Ep. 1689 Elena Pellegrini | Wine, Food & Travel With Marc Millon

The Italian wine podcast is the community driven platform for Italian winegeeks around the world. Support the show by donating at italian wine podcast dot com. Donate five or more Euros, and we'll send you a copy of our latest book, my Italian Great Geek journal. Absolutely free. To get your free copy of my Italian GreatGeek journal, click support us at Italianpodcast dot com, or wherever you get your pods. 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, it's my great pleasure to travel to Central Southeast Tuscany to Montel Chino, to meet Elena Pelegrini, winemaker, at her family estate, Azander Acricola Chembaya. Thanks so much for being my guest today, Elena. How are you? Is it a beautiful day where you are? Yeah. Hello, Mark. Hello, everybody. Yes. I'm good. Thank you. Today is a amazing sunny day. And, a little bit of cold wind, but, as always, because Montecino is a very windy hill. And, thank you for joining me today on Italian wine pot. Well, thank you for being with us, and thank you for sharing your story. Now Montel Chino lies about forty kilometers south of Sienna, near the Creta Sanese, a sheltered by Monte Amiata to the southeast. It's a particularly beautiful mine region and the source of course of one of Italy's most prestigious wines. Elena, can you please describe the countryside so that our listeners can get a picture in their minds of this very beautiful and special place? Yes. Sure. Montecino is a very, very unique area. It's a great one making area. And, also, this unique territory, all of us to have very different interpretation of the wine, This, probably thanks to the several altitudes, dispositions, while composition, and might replicate. Very often happens that in the same single linear, single plot, we had several So I can position a microclimate. And, you know, we are in the Val Dorja that is, human heritage. So it's a very, very important landscape and area. Exatial Turbaya is located in the north south side of Montecino Hill. Actually, we are in Montecito Hill, one of the most important crew of the area. And, Monteciro in Tesla, but especially where we are located, they just the soil composition is a clay and the typical toscan Galestra with stone, very small stone that is perfect for growing long lasting wines with personality, great complexity, and, also very elegant wine and very good for the the aging. Okay. Well, that's a very good overview, and, as well, reminder to our listeners of this incredible complexity within the Montal Chino area. And also it's it's particularly beautiful because it's not simply monoculture of vines, but the woods are still very important, and they're beautiful views over the countryside. I'm I'm imagining from the. It's a really stunning place to be and to work. So, Elena, let's let's begin with the story of ceterbaya, a family business that was started in nineteen seventy eight. Now in in the late seventies, Bernelo was not yet a wine widely known around the world as it is today. It hadn't really yet conquered the global market. So your family were early pioneers in helping to put the wines of Montelcino on the World Wine Mac. Tell us a little bit about the family story. Sure. Was you say it's correct. Montalchi, Bruno now is probably the the Italian king in the world, probably one of the most important wine in the world. And, we, we started in, nineteen seventy eight, when my family decided to plant the first vineyards, even if they bought the land in nineteen twenty, from by the by the by the family. And, so, you know, just this, you can understand how important is that part of Montecino land, slope. So my family started nineteen seventy eight to the grown of vines, even if they bought in nineteen twenty, But until nineteen seventy eight, they they were just format. Then my father understood the importance, and the potential of this, amazing wine and a great variety, the the decentralized. And decided to plant the first dinners that is close to the to the to the to the seller. At the time, we had only one actor and there was only a single room for the VINification. The first being teacher was the nineteen eighty two with only two thousand and five hundred bottles. Then my father and my grandmother billed to the seller in nineteen eighty. In nineteen eighty eight, they planted our biggest single plot veneers that we still use. And in two thousand and fifteen, we created a very unique terrace veneers that is a very unique montalcino because we were we are only in two wineries that we use this kind of grown, an alternation between olive oil, tree plants, and vines. That's a wonderful picture you're giving us of of this, terrace vineyard. Yeah. Very characteristic. It's so unique. It's also very challenging to work in it because, you know, the rows are very small, very tiny. So to go inside to work the soil on, also make the organic treatment, we make everything handmade. So It's a very challenging being here. So that take a lot of care. Well, it's also interesting to hear that the the land was owned by the families long ago is nineteen twenty. But the decision to plant vineyards was in nineteen seventy eight, and your father began in a very small scale. So it was really, piano, I guess, really experimenting and seeing what could come from this land that you have. Now, Eleanor, I'm interested in your own story because you, joined the family business when in two thousand fourteen, but you weren't previously working in the world of wine. Tell us your story and how you came to to be drawn into the world of wine. Yeah. Sure. So, yeah, and the third generation but my wine life, we can say started quite recently because even if my entire family, he comes from Montecino, I moved here from Rome where I was born, I grew up, I studied, and I had my entire life, two, ten years ago, when I decided to quit everything and to come here, we can stay back home and to take her, to