Ep. 2069 Paolo Bartoloni | Wine, Food & Travel With Marc Millon

Who wants to be the next Italian wine Ambassador? Join an exclusive network of four hundred Italian wine ambassadors across forty eight countries. Vineetly International Academy is coming to Chicago on October nineteenth is twenty first. And while Mati Kazakhstan from November sixteenth to eighteenth. Don't miss out. Register now at Vineeti 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 all 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 travel to umbria and to the wine zone of Monte Falco to meet my guest Pauloo Bartolone of the leche Monte winery. Paloo is also the current president of the consortium, the organization that serves to maintain rigorous quality standards and to promote the wines of the area. I know that Feragosto is a moment when virtually all of Italy goes on holidays, so I really appreciate you taking the time to be my guest today. How are you? And is it a beautiful summer day? In Montefalco. Hello, Mark. Hello, everybody. Yes. Thank you to you to give me this opportunity. In Montefalco, obviously, like in the rest of Italy now we are in the middle of a summer period, the hot temperature. And so we need fight with the no rain while in the North Italy have a lot of rain, but we can align very well. Fortunately, we have a great soil with a special clay soil that absorb a lot of water. And so the trees can take this water for the rest of summer. And so we go on. We go on. Okay. So the challenges of climate change are challenges of hot weather and lack of rain, but Nonetheless, the vineyards are still doing well. I don't know. For our listeners, our listeners are located all around the world who may not have been to Monte Falco may not have been even to umbria. Can you describe where you are? Can you describe what the countryside is like? Can you take us to the world of Monte Falco? Yes. Absolutely. Bumbria, becoming a place the new travel to reach for the tourists. So we are after, okay, in askery, but we have a lot of million people that come to visit, who are, especially a CC. We are famous for the Franciscan monk. Assisi, the capital in the world. And so just as CC received three million people per year. About the wine tourism. Actually, Montefalco, it is the best place that you can find in umbria for the culture, for the production for the types of products, white, rose, red. So, is called the green heart of Italy. And because we have a lot of green, area, forest, lake. So about these problems, it changes climate. We can align. So I say that because we have the water, but, actually, umbria is famous for the church for the wine tour rooms. Okay. For the ancient places like, Peru, like, or fantastic places to visit the spell law. Another one, we are very happy for the tourists, especially the last year was the greatest. Absolutely after the pandemic. A lot of Italian people discovered Humbria. So moved here thousand thousand people to visit, these places. This year, probably is the people, choose both the beach and the umbria because you need to know that umbria, it is just the one of the on free regions in Italy that don't have the the sea. Okay. So that's that's really interesting, Paulo, that even for Italians, Umbria is somewhere that is being discovered. And I think for visitors from other countries, it's a wonderful place. To discover. Very close to Tuscany, close to Rome, and it's a world apart. This green heart of Italy. Now I know Monte Falco itself is a very beautiful, small town. Cited in a high strategic position. I can remember visiting the Camune paolo and looking out from I think it's a bell tower over the most beautiful countryside of Rolling Hills, beautiful views and cool air always up on this higher altitude. So this is very important for for the wine country, isn't it? The hills and the altitude and this Wonderful breeze. Absolutely. Montefalco, the translation in English mean, mounting of Falcon. So we are on on, four hundred and forty meters of the sea level. You said before about the windy, the landscape. It's amazing. And so we are in the meet just now in August in the meet of the big parties So in the festa in a Montefalco. We have four different taverna in Montefalco Village. And so we are checked every year. One thousand people that come to heat. Oh, wow. We'll have to talk about the food of the area a little bit later in the interview because I'm very interested to hear what you eat. So we'll discuss that a little bit on in our conversation. Now, Paolo, you're the third generation of wine growers, and your family have been growing grapes and making wines for some decades, but the leche mate winery was only founded in two thousand eleven. Is that correct? And can you share your family story? Everything is correct. My grandfather started his career in a nineteen fifty four. When he started to spend his life, in a agriculture business. And he immediately after the second world world investing the value So he had in the nineteen sixty just three hectares of one yard and another six hectares of the holy trees. During the years, he invested and spent money to buy more land. Two planted more vineyard, more olive trees with my helps in a two thousand eight. Now, we have twenty three hectares of vineyard, and another twenty six actors of the holidays. That mean eight thousand trees. So in this area, it's very important. The production of the wine grapes as well as the only trees. So we produce both. And then I decided to invest another money in the highs and not business. And so we produce hazelnut, roasted and chocolate too. So that's a really interesting. You are a mixed farm in addition to rather than just monoculture. The production of extra virgin olive oil, as well as of notrolle, hazelnuts, and hazelnuts spread, as well as the toasted hazelnuts. So that's very interesting. And your family built a very modern winery to produce your wines. Is that right? Yes. My father has been an engineering. So he project everything, the building, and we might help. We invest in the the most modern winery that we will do about the our money, obviously. But we decided to be modern in two thousand ten, and we are still modern now. So we are