June 29, 2023 • 52 mins
Ermengildo "Joe" Giusti comes from a storied family in Italy's Asolo (Veneto) region. In 1975 at age 17 he went to North America with just $20 to strike out on his own. He built a construction empire in Canada. In 2002 Joe returned to Asolo and bought a small parcel of land to farm. Now the largest single private vineyard landowner in the Prosecco region, Giusti Wine in the Montello Hills west of Venice produces excellent Asolo Prosecco DOCG, elegant Ripasso, Amarone and "Super Venetian" reds.
The Connected Table is broadcast live Wednesdays at 2PM ET.
The Connected Table Radio Show is broadcast on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com).
The Connected Table Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-connected-table-live--1277037/support.
The Connected Table is broadcast live Wednesdays at 2PM ET.
The Connected Table Radio Show is broadcast on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com).
The Connected Table Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-connected-table-live--1277037/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
The topics and opinions expressed in thefollowing show are solely those of the hosts
and their guests and not those ofW FORCY Radio. It's employees are affiliates.
We make no recommendations or endorsements radioshow, program services, or products
mentioned on air or on our web. No liability, explicit or implied shall
be extended to W FORCY Radio orits employees or affiliates. Any questions or
comments should be directed to those showhosts. Thank you for choosing W FORCY
(00:22):
Radio. Welcome to the Connected TableLive. We're your hosts, Melana Young
(00:46):
and David Ransom. You're insatiably curiousculinary couple. We enjoy bringing you the
dynamic people who work front and centerand behind the scenes in wine, food,
spirits and hospitality around the world.We love to travel and bring you
stories from the road, and we'redoing that today based on a recent trip
(01:06):
to northern Italy to a beautiful areacalled Oslo. I want to say that
slowly, because when we tell peoplehere in the United States, they think
it's Oslo in Norway. It's Osolo, historic stunning town about what fifty or
sixty kilometers from venice A little aboutan hour from Venice and it's in the
Veneto, Yes, and a beautifulwine producing region, rolling hills, green,
(01:30):
very verdant. It also has alot of history which will delve into
with our guests. You know,when you drove you see these beautiful Palladian
mansions because they were This area servedas a country retreat for the Venetian citizens
from their palazzos during the heat,and it really is quite lovely. We
also found out that the historic villageof Osolo, which is very popular,
(01:52):
is an artist's retreat, and welearned about some very famous actors and writers
and artists who live there. It'squite beautiful and highly recommend it. Today's
guest is from the region. Heis so fascinating. He's really what we
call a self made man in somany ways. He's a true entrepreneur by
spirit. Joe Justy's entrepreneurial success stretchesfrom his native Italy to Canada. We
(02:17):
had the pleasure of meeting him duringthis visit to Ossolo to Juicy Winery,
which is fairly expansive and doing someamazing things in the area. Something we
want to underscore is this region isknown for prosecco, a very specific,
its own unique style of prosecco,which we will delve into as well,
right, David and Ossolo is oneof the three classified regions that produce prosecco,
(02:39):
along with Vldney and Corneliano. Right, So it was interesting to kind
of we've been to all those regions, so it was interesting to taste and
differentiate and get the nuances here.So his formal name is Ermenegildo Jiusti,
but he'll say call me Joe.We found him to be an enthusiaic,
enthusiastic ambassador for Oslo and for proseccoand for Italy, and in fact he's
(03:05):
been honored by the Italian government forthat reason. He was knighted by the
President of the Italian Republic in twentytwenty one and received the Order of the
Star of Italy and recognition for thepositive and global impact he has made.
That's pretty amazing. Welcome Joe,Justy, thank you, thank you well.
I have to say we felt yourenthusiasm for your land and your business
(03:31):
and the wines was just we justfelt the spirit. We left feeling very
happy. I remember there was aplay once called The Most Happy fellaw about
a man who made wine in Italy, and that reminded me of you.
Thanks Why it's for me making wineand is a way of seeing thank you
(03:53):
to the world because I've been soblessed. And it's try to give the
best glass of wine to all ourfriends around the world, and and keep
pushing the level of the quality higherand higher and higher. When we started
investing in Italy, it was Ialways like I come from a family of
(04:18):
farmers. I was my fun memoriesas a child. It was the vineans
and the sound of the bees.And in those days we used to artists
very late. It was in October, not like now, in September.
I was September. And I thinkthere's something magical about being a farmer.
(04:42):
That's a matter where you go.It's something the land to keep pulling you
back, I think. And soI always was interested in the wine.
I love good wine. And whenwe started investing here, I want to
the top winemaker of our area andto continue what my dad, my father
(05:08):
in law you used to do becauseour family have been debiling with wine for
century. So we start investing oneproperty after the other. Today we are
the largest landlord owner of the area, and we basically created a little Evan
(05:29):
here in a vision Battalia as forme as to enjoy hopefully my next twenty
years here in the middle of thevineyards and create excellent wine and promote my
country, of the country of birthand our region. Tell us a little
(05:54):
bit more about your family, andbecause we read that it dates back to
the sixteen hundreds, it has quitea heritage. There's some French in there
as well as Italy. Give usa sense of your family because this area,
we learned, has a lot oflong history of families who really built
the area. And we learned,of course that the Veneto at large is
(06:14):
a really well known business area andeverybody has a trade and everybody specializes with
this farm or factory. How didyour family fit into that over the centuries
what I tushed my family back toturteen sixty. We come from the noble
family of Corneliano. Through the century, people left went to some went to
(06:42):
different area of Italy. Some inthe eighteen eighty a big portion of our
family went to Brazil. In thenineteen fifty a lot of them went to
Venezuela in Argentina, and myself,my dad for example, was born in
(07:05):
Veneze, just startar lyone in France, because our family used to go back
and fall between France and in Italy. Myself, my mom grandma was Austrian
Germans. They came here in thehill in eighteen ten when Napoleon came through.
(07:28):
One of my oldest grandma is Jewish. So this area here the benefit
the Trevisiani, we call them.We have our own language, we speak
Trevisian. It's a unique area.I think we are a blend of many
races. I think we are AustrianGermans, French, Slavic, Polish because
(07:54):
we've always been invaded, like thePiave, which is uh, you wander
from here from the winery, itwill seem like the dividing point between the
House Hungaria regime and Italy. Soit's very normal here to see the people.
