Category: Interviews

‘Via Maria 10’ The World’s Smallest Vineyard

On the rooftop of a building in Italy’s Reggio Emilia is ‘Via Maria 10’, which lays claim of being the world’s smallest vineyard. The vineyard is 200 square feet and produces 29 bottles of red wine per year, at a price of US $5,000/bottle, the vineyard’s owner, Tullio Masoni, advises not to drink the wine and you will see why.

Tullio Masoni, a former investment banker, turned winemaker and art collector, was inspired to create his own rooftop winery after selling a vineyard he inherited in the countryside surrounding Reggio Emilia, a decision he says he later regretted.

The wines are not sold via a website or in a wine merchant, but rather in a local art gallery located just a few blocks from the vineyard.

“My wine is a form of artistic expression, a philosophical provocation, something to keep in your living room so you can chat about it with your friends and tell them about the lunatic who put a vineyard on his rooftop” says Masoni

“If you see a bicycle wheel in a living room rather than a repair shop, you realize how beautiful it is,” Masoni said, seemingly a reference to the French conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp, who hung a bicycle wheel on the wall of his studio. “My vineyard is like that: It’s unexpected; it stimulates the brain; it sparks new thoughts.”

Art is at the centre of the entire operation at Via Maria 10. The vines grow on trellises made by a local sculptor, while the resulting wine is aged in oak barrels that are works of art by another local artist.

As such, he asks that people treat his bottles of wine as works of art – he says they should never be opened

Tasting notes:

“At the first sip you get a lot of perplexity, but after a few seconds something comes alive in your palate that opens up your mind to a new dimension”.

Sources:  CNN;  Drinks Business

#italianwine #winelovers #italianwinelovers #italy #vineyard #winery #wine #instawine #winenews #wineinfluencer #winegrowing #wineandart #wineinvestment #winelife #redwine

Save the date for another “Premier Event by Les Dames d’Escoffier Ontario ….

It’s a “White Party” with Senior Winemaker from New Zealand “Helen Morrison” of Villa Maria Estate, one of New Zealand’s prominent wine producers.

Helen Morrison is responsible for producing some of the country’s best Sauvignon Blancs, and other wines.

Please mark this amazing event on your calendar … further details to follow!

July 21 – 7:00 pm Toronto Event

All proceeds benefit Les Dames d’Escoffier Ontario Student Bursary Program.

#savethedate #event #womeninwine #womeninfood #womeninhospitality #womenwinemakers #torontoevent #toronto #torontolife #womeninwinebusiness #womenleaders  #Lesdames #LesdamesOntario #LDON #lesdamesdescoffier #fundraiser  #LesDamesON  #womenwholift #womeninwinetalks #womenwinemakers #womensupportingwomen #nzwine #villamariawines #madeforthemoment #summerinthecity #whiteparty #fêteblanche #fete @villamariawines

Exclusive Interview with Olivier Staub CIO Cult Wine Investment – London

Olivier Staub is the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Cult Wine Investment. He has previously held senior trading and portfolio management positions at international financial institutions including JP Morgan, Barclays Capital, BBVA, and London Clearing House.

I recently interviewed Olivier to learn more about the inner workings of Cult Wine Investment and their Investment Management Team.

Liz:

It’s wonderful speaking with you today, Olivier. Why don’t you introduce yourself to my readers and tell us how you got into working with Cult Wine Investment.

Olivier:

I’ve been involved in finance for over 25 years and have held various positions across the world at international firms like JP Morgan, Bear Stearns, and Barclays Capital. I’ve spent time in Japan, Spain, the USA and the UK working for notable financial institutions primarily in asset management, as a trader and as a portfolio manager. My passion though, has always been wine. I was born in France and I studied in Burgundy [Burgundy School of Business] where I graduated with a master’s degree in Economics, Accounting and Finance before moving to UK.  Throughout my life I have been collecting wine, buying wine, selling wine, and talking about wine – it’s always been a great passion of mine.

My first professional venture with wine was co-founding a private members club in London called 67 Pall Mall with former colleagues and friends. Obviously, it is more of a hospitality business than what I am doing now; but setting it up was a very rewarding part of my life.