very happy for that. We consider the modernity, the healthiness of my employees. So what mean in the one area, I have just two employees that can work, very healthy, very with their their racks, So with the touch screen, to control the temperature, to control the pumps. In each steel tank, we have a controller, the multi. So we can do in the same moment the pumping, to boot in circulation with the mask, with the skins, and a lot of difference still tank. So we can follow At the same moment, different fermentation, red, rose, white. So this is the modernity. Okay. And then you're also energy self sufficient? Yeah. Absolutely. My father, suppose that the the future, will be the electric energy production, himself. So we we put on the, on the, on the rules. Sixty five kilowatt per hour of electric energy. So we are absolutely out to fifty cents with an production of electric energy. And then we have Unfortunately, I need to to say that, add two wheels. But, unfortunately, now we add the just Alpha because the waters on the underground, go away. I don't know where, but it's bad. It's bad. Yeah. That that scarcity of water, which is a problem in many places. You cultivate both native grape varieties as well as some international But I'd like to talk about, two great native grape varieties that are very much part of the identity of Monte Falco and which I think our listeners are intrigued to learn more about. Can we talk about, first of all, Treviano Spolitino? Yes. Absolutely. The two most important groups here are Sacramento and Rubiano. Trebiano Espolitino. It is a amazing white varietal. That we believe immediately in in it, in two thousand and seven. And so we are one of the most producers about this grape, and I have an idea was to produce very different style of Turbiano's Palatino because I believe that this grade can give us different flavor and style If we do the sparkling wine, if we do a classic or aging in the barrel or in the another version, I am the first producer in a aceto. Oh, okay. Huge potential for the Trebiano Spolitino to produce styles of wine across the range. And, of course, it's important for our listeners to know the Trebiano Spolitino is a unique variety, completely different. For example, from Trebiano toscano. Absolutely. Trebiano's Palletino. It is another clone, another veratrol of grape, completely different shape. I put in my label the shape of the grape, to understand better what I'm in, for Latino. So it is very similar to the Italy map. So with the final wings like the boot, and the weight per bunches, it is very few. So normally, two hundred and fifty grams every grapes. The total production per hectares It is almost seven tons per hectare. While, if you compare with another type of grapes like, Vermentino, for example, Vermentino produced, twelve, thirteen, fourteen tons per hectare. Trebiano, just seven, eight tons per hectare. So we start by low production. We start by the height concentration of acidity. Probably one of the most, has it the wine together riesling. And so for these characteristics, I believe that this wine, it is very eclectic. So We can produce sparkling wine. We can produce classic, more drinkable, more fresh, or like the aging, in the barrel, or for example, the pacito. So I am the first producer in the four vessels. That's really, really interesting. And at that high acidity, of course, giving the wines from Trebiones Palatino the capacity to age and evolve for many, many years. Yeah. Yeah. A lot. A lot. We do vertical testing with amazing vintages, like two thousand nine, ten, eleven, and give us special, tasting in the mouth. Okay? More yellow, more complexity, more hawney smell, more a KHS smell. It's a wonderful. It's very, very good. Okay. Wonderful. Now let's talk about the other great native grape variety you mentioned. Something unique to Monte Falco. The Sacramento. Absolutely. Sacramento by the name of the term, mean, secret grade because was you received on the church to benefitize the mass, in the past. But now, we received, just two years ago another advertising by, university studios. So probably, Benetti name, Sanrentino, come from, the medical, recipe to recognize the falcon. The falcon in the fourteen, century had a big disease. So to save the falcon, the monk, discover a new recipe to save heat, and this recipe was made with, honey, leaves, and skins of Argentina. So probably this name, Nadev, come from this storytelling. That's extraordinary. That's an amazing story to save the falcon, the bird, which is something of a symbol of Monte Falco. Absolutely. Monte Falco wasn't it renamed by Federico secundo, who loved Falconry and also came to Monte Falco. Yeah. Cocaone was the native name, but change with federico secundo in Montefalco about the position of the village. So on the top of the hill, and, so Monte Falco. Because that a lot of falcons. But about the grape, I need to spend some words. Absolutely. Marcino, we started to produce Argentina in nineteen fifty very seriously. Before. It was not considered a great grape, but after, that morning, a lot of minorities, we passed, we this cover the potential of this grape. And, in the nineteen ninety two, we received a DOCG operation. So we had just thirty two yards. About this new operation DOCG, the maximum operation in Italy. And, San Antonio, change, the style and the life in these, thirty years. Now we can consider it very approachable. Very drinkable because we discover the method, the maturation, timing, the hedging time in the barrel. So now We are very happy with the new Vintagie style about Cerrentino. And, obviously, Cerrentino can age a lot, a lot of yards in the bottoms. But we sell after four years after the harvest. And by this date, you can drink immediately, or you can stock on your cellar to drink in a special moment. Okay. That's very interesting to hear. The evolution and style. Sacramento, of course, being very dense in color, rich in tannin, making wines that can be, as you say, in the past, the reputation was for wines that were very big and needed a lot of time. But you're saying now, Paulo, that techniques in the cellar, optimum ripeness, and vinnefying in a way to produce wines that are much more