They remind me more like we aremore German Noucian than Italians. Like
(08:22):
if you think about the Italians fromFlorence or Rome or Naples, completely different
people, different different work ethic,different different mentality. It's different. We
have difference. Right. My childam fanatic to keep everything tidy and clean
and organized. I think that isthe German size. I mean, I
(08:46):
think so yeah, And so Ithink the beauty of this area is that
we are a multi I think weare a multicultural country. And I think
that's why I of Canada and theUnited States, because we had a blend,
a melting pot of different nationality andI think you bring the backs out
(09:09):
of the world. Well, that'swhy we love to travel, right,
David. And we see that inItaly. It's quite amazing the difference between
the north and south and even eastto the west. Absolutely. You know,
Joe, you you actually left homeat the age of seventeen and set
your sights on America. Why don'tyou tell us about that. You ended
up in Canada, but as yousay, you thought you were coming to
(09:30):
the United States, So tell usthat story. I love United State,
United States US. As I wasgrowing up, I remember, like today,
when the family left in fifty seven, when the family, like the
house that I own, used tobe ninety people living that Now it was
really me and my wife. Butin those days were a lot of people
(09:54):
causing, second towards causing and theywere leaving to go to Ourgentina and Venezuela.
But I never heard my family talkingabout them, but I always heard
about another uncle of mine. Theywent to Canada. They become very wealthy,
(10:16):
so as I was, as Iwas growing up seven eight nine years
old, I could sell always hisname and his son became a lawyer and
owned so many thousand down very well. So I think from the time eight
nine years old, I want toleave Italy. I always I can only
wait to be old enough. AndI kept beastally my mom and asking where
(10:41):
America was, and she always tellsme it was at the end of the
vineyard a little bit further. Sosoon I was old enough to leave,
I asked my dad to sign forme. I apply and I turned eighteen
in Canada and that was I thinkthat in my life because I want to
(11:03):
be free, I want to dothe thing that I want. I didn't
want. I want to see whatI can do on my own, and
they knew there was not I wasgoing to be difficult because I didn't speak
the language, but I knew thatthat was the place to go and to
(11:24):
beel my future and to create.We done an empire. We done very
well well. The Juti group isquite huge and we should probably touch on
it because you went with very littlemoney in your pocket. Did you go
to work with your relative or didyou start on your own. Give us
a sense of what happened in Canada, because that really is significant in your
(11:48):
career. We we lended in Vancouver. I was welder. I started welding
when I was talking and a halfyears old, and I was giving one
of my friends that I met there, and you just kept telling me that
if I want to make money,I have to be in construction. And
(12:09):
I was very blessed because doing myhigh school, I had one of the
best professors. They taught Pica Sunitechniquely and I learned how to draft and
design so I could read the drawing, and so we started framing, you
know, framing the little houses right. And then for me it was so
simple because I knew the how toread the drawing, and I decided to
(12:33):
start on my own. So anineteen year old I started doing my own.
I started used to brothers and everythingwent from there, from the small
house to the bigger houses and tothe apartment, the three stories, then
the five stories, six, thento the eye rises and bridges, and
(12:54):
then then they are and gas.We don the part of the large a
project. All the s will workfor BP on the last on the years.
So it was an evolution, right. I never I never tired.
I love working and I give mybest and everything that I do. I'm
(13:20):
excited to get up all in themoney and to work. And today I'm
seventy years old. For me,I'm like eighteen again. I'm having fun.
I tried to guide my people.I love my workers and we have
many because on the oil and gaswe had two thousand people. I know
(13:43):
all of them by name, andI love all my employees, and I
I just push every day. Ilike to see people give everything the hundred
percent. I think at the endof the day, it doesn't matter what
you achieved, but you must try. I would say, I'll look you
(14:05):
back and then try. It wouldbe a sad, sad life, you
know what I mean. I sawwe try now every day to do the
best wine to we are against I'magainst pesticided, I'm against spray. I'm
not fanatic green, but I knowthat there's no good and I keep pushing
(14:31):
to change the system. Let's uhlike we were one of the first one
to plant to the resistant chlone,which is the German column pew, and
I strongly believe that that's the future. Uh. And we want, I
know, would like to see itin the other company doing the same thing
(14:52):
that we do. And when whenwe discovered the Ricantina, they were talking
a greable they hell, I wasone of the first. I was the
clost I think we planed. Andbecause I think that we must give the
world the best that we can do. I mean, for me, good
(15:16):
is not good enough. We muststrive to do better and better and uh,
and change the mentality of the quantitywe have to put. Italy is
a very tiny country. We mustproduce little and do a good job.
That's what I believe. And inour country, I mean down very well.
(15:39):
We didn us as an immigrant.We were so proud to promote the
med in Italy in all the clothes, in the shoes, the mall,
like all things, and the wine. Of course, I remember in the
seventies the best, the best ballthough, was come from my heels.
(16:00):
Here couple the Stato from Rasparini Loredan, which we bought a but see a
property from them. So we havea great territory. And I think for
a while we concentrate too much onquantity what we produce, and I think
(16:26):
we should produce a little bit less, with less chemicals, less pesticide,
and and hopefully we go down tothe pew with resistant clone so we don't
have to spray at all. Sowhen did you make the decision to return
(16:47):
to Italy and get into the winebusiness and build Justy Winery? In ninety
eight, I start purchasing property hereand then it's been an investment one after
the other. Only in the lastcouple of years I spent more time here
in Italy. Um, I tellyou I really missed Canada and Italians.
(17:12):
Oh no, they know. Ilike this year's we can for the Water
of conquering Las Vegas. Because mychildren they had a couple of machine that
I spent fifty years in America.So it is, you know, I
missed that. I miss I missedthe excitement. I missed seeing the people,
(17:36):
the young people excited to make money, to work hard, to try,
because they reminded myself right the opportunitythat had. I think that's a
matter. Anybody could come to Americaand work hard, being honest, and
they would make it. I reallybelieve that. And I some people say
(17:57):
old in the early day was different. No, I don't think so.
I think every years good years.You used after work, right, and
definitely I got my family, gotmy three sounder and my nine grandchildren's and
my daughter in law. So wetried to come back as much as we
(18:21):
can. But fortuntly now I spendingmore time here. I think after after
next year's we will see. Theidea was to do two months here,
three months there, come back,and it's not working like that anymore.
