Ep. 962 Andrea Milese | Wine, Food & Travel With Marc Millon

Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. This episode is brought to you by Vinitally International Academy, announcing the twenty fourth of our Italian wine Ambassador courses to be held in London, Austria, and Hong Kong. From the twenty seventh to the twenty ninth of July. Are you up for the challenge of this demanding course? Do you want to be the next Italian wine Ambassador? Learn more and apply now at viniti international dot com. Welcome to this special five star wines and wine without walls series on wine food and travel with me, Mark Millen, on Italian wine podcast. For the next weeks, we will be focusing on a dozen trophy winning wineries from the competitions it took place in verona at the start of Vin Italy in early April. The winning wines are without doubt some of the very best that Italy has to offer. What I'm most interested in discovering are the stories behind the bottles learning about the wines themselves, of course, and also about the people who make them. Where they're from, what they eat, how they live. It's a fascinating journey that will take us all across Italy, and I hope you will join me. Welcome to wine food and travel with me, Mark Millen, on Italian wine podcast. In this special five star wines and wine without walls edition, I'm delighted to shine a spotlight on a very important family wine business. Ferro wine, a company that from its base in Castel Franco Veneto, has grown to be one of Italy's most comprehensive sources of wines from throughout the country. Fairowines supported this year's five star wines competition that took place in Vin Italy in April by entering a large number of wines from estates that they represent all over the country. My guest today is Andrea Milese, who joins me from this beautiful town of Castell Franco in the province of Traviso, North of Venice. Challandrea, thank you so much for being my guest today, and welcome to the show. Hello, Mark. It's a pleasure and honored to be featured here. Great. Well, first, firstly, Ferrawine has been a great supporter of five star wines and wine without walls. Why do you think this event is so important and and worse supporting? So we, as Verrawine, strongly believe in, Vin Italy and Vine Italy international, of course. And we decided to fully support the five star wine concourse because we believe it's a unique opportunity for us to show to the VIN Italy network, our core, and, of course, our wine selection, and, to display it to of course a panel of international experts regarding wine and business. It must have been a difficult decision with over eight thousand labels. How did you decide from so many different bottles in the states? Which wines to enter? Well, when it come to our selection, I guess for us, there are no compromise. We do strongly believe in support, a small and independent grower, and give voice to their story, and, of course, they whine. We do not have fillers, wine, but we do wanna have, wine with purpose and wine with specific aim. Take, for example, the winner, the Vigna Val Ferana from Paris de Yarete. It's a lovely wine made from an extraordinary person, which is Paris de Yarete in a place that is no fancy, like the language, but we are in Northern part of Hillmont. So it's very unique. So if you need terroir, and the result, of course, is an unbelievably good wine. A hundred percent biolo from Catinara. For us, it's kind of, it's kind of display our value. Small producer, really good value for money and extraordinary product. Actually, that's a really good point you're making, Andrea, that five star wines is, such an important competition, not least because through this independent panel of expert judges, it does allow these small independent producers to really Absolutely. Show their excellence, perhaps, you know, not always available in some competitions. Absolutely. Maybe they do not have the also the economic, economical possibility to have a, you know, kind of space where within the Italy or other international show. So that's one of main reason we decide to fully support the five star wine and the Vineitally international network. Well, that's great. And I think that it also, as you say, highlights the Ferro wine philosophy of really finding the small producers, independent producers, and wines that offer really good value to the loan number. Absolutely. Because we work. Our business is, eighty percent focused on trade. So on the Horica of their restaurant and catering. So we serve a lot of restaurant, pubs, beer, hotel, catering, and twenty percent is focused on direct to consumer. So our core is, of course, find great products with great value for money that allow the wine and the producer to get displayed in all the major