approachable at an earlier age. That's very important for our listeners to understand because Sacramento is one of the truly great red grape varieties and producing some of the greatest wines in Italy so that evolution is very important. I suppose that seventeen, you know, it is on the top ten category of red wine in Italy. But unfortunately in the in these years, We didn't have the same advertising and and promotion by the journalists, by the critics. So I will happy if we we change this advertising, because Argentina need to be one of the top ten red wine in Italy. Absolutely. And we're talking about the Sacramento in porets, is that right? The one hundred percent Sabritino, because we also should talk about the which is a different wine. Yeah. We're speaking about seventino and Montefa Corosso. It is completely different. Wined by, for example, Brunali Montalcino and Rosudy Montalcino. But it is it is made with the same grape San Giovanni. So here, San Antonio, you are just for the Sanrentino DOCG. And Montefalco, also, it is made with San Jose, sixty percent maximum eighty. Sagrentino fifteen maximum twenty five. So now by the two thousand fifteen, the producers can produce montefi also or just with San Luis and Argentina or with addiction of a another burial or grapes like, like me, and also, so I put inside two unbelievable grapes in the Montifal could also, it is considered the most approachable wine in umbria. We produce three million bottles against one million Sacramento. Okay. It's a more approachable, but still very much linked to the territory. Still very much a reflection of the unique terroir of multifalco. Yeah. I would like to tell you some wine pairing. Sure. If I can do it. Monteal could also pay very well. With the deal with the pasta matriciana with the lentils because inumbria, we produce a lot of lentils, lentil sauce or pepperoni grill it. Or, vodka pasta. So this is the best pairing with the Montefalco while for the Sanrentino, actually change the style of food with the game with a lamb with a pasta and truffles because we produce a lot of truffles in Umbria with a white bar with a grill at park. So we can pair with more heavy style of food that you can find in umbrias. And what about the Trebiano Sponatino? What would you say are some of the ideal dishes to enjoy that are local to you? Do you know why the Yes. Yes. Yeah. So pasta with the wild asparagus, chili genie, and the pancetta. That sounds delicious. Yeah. Shrimp risotto goes with the seafood. Pasta and seafood, Mexican tacos. Mhmm. Why not? Sure. Fish stew. You mentioned a different genre just at the moment. Summer festivals. What are people eating who come to Monte Falco for these summer festivals? What are the street foods? No cooked. Yeah. Absolutely. And then, the lamb, past and truffles, like the water. Those are the summer black truffles. Black truffles summer. Yeah. Unfortunately, this year went very well. Because we had a lot of rain in May and in June. So now we have a lot of truffles. That's nice to have it. You can never have enough truffles. Now I want to mention one more wine of yours. Before we move on to wine hospitality. And that is your Sacramento Pacito. This is a very special wine, isn't it? Sacramento Pacito, it is considered a niche product because you never find, aceto red color. Normally, white color, like, a Panteleria, like, Moscato, like, while at Sanrentino Pacito, it is made with the red serpentino, actually. And we are best in the current time, not so late, but we put in the special room to become a raisin, And so the concentration sugar are paid very well with the turning with the acidity, with the alcohol. So normally, alcohol, stay at fifteen, fifteen and a half, not so much. The acidity live five, five point five, and the sugar content are around one hundred grams per liter. So this combination is amazing. You can pay it alone. You can pay with a dark chocolate, like mine production or with a dry fluid. Help on the he's in a so a real. For this wine, we're just building a new apartment So I will have the new apartment in the next, months with eight people with a jacuzzi on the terrace after twenty yards. My dream, it's, realized it. So I have a apartment. My family invests by the beginning in the the duties. So we have, spatch a wine tasting room with one hundred and twenty seats with the kitchen. Okay. Professional kitchen. Yes. And so we we have a wedding party. We had every week of testing with the bus, from Germany, from Belgium. Oh, my. From Europe. And the small group from American people, I create another special more intimate, more fashion, room with twenty people, more modern. So I have two different rooms for the big tour, big group, and small group. Okay. So our listeners who, as I say, are located around the world. If they wish to visit Le Chimatte, they can contact you in advance and arrange visits, wine tastings, or indeed this apartment would be available to rent. Is that correct? Yes. Yes. Thank you. Fabulous. It's a that's the best way for me is to visit and learn about a wine area is to actually stay on a wine estate and live within the vineyards and taste the wines and enjoy the wines as as you enjoy them as you with the foods that you would enjoy them. In fact, at lechimate, you can organize tastings with simple foods or even with lunch or dinner. Is that right? Yes. Yes. It's correct, Mark. Okay. Well, it sounds a absolutely wonderful opportunity for our listeners. It's a place I would love to meet you and join you there one day, Paolo, when I'm next in umbria. So we'll keep in contact. But in the meantime, thank you very much for being my guest today. Thank you for taking us to Montefalco and really explaining the whole world and these unique wines that come from Montefalco and Montefalco alone. You won't find these flavors anywhere else, and they're great wines. So I've really enjoyed our chat today, and I hope you have a great rest of summer, and the climate is kind to you, and you have a great harvest. We wait you as soon as possible. See you. Keep in touch. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. Out 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 podcast dot com. Until next time.