I kind of have a big enterprisein both areas. You know, we
(18:45):
visited your winery and it was apalazzo that you had reconstructed. Was quite
you know, thank god you're adrafter and you know construction because it's a
fairly state of New York designed nowbeautiful winery, beautiful sculptures, I mean
quite stuff. Name was it?What was it before? And how did
it was the process to get itto where it is now? You talked
(19:07):
you where the binary is? Yeah, well, where we visited, which
was another's different properties, not yourheadquarters. But where we visit you probably
show the villa on the hills,right, Yeah, there's a villa on
the hill. But when we whenwe met you at the entrance and we
had our tasting, and we wentdown to the winery and we went into
the tank rooms. We did thatwhole tour as well. Yes, we
(19:30):
so we we met it in thecountry house. I uh what the country
house is all building from the Colatofamily, which go back two hundred years
to hunder years here on this proberty. Here there was a family of farmers,
and we bought, we knocked everythingout. We talked all the cubic
(19:53):
meter to the ad we put remainin the new processing plants. The idea
of the processing at Champron from thehills, like you know from nature is
I think it's the best architect thatwe are in the world and it teach
us everything. When I look whenI drive around in my property and I
(20:15):
look the holy going up and downlike this, I said, that's what
I wanted their processing plan. Ididn't. I didn't think about costs because
I didn't care about the cost.I want to build something they're going to
last, something they are going tobe proud, and something different. I'm
a for male. I don't copy, I lead. I have my own
(20:38):
idea and I work hard for whatI believe, right, so I did.
I definitely do not want to doa cheap building in the barroom of
the hills. I want something theyblend with the hills. You can only
see it from the road. Onlywhen you're here you see the beauty and
(21:02):
they say that it's one of thebest procession plants Containa of Europe. The
beautiful property really does you know?It's neat about it. So we went
from that facility up to where wehad lunch. The beaut of property with
us the pool. Ask you whatyou call it? And he drove in
your red feruorry. We walked.It was beautiful and we noticed that there's
like on the roof what looks likethe roof, Well there is the roof.
(21:26):
The roof does vines on it,and it just blends in with all
the regular hills. Yes, that'sexactly what what's my intention? What I
want? Right? I wanted tobe in harmony with the surrounding, in
harmony with natures. And I thinkwe achieved that. I'm very pleased with
(21:47):
the result. And actually I'd bevery blessed that I did it when I
did it, because today it willforce me twice as much because the price
you went crazy here in Italy inthe last few years. So I've been
lucky again because now I have thisbeautiful place and considering it didn't cost you
(22:07):
very much considering what it costs today. So you mentioned that you were you
like to acquire land and property aroundyou, and you were doing that to
build. What do you give usa sense of what you have in your
holdings. You have different vineyards andyou, as you noted, and we
want to underscore you produce more thanprosecca. You do international varieties. You
(22:30):
brought back to the native grape.You have a lot going on. Give
us a sense of your holdings andthe different areas well. Hundred fully four
actors of planted vinas land. Weown probably a few hundred and fifty actor
so it's high. Six hundred equalsright the ideal buying I like to buy
(22:56):
in our area all I liked itto give me a big satisfaction to buy
something, clean it up and makeit the way I want it, like
a garben. That's why I liketo buy the nighbors out it just to
fix it up. And yeah,I get a big joy or driving around
(23:21):
in the property. I like tosee everything tidy. But one of the
things on the last twenty years,I think people change. Also here people
follow me is much better than twentyyears ago. People keep it tidy,
and so I think I lead.I lead by example right and buying.
(23:45):
I would like to buy everything theycome along that I love property. I
love property, I love land morethe better, and so until I until
I'm alive, I would keep buying. I would keep buying. And about
some of the landowners are appreciative ofthat too. It believes them of having
(24:07):
to take care of their own lands, so they probably appreciate that. Let's
talk about prosecco here, you knowprosecco. Let's just set it up this
way. Prosecco is a broad termin the United States many consumers, and
our audience is trade and consumer.The trade is going to be more sophisticated
in their knowledge, most likely aboutthe different styles and the difference between Ennigliano
(24:33):
and Valdabiani and prosecco Superior or proseccodoc probably a bigger challenge with consumers.
They hear prosecco and they hear prosecco, and they get a lot of mass
market prosecco versus you know Doc andspecific smaller brands. Let's kind of differentiate
and explain Osolo in the puzzle andthe map of prosecco. And you also
(24:59):
have properties in Connecnian. I believealso and outside right, I got in
a god Doc Duc and d orc g right, so Arzolo and the
true our Azulo Montello. The truear is different than and also different than
Corneliano. All three r D allthree are great wine. All three wine.
(25:30):
I think the big difference is whenyou are the commerce Charlie, they
produced millions and millions and millions ofbattles and you are the family of wine
makers. The two proud are completelydifferent, and also the price. So
(25:52):
I think what the people want toloarn and explain is one one brand is
commerciale they buy the juice from everybodyand they produce another one comes from one
family. They have their own olderland. They produce so many thousands of
(26:17):
barrel and with a very good controlof what you produce, right, you
cannot produce ten million bottle of prosecco, and now it's all the same,
the same quality. I mean,if you do five six hundred thousand battle
(26:37):
or ros a leader for example,as we produce, I can guarantee you
that every year it's the same becauseit's a small quantity. We are with
the same way we look at theland, the same way we do use
pesticide. I think the biggest differenceon the on the prosecco is the pesticide
(27:00):
and that people use. And alsoteris. I mean, we've both been
to Boni and Cunegliano and cartizz andthey're they're different, completely different, as
is Osolo. But I think it'shard in the United States, too different.
You know, there needs to bemore. I call it elevation and
education. Well, for example ofone of my best friends, yes,
(27:26):
property in bellunoh and uh, andthat is also at the CEG and I
I think that that one is probablyone of the best of the probably performed
profaithful. I I think the sizoof a lotta to do. The climate
(27:47):
is changing where we are is verymuch warmer and uh. But at the
end of the day, the differenceis very minimal. It's very minimal.
It's very minimal between one area anotherarea. I lead a bit. Yes,
the biggest difference is the family theymake it, I think, and
(28:11):
the quantity it's an interesting perspective.It is actually it really is um and
I think that the opportunity besides buyingin the United States is bringing people to
Italy to explore the area. Let'stalk a bit a little bit about you
are native to Oslo, it's abeautiful or what do you want the listeners
(28:33):
you're reaching today to know about consideringto visit and people can visit Tuesday also
and say that right yea, everyforeigners America like here not too far from
here is the American base and thisbinary is that favorite. They're always there.
