who have not been to this very special and very particular wine zone, can you describe where you are on Mount Aetna and what the landscape, the vine scape is like. Mount Aetna is a very unique, area. Not only because we are on the, I guess, active volcano in Europe, but also for the soil for the terroir. Northern side is characterized by steps, slopes, terraces that climb the side of the volcano and, slow and late ripening period. But the really important things are the altitude. We have also one yards around a thousand meters above sea level. But our, Nuanyan, for example, that one, of our red that was awarded is in is around in Solikiyata at around seven hundred meters above sea level. And also the altitude, the exposition, the exposition, because we have the sun, but also the mountain range of neighboring Paloritani, that, with the Aetna, create very good climate condition and protect the area from, cold winds during the winter. But also, we have the valley of Alcantara. The Valle of Alcantara is, important not only for the mass of water, but for the depression of the ground that makes fair winds that blow into the valley and during the night are moving to the sea. Another important things on our side is also the ancient volcanic soil that born from the different, intense eruption that follow during the years. And the the soil is very, very rich in mineral. So in general, the north side, not penalize the production of wine because its condition creates light and refreshing winds as I told you. A big difference of temperature range between date and night and also, slow and gradual grapes, maturation. So we have very balanced, complex, and elegant wines with, wonderful edge potential. Well, that's actually a very, very good explanation and introduction for our listeners who perhaps haven't been to Mount Aetna. And also emphasizing that Mount Aetna is not one wine region, but these different exposures, different altitudes create many different regions within Mount Aetna depending on the contrade and the exposure. So We're on the north side at seven hundred meters. So quite high. That's a very high, vineyard. Certainly, if it was on the mainland, that would be a very, very high vineyard. And going up to a thousand meters, the Nebroni mountains in front helping to create this corridor of wind that helps to ventilate the vines. And, of course, this incredible volcanic soil with that's been eroded from eruptions that took place thousands or maybe millions of years ago, to the more recent eruptions. I was on Aetna, Sophia, a few years ago, and I think it erupted sixty five times that year or maybe even more. Yeah. It was an incredibly active. The eruption are like, fresh delivery of minerals for us. Okay. Okay. Now tell us the story of Tenout de Bosco. Okay. I've started around, two thousand twelve, around ten years ago. But more specifically, my first bottle of wine was the Aetna Red two thousand twelve. That one, was awarded, now the twenty, two thousand twenty. And the grapes were from, the main piano design in Solipiata. And in Solikata, my one history began. I'm not an analogist. I've decided to start to make wine just for passion, for the sheer passion because when I was, a kid, I had an uncle that made wine for the family as, usually, if you are from sincerely, can happen, just not to sell my uncle. And he called every year my mom and invited me for the harvest. So for me, make wine became almost a ritual. A moments of joy and sharing a family moment since when I was Ali. Also, I've started the one production just to give back something to my island. Something to my city, Catania. That, needs to be known also for the beauty of this terrar, for the history, for the culture, and of course for the the unique wines that we produce on the on yet. That's a wonderful story, Sophia. Aetna is one of the most ancient, wind producing areas of Italy indeed of all of Europe with vines that have been grown on the slopes for literally thousands of years, but it's also very exciting almost as if it's a new wine region with the rediscovery and the renaissance wine estates on Aetna. And your story is is very inspiring. So you weren't involved in wine prior to deciding to create. I was in a contemporary art. I've started, yes, my in in contemporary art maybe my passion also for contemporary is in my label. You can see my label are, very graphical sign is a volcano with the lips, and, is my feeling for the art that I give to the label. So, yes, This is my my life before wines. Okay. That's really interesting. So you're bringing an artistic passion to the creation of great wine as well. I try. The wines without walls is a section of five star wines dedicated to wines produced organically, biodynamically, or by low intervention and natural methods. Tell us about how you are running tenut de Bosco. Tell us what are the sort of things that are important to you and how you grow grapes and make wine. For example, to be organic, was a massage that I choose because we are organic certified from two thousand seventeen. On the label. But three years before, we were in conversion. And I think that today you can't produce, you have to respect the terrar. You have to respect the nature. And to be organic, it's like, a fundamental, very fundamental. And in general, I think you cannot make wine without helping to preserve and protect, responsibility, the environment for us and for the future generation So today is a priority for me, a priority issue, a priority matter in the one production. Is it, this unique vineyard Aetna with its rich mineral rich volcanic soil with its old vines that are still all over the mountain. And with this ventilation that you talk about, the winds coming from the land, winds coming from the sea. Does that help? Is it a real challenge still to grow grapes organically on the north face of Aetna? Yes. Is it is a challenge? Yes. Of course, but you can imagine. We also, on Aetna, we have some perfect locks and turbines. So the teruar is very it's difficult to make one