I had always wanted to mix my passion for wine with my professional background.  Wine is a great investment – I’ve personally profited from buying and selling wines and thought it deserved more attention. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Tom Gearing (CEO & Co-Founder of Cult Wine Investment) and discuss our various ideas of how we could work together.  I then joined Cult Wine Investment as the CIO in 2019. As CIO, I lead the complete investment function including the portfolio management and investment process for our clients.  It’s been a great adventure so far!

Liz:

Can you tell me about your Investment Management Team and their roles?

Olivier:

As the CIO, I run the research and portfolio management side of the business. The Investment Management Team has two primary objectives: we provide an investment framework ensuring that we have a structure in place to do the research and analyze and model fine wine. We are currently developing our quantitive models to assess what wines have the best potential for returns. The second part of what we do, is actively manage client’s portfolios.  We make decisions in terms of what should be done for client portfolios to deliver the performance that the clients are seeking.

We have team of portfolio managers who are responsible for constructing and managing client portfolios based on individual’s risk/return profile.  We apply a top down/bottom-up approach across AUM and at all client portfolios level including executing trades, repositioning portfolios, and taking gains or rebalance where we need to do. We apply the same care, process, and due diligence as we would if they were invested in equities, bonds or any other financial  asset.

Our portfolio managers are each based in the various regions in which we operate: Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Canada, US, and our head office in the UK.  We are the wine investment firm with the highest number of CFA charter-holders- four out of six Investment team members which is a very good ratio!

We also have two research analysts who develop models, write, and publish about wine investment, and the rationale behind what we do.  They also report on macroeconomics and advise on strategy.

Liz:

Olivier, can you give us a (general) profile of your investors, including male vs female?

Olivier:

It’s interesting question.  It’s very difficult to give you “a profile” because we cover so many different people and so many different regions – we have several thousand clients in 80 different countries.  Regionally speaking there some very big differences in our client profiles. If you look at the European regions and the UK regions the investor profile would be quite different from US/Canada or Asia.  What I would say is because of the collective aspect of the asset class we are lucky that we have interest from millennials, young aspirational professionals as well as people who are well-established, in their late fifties, are wealthy and are very interested in wine.  The common thread is that most of these people have an interest in wine and alternative investments. They don’t invest in wine just as an asset, they invest in wine because they understand that it can be used as an asset, and they appreciate wine at an emotional level as well.

Liz:

What is the ratio male vs female investors?

Olivier:

In the western world, I would say, male investors probably have the higher ratio. Whereas, if you look at Asia, we have many young females investing with us.  Interestingly, I think wine in the far east, at least in Asia, is something that is embraced by young, wealthy females.  In Asia, they value wine knowledge, so they make an effort to understand wine, study wine, and as a result they are very knowledgeable about wine.

In the US and Canada, it’s harder to say as the business is still nascent – we launched in North America just under two years ago. Currently, it’s probably equal – we have a fair proportion of female investors.  Interestingly, we also have a lot of couples investing with us. In many of these cases, the women are driving the passion side and desire to gain knowledge about wine.  They often are investing as a couple, but really interested in it as an experience and product that they like and want to learn more about.

Liz:

What criteria does your team look for in finding Investment-Grade Wines?

Olivier:

Our team’s experience is key in identifying investment grade wines.  We have proprietary models that we use to analyse past performance of wines and model the future price performance. Part of what we do is to develop these models, based on pricing, on experience, and also on hard statical facts and probabilities – i.e data – as you would with any other investment.

With respect to criteria, the brand and vintage quality are both important. The producer will give you a certain guarantee in terms of brand credibility and quality over years. However, vintage variations are also quite important, so understanding variations from one vintage to another is key. We also look at weather and past history of weather patterns and what wines are trending up or down and why. Social media is also very impactful, so we are doing a lot of work in trying to read and anticipate brand awareness and collectability as more people get interested in wine.  Critic’s scores are absolutely crucial to how a wine might perform.  Finally, we pay attention to macro & local trends across the world. For example, in Asia they might be consuming more Burgundy, whereas the US might be focused on wines from the US and Bordeaux.

Liz:

What is next for Cult Wine Investment?

 Olivier:

We want to continue to develop wine as an alternative asset class, particularly in North America where the category is not as well-known as in Europe and Asia. Beyond performance, a big part of what we do is providing unique experiences for clients alongside the pursuit of good returns on the asset class. We know our customers love wine, so it makes sense to take our community on a journey of wine discovery, connecting them with like-minded wine enthusiasts and providing a plenitude of exclusive experiences.