(28:55):
There's probably come to spend the afternoonand swam. All the Canadian come
to venic come and visit us becausewe're very well known, the Juicy family
and myself. We promote, youknow, we want to promote our territorial
area. We I think what weare is like paradise and uh and I
(29:19):
promote farming without chemicals, you know, eliminated chemicals. For example, two
weekend ago, I was in Veniceand Saint Marcus Square and one of my
friends sent me a message. Hesaid, I'm in Venice and a Canadian
businessman. I said, we arein Venice too, I said, let's
(29:42):
meet at Florian Bar. And wewere there in the most beautiful city of
the world, Saint Marcus Square,in the oldest restaurant of bar in the
world seventeen twenty and we opened upGracili in my way make it one of
(30:03):
my perfecto having it's priceless. Thereis no to be in a place like
this is, you know, andhaving your long wine. It's just just
amazing feeling, you know. Andyeah, so our territory we go advantage.
There's less than a half an houraway. We have Zolo, we
(30:26):
have Belluno uh old Old the northernpart of Courtina, and I mean they're
beautiful. They're rolling heels and fromit's a beautiful area, especially for people
that like going around with a bicycle, right right to the Montello area.
(30:49):
And there's more and more and moreof that like here. They come by,
they do the Monoco Venezia. TheGermans become every night. The people
stay in our places here and Ican see more and more of that type
of tourism. More tourist from Canadanow coming here and they send their bike
(31:10):
here just to go through the hillswith their own bike. So it's a
changing world. Today. Uh myselfeI want to us to do my part
to make sure that I keep everythingice and tidy and clean and see so
that they have a beautiful ride.Yes, yes, yes, exactly.
(31:33):
You know, Joe Um, asidefrom prosecco, you also produce a wonderful
line of still wines, reds andwhites. Why don't you tell us a
little bit about that side of thebusiness, because it's fairly significant. They
Okay, we used to own tothe shan Stacio, which is uh a
peewee, but I never spray howdo you spell peewee for our listeners?
(31:59):
Because it's a that was a newterm for me, b w i p
w i b i wi and it'sa disease resistant clone that can be used
for prosecca. Right. No,this one, this one they are shoving
you own bland. This one there'swe call them shaving your neptis by deride
(32:22):
from the shaving your own bland.Okay, then we can then we produce
the recantina. Uh then our topbourdeaux umberto Primo. Like I don't know
if you know, my wine makeris Graciana Grassini, also the ye maker
of Sasia for me it's considered tobe the top woman in the world.
(32:45):
Yes, maker, we are nowwell, I can open any barrel of
wine against anybody and another wine isgood. Work with her. And how
long has she been working with herenow? It's four years? Four years
Milk also still here, my olderwinemaker, and also my nephew Gabrielle Lesanata,
(33:12):
which would be between him and myother nephew Robert to dusty day would
be the future of the winery.And uh. And then we see some
of my nephew from the dusty sidewill pop up. We see what kind
of desire they have down the road. So Raccettini, that is a revived
(33:39):
great correct. Yes, yes,Riccina, what you mean King of the
Salard La Cantina, King of theSalard. We're doing it. The two
eight king we won the best wineof weekly and we won gold medal everywhere
Laciana. Two years ago. Shedecides, uh that she wanted no contamination.
(34:07):
She wont the wine to be pureRacontina. So we started and we
bought the am for the big Ampreand the two twenty one. We'll come
to America sometimes this year. Endof the years. And that is Basically,
(34:28):
we took the berry out of thebunches, put it all in the
in the am for a and theletters sit there for six months. After
six months, we took her outand the jews were all out, so
there is no they were not pressed. There is no tanini from the wood
(34:49):
and also very little taninni from theseed because everything dissolved over six seven months.
The wine is amazing. It wouldI would be tested and tested.
It's just amazing, amazing because hehas no flavor from the both barrels or
(35:09):
anything. And juiceful ever give uswhatever juiced to plan to give you and
we it would be it would belaunching America. How would you describe amazing
in terms of the characteristics of thewine? So, okay, one of
(35:30):
my favorite wine is uh. WhenI was younger, it was always Shtomago
okay, and today I think thatmy own Bartu Primo we are equaled that.
And I think the new wine issomething different and just special. The
one from the Recontina it's you knowwhen you drink that you're drinking something special,
(35:58):
and that's fairly new to the market. So that is going to be
in the United States. Awesome.Yeah, But in the United States.
You have already the Augusto uh,which which is done in the battle,
the biggest Romanian, but the thenew one, the one in the Ample,
will come to the state by theend of the years. We're seeing
(36:22):
a lot of Empera in Italian wineriesas we visited. What are your thoughts
on that and why emper I'm theone pushing it too. I believe that
the one. I believe that thewine should be whatever the plant to give
your ales, you not taste likeor anything else. I think they play
(36:46):
the double treople play like we havefrom in Bruneta, the ample breed uh.
I think it's a good thing becausethen you you are the real used
coming out of the yah right likeI'm one. I mean, I'm talking
about this every day and I'm veryencouraging and I'm happy the other people doing
(37:09):
it. Actually, I wish everybodydo it, because I think we have
to give the world the best wineis possible. We must, we must
never stop trying to give people thebest. I think that's that's me,
that's where I like, that's whoI am, and I think when we
(37:35):
do something, we have to wehave to try to overachieve because if we
said the bar very very high,we probably reach a good level. But
if they expectation are not there,then we use me the offering. Well,
I can't imagine aiming low. Yeah, yes, this doesn't seem like
(38:00):
you would want to do that.You know, you would always go for
the best and and and and seehow far you can go. I think
that's interesting them for it, becausewe heard a lot of people, most
people embracing, and a few werelike A few more traditionalists were like,
no, well, I think it'sbeen an evolution, just like stainless steel
was an evolution, just like oakwas an evolution. The forrest it's been
(38:22):
around for a long time, aswe all know, but it's been an
evolution of late because when we firststarted seeing him for it was with the
natural winemakers. Yeah, it's stillkind of novel renegades. And now now
it's been picked up by the traditionalwinemakers and they're experimenting with it, and
the wines are fabulous. Yeah,and they're really true to what they're true
to type as they say they are. This is only in the last few
(38:44):
years. Yeah, exactly. Oh, definitely, everything old is new again.