there for so many things, but we are very lucky. To have this terraces because of the soil, the rich soil, and, for example, the pre fill up turbines, you know, the plants are, ungrafted. So many plants on the northern side are engrafted. You know, without root stock of American vines. The soil is rich of minerals and resistant to the the phylloxera roots. This is a unique characteristics, you know, the one of the small places in the world you can find something like that. Yeah. It's difficult, but, I think we are so lucky to have a place like Mount Aetna. You know, it's not easy as you told me for the raption for so many things. But we love this terrar and, the territory, and we thought we are very, very lucky to be there. We love that place with the difficulty and the challenge, but we love that place and we love to make one there. Yes. Of course. It's such a beautiful and unique and, majestic wine area, quite unlike anywhere else in the world. Now, Sophia, you make Aetna Bianco of course, your award winning wine as well as your pre philosopher wines that you've just been talking about. The wine made from these ancient grape varieties that must be very, very old if they're still ungrafted. How old are the vines in your vineyard as a whole? Alurad, the the perfulox are around, a hundred, a hundred and fifty years old. Amazing. Yeah. The majority part, yeah, are pretty low, etcetera, and is in another, contrada. The grapes, came from contrada Santos spirit of that is in Pasto Picaro is more eager in altitude, around seven hundred and fifty, eighty hundred meters above sea level. And it's like, an amphitheater, around twenty seven albirello vines. And, the place is very special because, is an amphitheatre because after the eruption, the farmers make terraces to make and plant the vines. So eruption after eruption, they make this amphitheatre. It's very natural. I just recovered some terraces no more. It's a very unique and special place. Wow. So this is terraces that have been made by generations over many generations. And and you can still find these ancient. Mine's cultivated using the alvarado atnea. This particular form of training. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Alvarado, freestanding bush needed. And in the wines are in, spauldier, but the age is also twenty five or thirty years old. So you were able to take over the vineyard, and it was already planted. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The vineyard was, yes, already planted. Okay. So you had access to then high quality fruit. Yeah. And quality fruit. And just to recover, that I founded But so very little things. The place is very special. The northern side of the mountain, it's, unique. It's very special to rock. Yes. Now, let's talk about your award winning wine, the, which won the best organic red wine. That's a huge achievement as literally dozens, if not, hundreds of wines were tasted in this category. Tell us about the wine, what makes it special and and how you produce it. This is, as I told you, it's my first wine. I started with my classical red. The name is Nava Espino de Bosco, and, from the domain piano de Diana. And he's on ninety percent and ten percent and I choose ninety percent Norelomascaleza because the Norelomascaleza is the prince of Mount Aetna grape varieties grapes aromas and is the backbones of the wines, but is less in color and, in a smells. So the Narello capucho gives, a bit color more and the smells, but the Narello Mascalese gives the the acidity. It's famous for also the big acidity. And, it's a very interesting red because it's very light ruby. It's not so deep. It's very elegant. On the nose, you can, smell the wild black berries. Yeah. The red fruits, but also the rocky mineral notes are of a great impact because they are mixed with the balsamic notes, a little bit balsamic. Yes. But with also coffee grains, and, and spices. For example, clubs and, Juniper. The aroma is, this red. It's very intense, but, not overwhelming. In fact, on the math, is rich, but also it's full, fresh, salty and smooth like the ethnic reds have to be. Are you enjoying this podcast? Don't forget to visit our YouTube channel, mama jumbo shrimp. For fascinating videos covering Stevie Kim and her travels across Italy and beyond, meeting winemakers, eating local foods and taking in the scenery. Now back to the show. Okay. That's a really beautiful description of the wine. And I think it's important for our listeners to understand too that the great red wines of Aetna and they are great wines, some of Italy's greatest wines, One one some might think that they would be deep or heavy in color and heavy, heavier wines. But in fact, as you say, is generally light in color in the way that Nebulaolo for is a lighter colored red wine, even though both are very powerful. I can recall, and Taurmina Gourmet attending a tasting that compared Barolo and Aetna rosso. And it was really fascinating to note some of the similarities as well as differences to great wines from completely different parts of the country, but which also have this lighter color and a more elegant body, not overly powerful, but that complexity that you were describing that comes from this mineral rich soil of Aetna. Aetna reds are really unforgettable reds, you know, because also I think Aetna wines are mountain wines. It's a really important thing that we have to note. They are mountain wines. So they are elegant. They're fresh. Also the reds. Yeah. That's a really important point. You know, I think our listeners need to understand that growing grapes at seven hundred meters, a thousand meters, has huge challenges. It's heroic Viticulture to work at these heights on this volcanic soil. And also on terraces that are very labor intensive. So the result is unique. There are vineyards planted at high altitude in the Alps in the Validosta, for example, the highest vineyards in in Italy are now found on mount Aetna to result in these unique Aetna wines. Now let's just briefly talk about your Aetna Bianco. It's