context in Veneto and of in a major city where we are present, like Milan, Florence, Rome, Rome, Rome, and so on. Well, it's interesting. You say that because Federal Wine itself, has a fascinating family story originating from an Osteria, an Osteria with a bottega. Absolutely. More than more than a hundred years ago. So this link with with supplying restaurants and of all levels, is very important. Just tell us a little bit about the story of federal wine its origins in the Veneto, and how it evolved into the business that it is today. Yeah. So, basically, for one, it's a family run business. It is still family run business. Since nineteen twenty. So as you currently say, we are more than a hundred years old. Basically, initially, Farwan started as a Nosteria or tavern, where the founder, Mr. Giovanniiferro started to buy grapes, and, of course, make its own wine, not only for the tavern cast summer, but also in order to resell to other local facilities. The second generation in the early fifty, mister gastone switched the company to a commercial wine cellar. He decided to add in products like wine, grappa, Vermont, Marcella, which at the time were considered very, very high level delicacy. And the third generation, which now run, actually, the business, mister Giovanni, and Ms. They took over in the early nineties, of course, through sales and acquisition, they start developing a more complex body around this business. So now we are one of the largest wine shop and one distributor in Veneta. We have our headquarter here in Castel Franco, but we do also have another wine shop very close to the sea, which is the Azulito. So the mainly focus, of course, is the trade as a as I told you before. So we are focused on serving our customer through our restaurant a hotel, and so on. But the very, very importance of the our wine shop here in Castel Franco and Jezylo has been absolutely fundamental, especially in the last few years through the pandemic where, you know, all the very restaurant and locals and pubs were. Yeah. So we have a very, very basically, we have skyrocketed through the through our wine shop, and we are very happy and proud of this. So the the roots of the family business are very firmly in the Veneto. And the Veneto is obviously one of Italy's greatest wine regions. Would you say that Federal wine continues to have a particular connection and a focus on Veneto, its wines, and also some of its other products? Yeah. Absolutely. We do have a point of interest. Of course, in Veneto, and as you correctly said, Veneto is one of the most important wine region in Italy. We have, of course, the full range of operation from prosecco to Hamaroni, and everything in the middle. But our focus are also, of course, beyond the Veneto Bariel, as a, as I can say, so for example, latest addition in our wine selection, included albarrino, from Spain, or Malvasia volcanic from Canary Island, the Krumovetrina from Austria. So, of course, we are focused on the furniture itself, but we are looking, of course, beyond that. Well, let's talk about, about your home then at at where you are now. Casto Franco. It's a beautiful town. I'd like our listeners to know that the feta wine isn't just, a wine emporium, a wine shop, but it's also a place to visit. Casto Franco is a beautiful place to visit. Now famous is the birthplace of course of the the great painter, George Jonae. I'll tell us a little bit about, castell Franco Venco. Well, castell Franco is, relatively small town located right in the in the heart of a very, very big triangle. If you take Bicenza, padua, and Treviso, we are exactly in the middle. So it's a very, very important hub for all the commerce, and, of course, wine, of course, but everything in general. And, it's a lovely, a small town. It's a medieval city. So you have classic ancient medieval wall inside the wall. It's very, very small place that you can find everything from local restaurants, shop, of course, the the holy church, and so on. And outside the wall, You have, of course, all the community and facility. So if you have a shopping mall, I have Green Park, you can gym. It's a it's a place that I strongly encourage all the listener to visit as well because it's very close to the Treviso airport. It's just literally a stone throws away. It's twenty minutes from the Treviso airport and less than a hour from Venice, which is more international as an airport. So you can basically enjoy a walk, through the ancient work. And then in the evening, enjoy a cool glass of wine here at our shop or in a very high end sophisticated cocktail bar or have a very, very good dining experience at Frisco in a typical Osteria. So you have all the level. Absolute over entertainment to here in Casel Franco, and surround it. Well, it sounds like not only a a great place for visitors, Andrea, but also a great place to live where you're living in a really, really small area that's at the heart of, as you say, this triangle of a very important commercial part of Italy. Absolutely. Near the sea. Yeah. Absolutely. It's, it's less than a hour from the sea. And it's just forty five minutes from the famous prosseco, heels. So UNESCO War heritage. Yeah. So you can you can have it both from center Hill. Yep. Sounds wonderful. 