I thought that I was one ofthe four guys to go and I
I tell everybody that's what I'm doing, right, And because it's always better
to love somebody with you, followyou, you know, and no,
(39:05):
we are. We are very excited, very excited. And I would like
to see the other wine the nextyear's uh, for example, done that.
I would like to see to producevery tiny quantity, like a couple
of bunches per plan and do somethingspecial. I would like to see that.
(39:29):
I'd like to attend to tasting umwhere you had the same wine vinified
and ampra, steale and oak,so that everybody can understand the how it
evolves and the nuances. I thinkthat would be fascinating because we taste as
we go, but that comparative isthe ultimate enlightenment. It's like day and
(39:52):
night. Yes, it would bereally nice to do that. I'd like
somebody to work in it. Maybewe'll We're gonna we'll do it. We'll
do it. If it doesn't exist, create it, right. What are
you guys in the States? Whatare you everywhere? In New York,
the South? Where we can bewherever we need to be Texas, Then
(40:15):
we will organize it and we beatwhen we do the launched up. Yeah,
we should do that, and Iwould bring away met her. No,
no, we've never met her actually, but obviously heard a lot about
her and tasted the wine. Yeah, we'd like to meet her. I
think that would be very successful,Joe. So maybe we'll do that in
New York. Yeah, new York. We we have some thoughts. We
(40:37):
would be in New York in September, and then I think in December probably
will come with me. Well,that's a that gives some ideas. Yeah,
we'll talk about that. Let's talkabout tiding up and your love of
tiding up and also your love ofart and restoration, because you shared with
us over our wonderful lunch that you'repassionate about Renaissance art and you're a passionate
(40:59):
reader. And you're also overseeing therestoration of the Benedictine Abbey of sent Eustache,
which is also on your label,which is near the one your your
state talked to us, it's insidemy improperty. Yeah, we don't ate
it to enough medium Europe to restoreit for the community, because for me
(41:22):
it was important to stay up,you know, for the next two three
hundred years. And because there's achild. I used to drive by in
front of them with my bike andthere was something every time I look at
it was something special for me.So when I had the opportunity to buy
this property, because I sold onlyonce for eleven hundred years, belonged to
(41:45):
the Collato. Then I was soldin the nineties and I tried to buy
it at a time and I couldn'tdo it. I didn't want to pull
the Canadian company in trouble by takingtoo much money out. And then when
it came to children in two thousandand eight, and then there was no
question we were going to buy it, and we didn't have a price.
(42:06):
Art. Uh, you know,I paint. I think you probably saw
some of my painting. That wasmy first passion. I like to paint.
But my dad to me that Ibetter find a real job too.
Did you study painting? I thinkyou studied painting, right, I read,
I had a teacher with me fora long time and I read,
(42:27):
that's my first passion is art.But then I have to do something else.
Money and but going up, goingup in the sixties, it was
not very popular to have, especiallyyour all the sun refusing to go to
(42:49):
work and just painting. So Imade my dad happy and I decided to
go and work and had the familypainting. It was obviously in my heart.
I'm an art collector. We arejust building a new that we're restoring
a new willa here which I willhave my own art gallery. I have
(43:14):
probably to Tory painting from the fifteenhundred, sixteen fourteen, fifteen, sixteen
hundred. I I'm very curious,and because I have this desire for knowledge,
I look at this painting and Isee how come, how could they
(43:37):
could be so good? You know, three hundred years ago? I think
sometimes I think that those people werebrighter than we are back in those days
three four hundred years ago, becauseI don't know how they could do something
so beautiful with with very little knowledgeis beyond mine. That way about architecture,
(44:07):
we've we've been to Perugoe and yousee these beautiful buildings and stone structures,
and you think they didn't have thetechnology back then, and everything was
perfect, and it's perfect and andand and it's It's the same with the
ancient Roman ruins that still exists inuh in Italy, and you wonder,
(44:27):
how did they do that? Withouttechnology, and it's the same with I
mean, you know, creativity hasits forms no matter what. The mind
is amazing machine throughout time. Right, it's true, it's true, that's
true. So the just the abbeyitself, what was the significance of it?
(44:47):
Yea abbey is very important place becauseit was as well monsign the manner
u. It was for the Pennettinimonth, right, it was the place
of the knowledge, you know whatI mean, Like the people were very
(45:12):
poor in this area here and likethe trevisigning of nor Treviso, where we
are if you look, we areall over the world, like Brazil,
Venezuela, Argentina, Australia. Wewere the person swimming very because the hills
belonged to Venish for foreign and seventyfive years and now in the flat land
(45:37):
people were starving. So after theabolish is lavery in Brazil and they start
bringing immigrants, there was people fromthis area, many fact, from South
Paolo. Down the drive for fivehours. They speak Travis they speak the
dialect that we speak, the ricespeaks. So it was the monks were
(46:05):
discipients the knowledge. They they energylike you know, they were they were
the lucary people, so they weremuch above everybody else. Like back in
those days, people used to dograde one, you know, if you're
lucky. So and at the abbeymanufact tonight it was one of the bad
(46:28):
boy bad priests here Marcantonio Brandolini,And tonight I go into the cash for
where he was born. And herethey wrote a book for the Vatican wrote
a book about him. The humanbeasts you remember in there in the restaurant,
there was a man in the horsethat guys so much, so much
(46:50):
ust to be right and myself allowedallowed to know the history of all this
time, going back sanctury, becauseto know where we come from, who
we are, how do how dowe get to be the way we are?
They must be a reason right,and and the knowledge and those things
(47:16):
I don't know. I think youmay mean our mind. We can do
wonder if and I think we're allstriving to full knowledge. I think one
of the things we enjoyed most aboutvisiting with you, Joe. We visit
a lot of wineries, and we'reblessed to be able to travel. It
(47:42):
is so wonderful to have a mealand a conversation with the owner where it's
own, not just about the wine, but it's about the vision and the
passion. And when you opened upand I asked you about your other interests
and you opened it about the artsand your paint, your face glowed and
it was so nice to take theelevate the conversation beyond the usual talk about
(48:06):
you know, malo elected fermentation andstainless steel and aging, which sometimes is
what happens at these lunches. Andthat was we were like, this man
is amazing, you know, hehas so many dimensions to him, which
leads us to a final question.You are an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is
a builder of businesses. Your businesshas been building, That's how you built
(48:31):
your success. What do you hopeto build in the future. What is
your dream? Because entrepreneurs always havea vision and a dream ahead. They
never stop. I would like toown some land in Oregon because we have
businesses over there. Yeah, Iwould like to buy there. I hope
(48:57):
within the next five years I canraise my my nephew, Gabrielle with the
Ato Greciana Grassini, because it wouldbe the future of the company. Right.