the family farm. I like to think that probably I was predestinated to do this, because even if, you know, my entire life, is here, so my great parents, and, so I used to come here to come here for the Summer holiday, Christmas holiday, Easter holiday, I always have been in contact with this, with this territory with Montalcino. And so maybe this is destiny that Yes. At the beginning of two thousand and fourteen, I decided to to quit my career because, you know, I had a speech listed degrees in manager, marketing, a human resource, a financing, So, I decide to to change completely my life and to come here and restart from the beginning because I I didn't know, not so much about, agriculture. Analogies, analogies, a subject. So, we started everything from the from the beginning. That's an amazing story. So you left the the city of Rome where you'd grown up, where you'd worked, where you had a, a successful career. And decided to move to the family farm because you felt the roots of who you were were still deep in that soil? Yeah. Sure. It's actually my wine roots is, is here. Okay. Was it difficult for a woman to enter into the world of wine in two thousand and fourteen? Okay. I think that, probably the wine business, the wine world is, it's still a little bit of May business. For a lot of reason. First of all, the first to shock is to move from, from a big city to a very, very small town, small village. So this this was a shock for me because I used to have a kind of life that you, for sure, you can't find in us. Very small reality like Montecino. And also, a very relationship person. So at the beginning, I miss all my connection with people because I didn't know so much people here, and especially with a different mind from from mine. And, also, the the business, the wine business is very, very difficult to approach It's not so, so transparent, so limpy that we can say. Yes. It's a lot of not competitors, but, you know, they're very, very, so different reality, and, it's different. It's a very, very, fast words. It's very challenging, but, you know, we are we are young. We are here for this. So I'm happy to take in this decision for sure. Well, you must have really learned quickly because the wines of Cherbaya, although you are a small produce are are of the highest quality and receive awards and are written about, I've read about your wines in Decantor Magazine here in the UK, for example. 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. What is the philosophy and approach to wine at Cervaria? You know, we like to say that our wines must reflect our philosophy, and especially our female philosophy. So if I always say that probably my wine are very elegant and fine because I'm a woman, and I have a very delicate palate maybe. So I want that the philosophy of the of the of the winery is, quality oriented for sure because we are very, we can call it boutique winery. You we have, only five hectares all under the pollution. We're a living on Turtino. So it means that the potential is up to thirty thousand bottles, but now the average of the production is twenty thousand. So it means that we sacrifice a lot of production, to focus only on quality. So the customer, also have to, see and recognize the quality and the style of Chevaya, Brunoo de Montecino, and the other wines, And, for this, we use only this large lasagna oak to guarantee the very classic and traditional size and very long persistent in the oak because we love, we love a very, very tan, that the tannins are very soft and rounder. Also, their, organic philosophy is very, very important to us because you have to consider that I'm the first consumer of the wine. So for sure, I want a very, very ill wine. What are some of these steps you take for your organic cultivation as well as in the winemaking process? For sure, we are we are organic, but we are not we are we have not the certification, but only because we are in the north. The north, the north side of Montalcino, till, five, ten years ago was one of the most, maybe the most challenging area because we are very high high altitude relying on an altitude of four hundred meters above sea level. So sometimes we suffer, late frost, a lot of, not dryness because we have a lot of weather water or dates under soil, but sometimes heal because we are in the north position. So it's a very challenging area. So I prefer to be, secure, to be sure that if I have to make a very strong approach I can. But, you know, we make only only organic treatment. Okay. Now I'm just wondering with the, excessive heat that you've had to, endure over the last two seasons at least. And and it this has been obviously increasing over the years. Does the position, of your vineyards assist that being on the north, and also at high altitude? Yeah. Yeah. You know, probably in the last ten, five years, the north side is a a fashion. Everybody wants wines that come from the north. But why? Because, is here that who are very, very elegant, very, very fresh with a lot of complexity wines. Also, their difference because, the focus, now, till ten years ago, it was a little bit difficult to, arrive to get the perfect ripeness. Now with the climate change, the North wineries, the the wineries that are located in the north, maybe, has a little bit more help from the nature for this, because we have a lot of structure. The Balbecamines, they're very rich and elegant wines. So, everything changed in the last ten years. Okay. That's interesting. Now let's just familiarize our listeners with your wines. Let's start with the Roso de Montel chino. Yeah. Roso Montel chino is a a younger wine than some some people call it, the little brother, but it's not correct. This, misapproach to the wine because Rousseau is, has its own life, its own approach. It's a mother approach of Santreza. Because, it's a very interesting wine, especially, and you can find the structure of San Jose, but also a lot of fruit and freshness. It's, a wine