We believe that investing in wine should be as simple and enjoyable as drinking it. And to that end we have several exciting developments and products coming later this year that address key areas of friction for consumers in investing in wine as an asset class.

The key to our success is our unique blend of wine and financial investment knowledge, the expert guidance of our relationship managers, the powerful technology underpinning the portfolio management, and the human expertise from our investment committee and portfolio managers.

Liz:

This is my final question – what is your favorite Wine?

Olivier:

I really love that question.  It depends on three factors:  the time of the day, who you are with, and where.  If I had to take a bottle of wine and it’s my last one forever.  It would be a Musigny from a producer called de Vogue, which is in Burgundy.

#wine #finewine #wineinvestment #alternativeinvestment #alternativeasset #winenews #winelovers #winecollectors #champagne #bordeaux #burgundy #finewinelovers  #winebusiness #vin #frenchwine #vintagewine #wineinvestors #cultwines #cultwinesamericas #cultwinesUSA #cultwinescanada #cultcru #bourgogne #mycultcollection #winewednesday #WW

 

Biondi Santi – The Evolution of a Wine Legend, by Filippo Magnani

 

On July 8th I was thrilled to be invited to the estate of the renowned Brunello producer, Biondi Santi. I also had the pleasure to taste their magnificent wines. It has been a great honor for me to be back in the place where the legendary Brunello di Montalcino has been created.

In the year of 1999, which was at the beginning of my career, I met the legendary Franco Biondi Santi in front of the 18th-century villa Tenuta Greppo. To this day, it is still a significant point of reference for my working and personal life in the world of wine.

At that time [1999], I was a young boy with a drawer full of dreams.

I was welcomed at the beautiful entrance, of the wine estate, by Mr Franco Biondi Santi and I immediately perceived his humanity and kindness. For me, he was a passionate teacher, elegant and very enthusiastic. A charismatic man. After several years, I am back there with my team. We were welcomed by Sabine Cappelli from hospitality, and Lene Lundvald Bucelli from marketing and communications. They guided us into the discovery of the innovations of the estate, transmitting the same humanity and kindness that has always distinguished the Biondi-Santi family.

An endless success of “Great Men with a Vision”

There is an indissoluble thread between the success of one of the most important wine territories in the world such as Brunello di Montalcino and the history of the Biondi Santi family. The line of a dynasty of brilliant men; charismatic and visionary figures who have always been able to look forward. Masters of winemaking that managed to keep up the family name and their traditions. They’ve always taken care of their beloved territory of Montalcino. It was first the revolutionary intuition of Clemente Santi that in the 1850 decided to plant the Sangiovese variety at Montalcino. The name Biondi Santi comes from the will of his grandson Ferruccio, son of Caterina Santi (Clemente’s daughter) and Jacopo Biondi, to keep the grandfather name. Clemente and Ferruccio shared the same love for viticulture and vinification. The name Brunello di Montalcino (with capital B) on the label was first seen in 1888 under the guidance of the latter. Ferruccio Biondi Santi also noticed the robust character of the Sangiovese Grosso grape and decided to vinify it on its own to produce wine suitable for aging.

Another turning point was in 1966 when Tancredi (Ferruccio’s son) established the specification when the DOC was created for the Brunello di Montalcino (then upgraded Docg in 1980). The other brilliant visionary of the last century was Franco Biondi Santi (1922-2013) who learned from his ancestors the fine art of vinification. As a wine producer he meticulously continued the growing practices and further enhanced the already cult wine of Montalcino. He carried on the study begun by Ferruccio and continued by Tancredi on the research of a grape that was the most resistant to the cryptogams that were affecting their vines. The selection process concluded with the identification of the clone known as BBS11: which stands for Brunello Biondi Santi with the 11 corresponding to the chosen mother plant. Biondi Santi is the only producer to have given its name to a grape clone.

After many years and long tradition in the wine production, the new generations of the family, Jacopo Biondi Santi and his son Tancredi Biondi Santi initiated a major change and evolution for Tenuta Greppo, welcoming a new partner in the leading of the estate to be able to continue the enduring commitment of producing outstanding wines. Today the winery is under the guidance of Christopher Descours, proprietor of the EPI Group, who leads hand in hand with an extremely qualified Italian team. An important strategic alliance driven by the great respect for the bicentenary know-how in the vine growing and by the common goal of reaffirming once again Biondi-Santi among the most special and desired wines in the world. The vision of the new partner was endorsed immediately by Giampiero Bertolini who was appointed as CEO in November 2018 standing at the helm of the historic winery today. 