I want to be the Antinori orthe new generation. I want my
family the duty wine to be aroundthe next three hundred years. That's my
(49:22):
dream. I want to produce thebest wine I want. I want the
people to enjoy what I did toenjoy the wine, all the people of
the world, because I got friendsfrom every walk of life. You know.
We have businesses in San Francisco,Seattle, Portland, and so I've
(49:47):
been too late. I've been trulybrushed because I don't think so that I
ever found in my whole life aperson that I didn't get along. Were
all wonderful people, you know,and I have a great memory of all
the people that we meet. Soso that's the least I can do,
I think, is do I wantto lose the best glass of wine?
(50:10):
And there's nothing better to sit cheerswith friends and a gray wine in your
glass. Well, as a builder, you know what laying a foundation is
like. You're laying a very goodfoundation for that right here, and we
want to underscore when we visited,you have photographs of your beautiful family,
giant blown up photographs of your familythroughout the tour or family is very important.
(50:32):
They're the photos are behind you rightnow. So you've built a wonderful
foundation that has dated back centuries withyour family and from that and they have
become far flung. And then youbuilt your business and you've built your vision
and you've restored along the way.So it's really inspiring and no wonder you
get along with everybody. You arereally the most happy fellas as that Broadway
(50:55):
show, as I remember, hewas a most happy fella. I'm burn
up you, I guess. Andyou know, for me, life is
uh, find my family, mywords, my grandchildren, and my friends.
You know what I mean. Lifeis too short to be grouchy exactly.
(51:15):
And you know what else, lifeis too short for to drink bad
wine. So to you for makingvery good wine and we so enjoyed sharing
some glasses with you at our visitto Juicy Wine. Thank you for your
hospitality, and thank you for yourtime today on the Connected Table. Thank
you, and I will make surethat I will advise you guys when we
(51:37):
will love the testing all the newwine, yes absolutely, and Oregon,
all our Oregan friends. Did youhear he wants to come to Oregon?
Love you, Thank you Chow.You've been listening to another edition of The
Connected Table Live with Melanie Young andDavid Ransom. We hope you're excited about
this show. Oslo is a beautifulplace to visit. It's so easy to
(51:59):
get to from. Then us dothe do the city, do the country.
Take some time to explore, tasteand drink local, and savor every
sip. As always, our messagesstay insatiably curious. Thank you,
The topics and opinions expressed in thefollowing show are solely those of the hosts
and their guests and not those ofW FORCY Radio. It's employees are affiliates.
We make no recommendations or endorsements radioshow, program services, or products
mentioned on air or on our web. No liability, explicit or implied shall
be extended to W FORCY Radio orits employees or affiliates. Any questions or
comments should be directed to those showhosts. Thank you for choosing W FORCY
(00:22):
Radio. Welcome to the Connected TableLive. We're your hosts, Melana Young
(00:46):
and David Ransom. You're insatiably curiousculinary couple. We enjoy bringing you the
dynamic people who work front and centerand behind the scenes in wine, food,
spirits and hospitality around the world.We love to travel and bring you
stories from the road, and we'redoing that today based on a recent trip
(01:06):
to northern Italy to a beautiful areacalled Oslo. I want to say that
slowly, because when we tell peoplehere in the United States, they think
it's Oslo in Norway. It's Osolo, historic stunning town about what fifty or
sixty kilometers from venice A little aboutan hour from Venice and it's in the
Veneto, Yes, and a beautifulwine producing region, rolling hills, green,
(01:30):
very verdant. It also has alot of history which will delve into
with our guests. You know,when you drove you see these beautiful Palladian
mansions because they were This area servedas a country retreat for the Venetian citizens
from their palazzos during the heat,and it really is quite lovely. We
also found out that the historic villageof Osolo, which is very popular,
(01:52):
is an artist's retreat, and welearned about some very famous actors and writers
and artists who live there. It'squite beautiful and highly recommend it. Today's
guest is from the region. Heis so fascinating. He's really what we
call a self made man in somany ways. He's a true entrepreneur by
spirit. Joe Justy's entrepreneurial success stretchesfrom his native Italy to Canada. We
(02:17):
had the pleasure of meeting him duringthis visit to Ossolo to Juicy Winery,
which is fairly expansive and doing someamazing things in the area. Something we
want to underscore is this region isknown for prosecco, a very specific,
its own unique style of prosecco,which we will delve into as well,
right, David and Ossolo is oneof the three classified regions that produce prosecco,
(02:39):
along with Vldney and Corneliano. Right, So it was interesting to kind
of we've been to all those regions, so it was interesting to taste and
differentiate and get the nuances here.So his formal name is Ermenegildo Jiusti,
but he'll say call me Joe.We found him to be an enthusiaic,
enthusiastic ambassador for Oslo and for proseccoand for Italy, and in fact he's
(03:05):
been honored by the Italian government forthat reason. He was knighted by the
President of the Italian Republic in twentytwenty one and received the Order of the
Star of Italy and recognition for thepositive and global impact he has made.
That's pretty amazing. Welcome Joe,Justy, thank you, thank you well.
I have to say we felt yourenthusiasm for your land and your business
(03:31):
and the wines was just we justfelt the spirit. We left feeling very
happy. I remember there was aplay once called The Most Happy fellaw about
a man who made wine in Italy, and that reminded me of you.
Thanks Why it's for me making wineand is a way of seeing thank you
(03:53):
to the world because I've been soblessed. And it's try to give the
best glass of wine to all ourfriends around the world, and and keep
pushing the level of the quality higherand higher and higher. When we started
investing in Italy, it was Ialways like I come from a family of
(04:18):
farmers. I was my fun memoriesas a child. It was the vineans
and the sound of the bees.And in those days we used to artists
very late. It was in October, not like now, in September.