that it's ready to drink immediately. It's a very dynamic. And, our production is is so small because he's around four thousand, five thousand bottles every year. Okay. What is the aging discipline for Roso Dimontalcino? When can it be released? Okay. The the release is immediately because, we have to wait less than one year after the harvest. And, our we like we love to make a little bit of oke for the oke for the oke for the russo, between the four and six months because the reason is that, comes from the same grapes of pinello. So we need to make it a little bit approachable. And yeah. Otherwise, the Bruno is a very classic style traditional brunello because, stay for thirty six months in the Oak. Large is Laonian oak barrel. And it's a very dry wine for sure with a brilliant color in transfer farm. On a pallet, it's a very, very complex. Very high level of acidity to guarantee a very long aging in the bottle. And, a lot of body and the ten means are so very tall and very round. And then for the Bernelo Dimontalcino Riserva, that's a further aging discipline then as well. Okay. The reason why we produce only in the best vintages when we believe that's the wine and grapes, are on the top of the quality and has the capacity the capacity to become a reserve. So the last available, this last reserve available, is the fifty. And the next one will be that will be able will be the amazing nineteen. And, our we obtained from our, old designs and stay for forty eight months in the Oak. So a very, very long aging in the Oak. Okay. Great. Now one other thing I'd like to talk about is your extra virgin olive oil. I'm imagining you're just finishing the olive harvests. Yeah. Yeah. Ten ten days ago, we finished the harvest and also the press. So that means you're enjoying the new oil right now. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of bread. The faster skater with bread. Yeah. But unfortunately, is this is the third being touched that, olive oil harvests in Chevaya in the north. But probably as I heard by my colleagues, all around Montana is not so amazing because of the quantity. Because every time during the flowering, it happens something or too much rain, much water, or too much cold the late frost. So it's three years that we have this wind that are having some difficulty with the olive oil, harvest. Okay. Well, I think that's important for our listeners to understand as well that All of us are is sensitive to vintage variations as wine. And indeed, the release of the new oil is a very exciting moment, and part of the rhythms of, of life. That oil is such a precious, food. Tell us a little bit. Let's talk about gastronomy, tea, tea, tea, the new oil, and how some of these local foods pair well with the wines of Cherbaya. Okay. You know, Bruno is a dry wine and also tell me that take away the lubrication of your mouth So for dry and taming wines like, you need fat and oil food that, recreate a balance, the lubrication on your mouth. And for this, it's perfect. The cold cuts, Jesus, pasta with meat sauce, the typical local wild boar, the deer, all this fat and oil food that goes very well with the brunello and infatize the brunello, but also for sure. Okay. So Roso, you would maybe have with with lighter foods, with the salumi? Yes, sir. Because Roso is, we can say that everyday wine, you know, especially here, you know, that, you know, is everyday wine. So for pasta, Yes. Okay. All very simple plates. What is the typical pasta? Past pasta? Here we have PG. Also in Motachino is the only part of Tuscany that call it PG with the n in the in the middle. Patici is a very long is a huge pagedo, handmade, and, goes very well with the white horse also. Okay. Okay. It sounds beautiful. And you were telling me the name, whereby. Where does that come from? It comes from the Latin words that means, the deer. In fact, Serbia means deer land, And, our log on the label is a deer that is resting under the vines, to mean the same peace and rest that meets Bruno during his very long aging process at aging life. So we we did this work day, what play game to turn this to put the gear on the label. And, our label, I think it's quite classic. Yeah. It's a beautiful label. Finally, Elena, if our listeners, would like to visit cherbaya. Is that possible? Can you tell us about wine hospitality? Yes. They are absolutely welcome. We can ask the group up to twenty people, and we love to host clients, one lovers, and all the other kind of person who wants to improve their knowledge about Bruno because I, you know, I always say it's so important for the winery to travel and go abroad to promote the wine, but only coming here and desiting and desit the winery, people can understand really better how how much work is behind the dilemma and maybe in this way appreciate better. The wine tour include, our visit to the vineyard is the weather. Hello. It is the seller and, And I see that people love and enjoy the landscape, the amazing landscape, and also the quietness of this place. Yes. I think that's, that's a real attraction for visiting the Montel Chino area. The wonderful wines of wine estates that can be visited. But as well, it's just such a beautiful place to relax. The countryside's beautiful. There there is a historic town in Montal Chino itself, the Abbey of Santantima as well. So it's a beautiful area, and I hope our listeners will visit Cherbaya, explore the area and discover this very special place. Elena, it's been a really great pleasure talking to you this morning. Thank you so much for sharing the story of Cherabaya, sharing your own story and telling us about the wines that you're making. Thank you, Mark, for asking me, and to buy our annual today on Italian White podcast. And I hope to see you soon. I hope so too. I would love to visit and meet. So, perhaps, I'll press it. Yeah. Chiao. Chiao. Everybody. 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 Italian Wine podcast dot com. Until next time.