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. Now, Federal Wine in Castafranco Veneta has created something very, very special. The Bibidoteca Delvino. Tell us about this. If you or our listener have the pleasure and, to come here to the to our shop, it's exactly, as you said, the Bibio tech at Elvino, a library. So the shop is built on three floor. So we have ground floor, all the sparkly white wine from all over the world. The first floor is dedicated to red wine, of course, from all the region of Italy and beyond spirits like whiskey, mascara, rum, grappa, and so on. And we have a down stair when you have our fine wine bolt where we keep, you know, all the hiding gems of our of our wide selection. Basically, when a customer, when a guest come to our, to our shop, we would like to feel they they don't come here just to buy someone. Of course, they can do. But we would like to think they come here to learn a little bit more every time. So our customer are assisted by me, by our, our team of QualifySommelier. They can learn something new. They can learn maybe new wine from new design we do also have tasting, yeah, with producers. So it's very, it's very alignment. Yeah. Yeah. It it looks, an amazing place to see these three stories full of bottles, like a library, but a library full of wonderful wines to explore. So it's really a place people can come and discover all of Italy in a bottle. Now, one thing that I'm interested in is that you have wines from all over Italy, and you're also now shipping people are buying over the internet. I'm actually a customer myself. You've been supplying me for taste. Really? In fact, in the next ten days. That's good. Yeah. You're you're sub we're sending some wines to going to be in Veneto. I'm going to be in Azolo. Oh, Azolo. Yeah. It's lovely. It's lovely. Yeah. It's a ton it's twenty kilometers away from us. So it's twenty kilometers. So come come by saying, hi. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, I'm I'm gonna be very busy with one of my tours. It's a gastronomic Venota a tour. Yeah. But I but you're sending some wines to meet to the Albergo del soles. We're on doing wine tasting. Okay. Well, so sweet. So I I know the service you offer. And, what I like is that I can find wines from from throughout Italy, but I'm wondering, our Italians now, and perhaps you mentioned this because of the pandemic, are they beginning to buy wine more online? Is that a new development? Maybe previously people would go to the producers themselves where they lived or, you know, there would be, wine shop in a town, but buying over the internet is, is that a new thing for Italians to buy wine? Yeah. I I cannot show you guys. It's a it's a relatively new thing for for Italian. Of course, for for for Italian customer. Last year, we we start our e commerce as well in order to, you know, fully supply our consumer and our guests. Still, a lot of people prefer to come to us the chatting, with me, we are our team of so many. Maybe, you know, enjoy enjoy a a shopping session, and then at the end of it, enjoy a cool glass of wine in our small part where we do a little bit of restaurant service. They can enjoy a fresh or cured meat, wine pairing, for example, we do also champagne and, and cheese pairing just to give you an idea. So it's definitely a different experience in my in my personal opinion. Of course, maybe if you if you already know the wine, yeah, you can basically buy from, the comfort of your coach, on the sofa. But if you wanna discover more, if you wanna learn a little bit more, people still prefer to come to our shop. Absolutely. Yes. I can certainly understand that. It's not the same when you just by online. Let's just talk about the other shops and so that we know where are your other outlets? You mentioned, so that's on the seaside not far from you. And where are the other federal one shops we just have the yazoo one and the the one in Castel Franco. So which we do have the shoe shop. The yazoo one was opened in nine in twenty nineteen. So just before the pandemic took over, and, it's very close to the sea. It's, literally, I think, is the hundred meter from the sea. So, yeah, you can enjoy the beach side and then go buy a fresh, white wine for the dinner. Or they do also have my colleague with