I was September. And I thinkthere's something magical about being a farmer.
(04:42):
That's a matter where you go.It's something the land to keep pulling you
back, I think. And soI always was interested in the wine.
I love good wine. And whenwe started investing here, I want to
the top winemaker of our area andto continue what my dad, my father
(05:08):
in law you used to do becauseour family have been debiling with wine for
century. So we start investing oneproperty after the other. Today we are
the largest landlord owner of the area, and we basically created a little Evan
(05:29):
here in a vision Battalia as forme as to enjoy hopefully my next twenty
years here in the middle of thevineyards and create excellent wine and promote my
country, of the country of birthand our region. Tell us a little
(05:54):
bit more about your family, andbecause we read that it dates back to
the sixteen hundreds, it has quitea heritage. There's some French in there
as well as Italy. Give usa sense of your family because this area,
we learned, has a lot oflong history of families who really built
the area. And we learned,of course that the Veneto at large is
(06:14):
a really well known business area andeverybody has a trade and everybody specializes with
this farm or factory. How didyour family fit into that over the centuries
what I tushed my family back toturteen sixty. We come from the noble
family of Corneliano. Through the century, people left went to some went to
(06:42):
different area of Italy. Some inthe eighteen eighty a big portion of our
family went to Brazil. In thenineteen fifty a lot of them went to
Venezuela in Argentina, and myself,my dad for example, was born in
(07:05):
Veneze, just startar lyone in France, because our family used to go back
and fall between France and in Italy. Myself, my mom grandma was Austrian
Germans. They came here in thehill in eighteen ten when Napoleon came through.
(07:28):
One of my oldest grandma is Jewish. So this area here the benefit
the Trevisiani, we call them.We have our own language, we speak
Trevisian. It's a unique area.I think we are a blend of many
races. I think we are AustrianGermans, French, Slavic, Polish because
(07:54):
we've always been invaded, like thePiave, which is uh, you wander
from here from the winery, itwill seem like the dividing point between the
House Hungaria regime and Italy. Soit's very normal here to see the people.
They remind me more like we aremore German Noucian than Italians. Like
(08:22):
if you think about the Italians fromFlorence or Rome or Naples, completely different
people, different different work ethic,different different mentality. It's different. We
have difference. Right. My childam fanatic to keep everything tidy and clean
and organized. I think that isthe German size. I mean, I
(08:46):
think so yeah, And so Ithink the beauty of this area is that
we are a multi I think weare a multicultural country. And I think
that's why I of Canada and theUnited States, because we had a blend,
a melting pot of different nationality andI think you bring the backs out
(09:09):
of the world. Well, that'swhy we love to travel, right,
David. And we see that inItaly. It's quite amazing the difference between
the north and south and even eastto the west. Absolutely. You know,
Joe, you you actually left homeat the age of seventeen and set
your sights on America. Why don'tyou tell us about that. You ended
up in Canada, but as yousay, you thought you were coming to
(09:30):
the United States, So tell usthat story. I love United State,
United States US. As I wasgrowing up, I remember, like today,
when the family left in fifty seven, when the family, like the
house that I own, used tobe ninety people living that Now it was
really me and my wife. Butin those days were a lot of people
(09:54):
causing, second towards causing and theywere leaving to go to Ourgentina and Venezuela.
But I never heard my family talkingabout them, but I always heard
about another uncle of mine. Theywent to Canada. They become very wealthy,
(10:16):
so as I was, as Iwas growing up seven eight nine years
old, I could sell always hisname and his son became a lawyer and
owned so many thousand down very well. So I think from the time eight
nine years old, I want toleave Italy. I always I can only
wait to be old enough. AndI kept beastally my mom and asking where
(10:41):
America was, and she always tellsme it was at the end of the
vineyard a little bit further. Sosoon I was old enough to leave,
I asked my dad to sign forme. I apply and I turned eighteen
in Canada and that was I thinkthat in my life because I want to
(11:03):
be free, I want to dothe thing that I want. I didn't
want. I want to see whatI can do on my own, and
they knew there was not I wasgoing to be difficult because I didn't speak
the language, but I knew thatthat was the place to go and to
(11:24):
beel my future and to create.We done an empire. We done very
well well. The Juti group isquite huge and we should probably touch on
it because you went with very littlemoney in your pocket. Did you go
to work with your relative or didyou start on your own. Give us
a sense of what happened in Canada, because that really is significant in your
(11:48):
career. We we lended in Vancouver. I was welder. I started welding
when I was talking and a halfyears old, and I was giving one
of my friends that I met there, and you just kept telling me that
if I want to make money,I have to be in construction. And
(12:09):
I was very blessed because doing myhigh school, I had one of the
best professors. They taught Pica Sunitechniquely and I learned how to draft and
design so I could read the drawing, and so we started framing, you
know, framing the little houses right. And then for me it was so
simple because I knew the how toread the drawing, and I decided to
(12:33):
start on my own. So anineteen year old I started doing my own.
I started used to brothers and everythingwent from there, from the small
house to the bigger houses and tothe apartment, the three stories, then
the five stories, six, thento the eye rises and bridges, and
(12:54):
then then they are and gas.We don the part of the large a
project. All the s will workfor BP on the last on the years.
So it was an evolution, right. I never I never tired.
I love working and I give mybest and everything that I do. I'm
(13:20):
excited to get up all in themoney and to work. And today I'm
seventy years old. For me,I'm like eighteen again. I'm having fun.
I tried to guide my people.I love my workers and we have
many because on the oil and gaswe had two thousand people. I know
(13:43):
all of them by name, andI love all my employees, and I
I just push every day. Ilike to see people give everything the hundred
percent. I think at the endof the day, it doesn't matter what
you achieved, but you must try. I would say, I'll look you
(14:05):
back and then try. It wouldbe a sad, sad life, you
know what I mean. I sawwe try now every day to do the
best wine to we are against I'magainst pesticided, I'm against spray. I'm
not fanatic green, but I knowthat there's no good and I keep pushing
(14:31):
to change the system. Let's uhlike we were one of the first one
to plant to the resistant chlone,which is the German column pew, and
I strongly believe that that's the future. Uh. And we want, I
know, would like to see itin the other company doing the same thing
(14:52):
that we do. And when whenwe discovered the Ricantina, they were talking
a greable they hell, I wasone of the first. I was the
clost I think we planed. Andbecause I think that we must give the
world the best that we can do. I mean, for me, good
(15:16):
is not good enough. We muststrive to do better and better and uh,
and change the mentality of the quantitywe have to put. Italy is
a very tiny country. We mustproduce little and do a good job.