a line I really, really love Aetna Bianco is less well encountered perhaps abroad, but some really amazing wines can be made from Karicante. Tell us a little bit about your Aetna Bianco. I produce at the moment, Netna White is, ninety percent Karicante. And ten percent, Katarato, Grecani, Coinsolia, and Minela. Very small sicilian endemic varieties of Mount Aetna. I choose to leave this, ten percent of outocton varieties. Just to give the authenticity of my terrarium because the white came from an ancient one year. So I would like to leave the small, percentage of the the white grapes we have. And so is ninety percent, caricante, and then, that's, little small varieties. I think it's really, really interesting. The aging, it's very, very easy. We put this in a stainless steel box and no more. No woods, no baric, no no nothing. It's, like, authentic, white ones from Montana, organic, and with great acidity, verticality. The Aetna is the first think that I would like to have in my glass. No food. Nothing. Just Aetna. Just the minerality. The white is also a little bit salty, but you can fill the Mediterranean greens, that the maca mediterranean in my glass. You know what I mean? Yes. That's a beautiful description as well. And I think you've mentioned for both the at the bianco, the importance of acidity that gives the wines this vibrancy and freshness. Sophia, both of these wines and the rosato, these are wines that are wonderful to enjoy with food. Can we talk a little bit about the foods of Aetna, the foods of Catania, and maybe one or two of your favorite classic dishes that any visitor to Catania and indeed to Aetna should definitely try to sample when they're tasting Aetna wines. I love the pairing with our wines and food. Because also the history of food in Sicily is very rich and ancient as very ancient roots because of our colonization. Cicily was it's a year. We had also Arabic people, Greek people, Spanish people, French people, and so the food is a big mix of these cultures. And it's really interesting. For example, I've paired my reds. That one was awarded with, tuna. Tuna with, onions is a very typical recipe that, in Catania, we make with a fish. And the pairing with, caramelized onion and tuna. With a glass of red wines, it's perfect. It's gorgeous. It's very, very interesting. You know. Oh my. That sounds delicious. Yeah. It's strange to pair red fish. But in this way, trust me it's really, really interesting. Yes. Yes. I can imagine that. And what about with the Aetna bianco? Oh, the Aetna bianco. For example, I would like a very classical Italian dish It is typical in the island also, not only in Sicily, but for example, the spaghetti with Botarga. Oh, yes. We have so many traditional places in Sicily for the botarga. And, wow, the pairing with Yetna White and us, but yet y'all dante with botarga is incredible. Okay. For our listeners who maybe haven't had botarga, botarga being the row of either the grain, the gray mullet, I think, is it? Yeah. In two different or mullet or tuna depends. Or tuna. Okay. Which is, salted and air dried or just air dried? Dried and a bit salted. And a little bit salted. Too great over the pasta. Yeah. Absolutely a real classic flavor of Sicily that everybody should try with a nice glass of Aetna bianco. Sophia, one final question then. If our listeners are visiting Eastern Sicily, they're visiting Katanya or or Tamina, and would like to come to Aetna to visit. Is that possible? Alora, the winner is not configured for the part of a tourist. But you can have a little walk around the vineyards and, drink something. It's really pleasant. It's amazing. No. No. I quite understand because it's such a labor intensive activity, and it's an isolated area too, and one can't expect to have drop in tourism that people just passing by. I totally understand. I still, like, urge our listeners to visit Aetna. It's such a unique wine region vineyard that you can't understand the wines without actually feeling the volcano, feeling the grit of the the soil in your hands and seeing these ancient vines, and then, of course, tasting these unique and beautiful wines. Yeah. There is a big energy on the volcano. You can feel it. It's it's really strange. Yeah. And I think you feel that energy, that volcanic energy in the wine itself. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. We try. We try. It's our issue. We would like to give to you the energy and the feeling of the volcano. Yes. Yes. That's beautiful. Sophia, it's been a real pleasure speaking with you today. Thank you so much for taking the time to be my guest. And many congratulations once again for winning this fabulous award. Mark, thank you so much, but I would like to say something one other type of wine if I can. Yes. Of course. The Aetna Rosato. Tell tell us about your Aetna Rosato. But in general, I don't know if you love the rosette like a type of wine but the Aetna Rosa, not only Myetna Rosa, but they're very interesting because of, the acidity of the Norella Maskalese. For example, I produce I produce just Rosier, that has a very quick maceration with the skin is a hundred percent and isa Rosier with a big character with a great personality, very light, but with a character. And you can enjoy this type of wine, not totally, like, appetizer with something easy to eat, but also with a gourmet dinner. It's very, very interesting. I suggest you. I'm glad you mentioned that. I have had some really wonderful etna Rosato wines. As you say, they go with a range of food, and they're very different from white pretty Rosato wines from other areas or provence Roset, It's a completely different style. Still has that power of the volcano in a beautiful and beautiful colors as well. So I'm glad you mentioned that, Sophia. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Not at all. And I hope to meet you and to, share a glass of wine with you sometime soon. But in the meantime, Thank you, Mark, and Get out to the bedroom. 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.