be the light to work on, you know, if you if you if someone wanna enjoy a proper glass of wine, with a nice pairing, the yellow hub is more focused also on restaurant service. So we do have a full kitchen. There's a chef, our team of Somolia, of course, So it's more focused, of course, also in this kind of service. Here in Castell Franco is kind of complimentary. And Yaslo is more focused because, you know, for it's a very, very famous tourist destination. It's one of the most famous invented by him after when his, hassleo is the first city we we are talking about over five million presence a year. And the faraway shop is located right in the heart of yes or in Casadrago. So it's impossible to miss because it's one on the main door to access to the leader. Right. Yeah. And, as you say, that's such a popular place to visit particularly. Yeah. Pop of this region. It must be in these summer months now getting very busy already. You're you're mentioning that wine and food can be enjoyed together there, and that's a particularly wonderful way to discover new wines, to discover new flavors. It's a particularly Italian way. Italian wines just are meant to be enjoyed with food. Aren't they? It's really the way Italians enjoy wine, drink wine, the way Italians live Yeah. Absolutely. It's part of our culture, it's part of our history, of our life being. So we are very, very proud of it. Absolutely. One thing that's interesting to me with with a with a wine shop that a wine business that has wines from all over the country Italianians are also can be very parochial, preferring only to drink wines not only from their region, but them from their particular locality, even their particular vineyards around their town. Our Italians do you think becoming more curious to discover your own country. Yeah. Absolutely. They absolutely do. And we're seeing also in our shop and but also in the trade sector during these two years of pandemic. People are getting more infos from all over internet, from book, from library as well. So people started developing a kind of more conscious passion for wine. Of course, for like hidden gems, from Italy. For example, this is a very recent one. I'm a huge fan of, Frapato, Verapato, a variety from Sicily. It's a wine that I absolutely love. And still, a lot of people here, maybe Venito, just don't know what proprietary is where it come from. We did a little master class, and we put in some specific wine list here around Castor Franco, and, and, basically, the reaction was overwhelming. People start to come to the shop, ask him for wine bottles, two bottles, three bottles, frappato. So we have increased our selection due to this demand. So, yeah, before I start seeing to, to be more curious, more informative about everything now regarding wine, spirits, beer as well. So, yeah, I can definitely assure people are starting to developing a new kind of questions regarding why they wanna learn more. They wanna taste more. They wanna be more informed about Well, that's really interesting, Andrea. Is that also a generational thing? Are younger wine drinkers more curious, more adventurous, and perhaps those who are more set in their ways? Well, yeah. We saw it. Well, I'm I am a thirty years old guy. So, yeah, all my generation now are starting to develop, a new kind of, how can I say a new kind of interest regarding, for example, you know, the so called natural one? They are more conscious about they wanna be more conscious about the choice. So people, and, of course, young people may come to the shop asking specifically for organic or biodynamic wine. They wanna know the history behind the label. They wanna know who made the wine, where it's made, how is made, how it's really, really important right now. I think it's the new, a new concept that it starts developing. Yeah. Oh, sorry. It's not it's not so easy. It's not always so easy, especially maybe for people who are more mature, you know, around forty, fifty, and sixty. They are more difficult, you know, to take to take to to our new kind of wine. Also, it's a new product when we start importing, this amazing wine. They allow us albarrino from Ria Spasha in Spain. Of course, ninety nine percent of our customer didn't know a thing about Spanish wine or Alberini as well. And, through tasting, through talking, to specific task, people are now absolutely fond of this wine. So that's our main focus on our job. I think it's like, it's our privilege and honor to give voice to the wine because wine doesn't speak for itself. And there's someone to get them voice And that's what we do. Yes. Yes. That's a very important point. And, actually, I'm thinking of the albarrinos I've enjoyed from Maria Spajas, going so well with the fish and the central fish and the venetian lagoon. You