Vineyards and Soils

Since 2018, huge investments have been made. The new partnership carried on the scientific research of Franco, who introduced a rigorous study on the parcellation both in the vineyards and in the winery depending on the age of the vines.  It shows the extraordinary effort of the leaders of the estates to try to understand and develop their beloved terroir. An accurate examination in the professional hands of the agronomist Pietro Parra starting from the analysis of the vineyards, and taking a fresh approach to the terroir. He has been able to fully map the characteristics of all the different types of soil and exposition. The estate today is comprised of 47 hectares. All the grapes are from different vineyards that extend between the four historical sites Tenuta Greppo, I Pieri, Scarnacuoia, Pievecchia and the new acquisition Ribusuoli.

“Tenuta Greppo”, is the main block around the winery, 560 metres above sea level. It is situated on a 26-hectare, coming from a massal selection of the oldest vines of the property dating back to 1930, the majority of them are BBS11 clones (Brunello Biondi Santi 11).

“I Pieri”, east of Montalcino, sitting at 370 metres altitude with a cool east-facing exposure, like Greppo, are poor, calcareous soils with a high marl content.

“The Scarnacuoia” on the west of the village Montalcino, at 450 metres altitude with old-terraced vineyards separated by dry stone walls.

“Pievecchia”, the lowest lying site, at 200 metres altitude with a cool, airy, north facing exposure. The soil here has a higher clay content.

“Ribusuoli”, is a plot acquired at the end of 2019 at an altitude of 380-450 metres, not far from Tenuta Greppo, with very similar soils and exposures.

Biondi-Santi is committed to respecting the environment and safeguarding biodiversity. Today, as in the past, the vineyards are not treated with any invasive chemical agents.

The Winery and its Wines 

New concrete and oak vats were purchased to maintain the winery’s tradition of the use of concrete for fermentation and Slavonian oak for ageing. The grapes are destemmed and crushed upon arrival at the winery. Only indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation of the riserva. The process takes place in oak vats, unlike the regular Brunello, which ferments in concrete vats. Federico Radi, the technical Director in charge of the wine production, is focused on continuing the balance between tradition and innovation. Biondi-Santi produces three wines, all crafted with Sangiovese Grosso: Rosso di Montalcino; Brunello di Montalcino; and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. All three wines are bound together by a distinctive style, driven by a signature freshness, which makes them vibrant, and a specific balance which makes them elegant and very suitable for long ageing in the bottle.

My tasting at Biondi-Santi, Tenuta Greppo  on the 8th of July 2021

Rosso di Montalcino Doc 2018
The Rosso di Montalcino 2018 was produced exclusively from Biondi Santi proprietary vineyards and aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 12 months and released on the market after 3 years from the harvest.

100% Sangiovese Grosso – Alcohol 13%

Notes:
Brillant medium ruby core with compact rim. Expressive flavour of strawberry, blueberries, and violet mixed with scents of rhubarb and mint. Lively red fruit in the palate with abundant freshness and well-integrated tannins. Elegant and lingering finish. Charming wine with ageing potential.

Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2015
The 2015 Brunello was produced exclusively with a selection of grapes from Biondi Santi proprietary vineyards, then aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 3 years and released on the market after 6 years from the harvest. For the first time in history Biondi-Santi, this wine was produced in 750 ml and Magnum bottles.

100% Sangiovese Grosso – Alcohol 14,5%

Notes:
Bright deep ruby core with narrow rim. The wine expresses intense aromas of black cherry and plum mixed with scents of chocolate and fresh tobacco. The palate is balanced, the acidity matches perfectly with the soft tannins and with the alcohol. Harmonious structure with long aftertaste. A beautiful wine.

Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2013 Riserva
The 2013 Riserva was produced exclusively with a selection of grapes from Biondi Santi proprietary vineyards comprising of the oldest parcels, then aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 3 years and released on the market after 7 years from the harvest.

Vintage 2013 is officially the 40th Riserva produced from 1888 until 2013. For the first time in history Biondi-Santi produced three large formats in addition to the 750 ml bottle: Magnum, Jéroboam and Mathusalem.

100% Sangiovese Grosso – Alcohol 13,5%

Notes:
Intense ruby core with paler reflections. Very complex nose showing aromas of red cherry and blackcurrant. Slightly meaty with overtones of cedar and leather. Vibrant, fresh palate with velvety tannins well matched with a lovely fruit and a lively acidity. Soft and persistent. An outstanding wine, clear expression of pure Sangiovese with long lasting life.

Brunello di Montalcino Docg 1983 Riserva  
The 1983 Riserva was produced with the Biondi Santi proprietary clone of Sangiovese Grosso called BBS11 (Brunello Biondi Santi 11), which was identified and selected by Biondi-Santi at Tenuta Greppo in the Seventies. For this wine were used only grapes from the oldest vines with over 25 years of age, then it was aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 3 years and released on the market generally after 7 years from the harvest. It benefited from a long refinement in the bottle in the quiet and darkness of “La Storica”, the bottle library at Tenuta Greppo where all the historic vintages of Biondi-Santi Riserva are scrupulously kept.

100% Sangiovese Grosso – Alcohol 13 %

Notes:
Clear, garnet colour with paler tinge. The nose shows a magnificent bouquet with scents of prune and fig with hints of mushroom and tobacco. Delicate entrance in the palate with medium body and silky tannins. It shows equilibrium and finesse. A gorgeous wine, showing the purity and the potential of one the greatest Sangiovese in the world.

Tenuta Greppo and its terroir are a place of perpetual balance. Each bottle produced is unique and alive, growing without hurry in its charming relationship with time. It is a wine that maintains not only the great quality that has always distinguished the company, but it also assumes unique features year by year. Prolonged bottle-ageing is then essential to allow the Biondi-Santi style to develop to its fullest. Longevity is in fact the most precious quality of these wines. “It is intriguing to think that in a sip Brunello di Montalcino there are hidden all of the three temporal dimensions: the past with the history of a family and their dedication to viticulture, study and research; the present with lively, complex and intense flavors; and the future, that lies in the ability to grow in character, both its wines and its representatives.” Here they’ve always seen beyond the horizon, setting ambitious objectives. Pioneers that created what is considered today the finest expression of the Tuscan wine style.

Biondi Santi is the spearhead of one world famous wine destination. Wine lovers and wine professionals arrive in Tuscany from all over the world for their exceptional wine travel experience.

 

 

#Biondisanti #wine #redwine #winelovers #instawine #winetravel #winetourism #italy #tuscany #tenutagreppo #behindthebottle #italianwine #italianwinelover #tuscanygram #Sangiovese #winetasting @biondisantigreppo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2021 Focuses on ‘Bouncing Back’ in Digital Format

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2021 has moved to digital format for this year, it will be providing live sessions focusing on the recovery of the wine and spirits industry called ‘Bouncing Back’ – the dates are June 8, 2021 – June 29, 2021.

Webinars, roundtable debates and exclusive interviews will go live every Tuesday on 8, 15, 22 and June 29.  Sessions will be dedicated to the new major trends in the sector including online sales and the digital sprint, the tasting revolution and sustainability.

New on-demand content will also feed into Vinexposium Connect every Thursday in June.

The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) will host a webinar on the guiding principles of sustainability and its environmental, social, economic and cultural aspects, while the IWSR will present the results of its latest report on trends and outlook to 2025 for wine and spirits consumption.

There will also be virtual tastings with Marc Almert, ASI (International Sommeliers’ Association) 2019 World’s Best Sommelier, focusing on ideas and tips for remotely stimulating the senses.

Heini Zachariassen, CEO of Vivino, will also take the floor to explain how his business tackled the health crisis and outline his strategic ambitions.

Vinocamp & La WineTech will provide an overview of solutions for improving online sales, featuring good practice to make a success of e-commerce sales.

At the end of last year Vinexposium made major changes to its schedule for 2021 due to the pandemic. In addition to moving Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris, Vinexpo New York, Vinexpo Hong Kong and Vinexpo Bordeaux have all been postponed until 2022.

Registration and further details https://bit.ly/VinexposiumConnect

#wineevent #winetasting #vinexpo #wineparis #vinexpoparis2021 #winenews #winetrade #instawine #wine #sommelier #winemarketing #onlinewineevent #recovery #winelovers #wineeducation #digital