have, you know, a cuchina that would lend itself very, very well to pairing. Perfect. Yeah. From fish to gamey. Absolutely. We call it all. Yeah. Absolutely. And I guess, an also an important part of your job as a wine expert for federal wine, but also everybody who is is selling the wines, needs to be able to advise clients on food and wine pairings. How important is that? It's, for me, personally, it's quite important, but it's not fundamental. I can't spell it myself. I came through a training experience in London where, you know, I I've been surrounded from wines all over the world. And, and I clearly remember, while I was working in a restaurant, we serve, for example, sushi with Chateau Margot, which is not a a a unusual wine period. So I start developing, the this kind of feeling that, yeah, the windfall bearing is fundamental, especially, if you are maybe a, in the beginning stage, of your wind journey. So you really need to be focused on why a certain wind pairs very well with a certain food. Classic pairing, for example, in my region here in Benito. Of course, you can have all the fish delicacy from the sea, pairing with a nice garganaga, from Swave, or sparkling as prosecco, and you can go after to the mountain. Here, we have, of course, the Dolomiti, but also the Montalo Hill, which is relatively slower. And, you can enjoy a proper gamey dinner with a nice strong full body of marone or bordeaux blend, which is very, very famous here in Treviso, in the Treviso area and in the Piave area. So, yeah, it's quite important for me at the beginning. And now I, me and, Adam, my colleague, we start developing this kind of consciousness that wine makes, the moment so important. So a lot of time I I told to our customer, don't be too focused on food and wine pairing, but be more focused on the environment. So the proper glass, the proper light, the proper service temperature. So, yeah, be more focused on the one itself than, than all the way around. I think that's really good advice. Good advice for our listeners as well because I think we can become bogged down on thinking that we need to find this precise, perfect pairing. But wine is, you know, there's always a number of wines that might go extremely well with any particular dish, and a number of dishes that would go well with a particular wine. So I think that that's that's very good advice. And I would add to that that what Federal Wine offers is this chance to be adventurous to find wines You don't know. And I always advise people coming to Italian wine to seek out unfamiliar names rather than the familiar, to explore Yeah. Sure. And really try to. I absolutely I I agree with you. Well, Andrea, it's been great talking to you today. I really appreciate you being my guest. As I say, I know Federal Wine myself in event. I can vouch for, the excellent service that that Federal Wine provides. Thank you. And I hope our listeners will visit Castell Franco, this beautiful town in the hills of the Veneto, such a beautiful location, historic, and and make their way to the Biblio at Delvino. I can't wait to visit myself, so I hope we can meet soon. Absolutely. It will be a pleasure and I strongly encourage you all all the listener. We will be the life and, to welcome them, joy, a proper glass of wine, Charlie, and, you know, talking about the wine environment and, and the beautiful, all of this place or Casa Franco, fair wine. There are a lot of discoveries. So I can hide in jam. You have to dig a little bit, but then when you discover, it's a you can fully appreciate. Yes. Certainly. Well, I look forward to to that visit soon. Andrea, and I hope to meet soon. Thank you very much, Juan. Glad to see you later. Thanks for listening to this episode of Italian wine podcast brought to you by Vineetli Academy, home of the gold standard of Italian wine education. Do you want to be the next ambassador? Apply online at benetli international dot com For courses in London, Austria, and Hong Kong, the twenty seventh to the twenty ninth of July. Remember to subscribe and like Italian wine podcast and catch us on SoundLab, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods. You can also find our entire back catalog of episodes at italian wine podcast dot com. Hi, guys. I'm Joy Livingston, and I am the producer of the Italian wine podcast. Thank you for listening. We are the only wine podcast that has been doing a daily show since the pandemic began. This is a labor of love and we are committed to bringing you free content every day. Of course, this takes time and effort not to mention the cost of equipment, production, and editing. We would be grateful for your donations, suggestions, requests, and ideas. For more information on how to get in touch, go to Italian wine podcast dot com.