That's what I believe. And inour country, I mean down very well.
(15:39):
We didn us as an immigrant.We were so proud to promote the
med in Italy in all the clothes, in the shoes, the mall,
like all things, and the wine. Of course, I remember in the
seventies the best, the best ballthough, was come from my heels.
(16:00):
Here couple the Stato from Rasparini Loredan, which we bought a but see a
property from them. So we havea great territory. And I think for
a while we concentrate too much onquantity what we produce, and I think
(16:26):
we should produce a little bit less, with less chemicals, less pesticide,
and and hopefully we go down tothe pew with resistant clone so we don't
have to spray at all. Sowhen did you make the decision to return
(16:47):
to Italy and get into the winebusiness and build Justy Winery? In ninety
eight, I start purchasing property hereand then it's been an investment one after
the other. Only in the lastcouple of years I spent more time here
in Italy. Um, I tellyou I really missed Canada and Italians.
(17:12):
Oh no, they know. Ilike this year's we can for the Water
of conquering Las Vegas. Because mychildren they had a couple of machine that
I spent fifty years in America.So it is, you know, I
missed that. I miss I missedthe excitement. I missed seeing the people,
(17:36):
the young people excited to make money, to work hard, to try,
because they reminded myself right the opportunitythat had. I think that's a
matter. Anybody could come to Americaand work hard, being honest, and
they would make it. I reallybelieve that. And I some people say
(17:57):
old in the early day was different. No, I don't think so.
I think every years good years.You used after work, right, and
definitely I got my family, gotmy three sounder and my nine grandchildren's and
my daughter in law. So wetried to come back as much as we
(18:21):
can. But fortuntly now I spendingmore time here. I think after after
next year's we will see. Theidea was to do two months here,
three months there, come back,and it's not working like that anymore.
I kind of have a big enterprisein both areas. You know, we
(18:45):
visited your winery and it was apalazzo that you had reconstructed. Was quite
you know, thank god you're adrafter and you know construction because it's a
fairly state of New York designed nowbeautiful winery, beautiful sculptures, I mean
quite stuff. Name was it?What was it before? And how did
it was the process to get itto where it is now? You talked
(19:07):
you where the binary is? Yeah, well, where we visited, which
was another's different properties, not yourheadquarters. But where we visit you probably
show the villa on the hills,right, Yeah, there's a villa on
the hill. But when we whenwe met you at the entrance and we
had our tasting, and we wentdown to the winery and we went into
the tank rooms. We did thatwhole tour as well. Yes, we
(19:30):
so we we met it in thecountry house. I uh what the country
house is all building from the Colatofamily, which go back two hundred years
to hunder years here on this proberty. Here there was a family of farmers,
and we bought, we knocked everythingout. We talked all the cubic
(19:53):
meter to the ad we put remainin the new processing plants. The idea
of the processing at Champron from thehills, like you know from nature is
I think it's the best architect thatwe are in the world and it teach
us everything. When I look whenI drive around in my property and I
(20:15):
look the holy going up and downlike this, I said, that's what
I wanted their processing plan. Ididn't. I didn't think about costs because
I didn't care about the cost.I want to build something they're going to
last, something they are going tobe proud, and something different. I'm
a for male. I don't copy, I lead. I have my own
(20:38):
idea and I work hard for whatI believe, right, so I did.
I definitely do not want to doa cheap building in the barroom of
the hills. I want something theyblend with the hills. You can only
see it from the road. Onlywhen you're here you see the beauty and
(21:02):
they say that it's one of thebest procession plants Containa of Europe. The
beautiful property really does you know?It's neat about it. So we went
from that facility up to where wehad lunch. The beaut of property with
us the pool. Ask you whatyou call it? And he drove in
your red feruorry. We walked.It was beautiful and we noticed that there's
like on the roof what looks likethe roof, Well there is the roof.
(21:26):
The roof does vines on it,and it just blends in with all
the regular hills. Yes, that'sexactly what what's my intention? What I
want? Right? I wanted tobe in harmony with the surrounding, in
harmony with natures. And I thinkwe achieved that. I'm very pleased with
(21:47):
the result. And actually I'd bevery blessed that I did it when I
did it, because today it willforce me twice as much because the price
you went crazy here in Italy inthe last few years. So I've been
lucky again because now I have thisbeautiful place and considering it didn't cost you
(22:07):
very much considering what it costs today. So you mentioned that you were you
like to acquire land and property aroundyou, and you were doing that to
build. What do you give usa sense of what you have in your
holdings. You have different vineyards andyou, as you noted, and we
want to underscore you produce more thanprosecca. You do international varieties. You
(22:30):
brought back to the native grape.You have a lot going on. Give
us a sense of your holdings andthe different areas well. Hundred fully four
actors of planted vinas land. Weown probably a few hundred and fifty actor
so it's high. Six hundred equalsright the ideal buying I like to buy
(22:56):
in our area all I liked itto give me a big satisfaction to buy
something, clean it up and makeit the way I want it, like
a garben. That's why I liketo buy the nighbors out it just to
fix it up. And yeah,I get a big joy or driving around
(23:21):
in the property. I like tosee everything tidy. But one of the
things on the last twenty years,I think people change. Also here people
follow me is much better than twentyyears ago. People keep it tidy,
and so I think I lead.I lead by example right and buying.
(23:45):
I would like to buy everything theycome along that I love property. I
love property, I love land morethe better, and so until I until
I'm alive, I would keep buying. I would keep buying. And about
some of the landowners are appreciative ofthat too. It believes them of having
(24:07):
to take care of their own lands, so they probably appreciate that. Let's
talk about prosecco here, you knowprosecco. Let's just set it up this
way. Prosecco is a broad termin the United States many consumers, and
our audience is trade and consumer.The trade is going to be more sophisticated
in their knowledge, most likely aboutthe different styles and the difference between Ennigliano
(24:33):
and Valdabiani and prosecco Superior or proseccodoc probably a bigger challenge with consumers.
They hear prosecco and they hear prosecco, and they get a lot of mass
market prosecco versus you know Doc andspecific smaller brands. Let's kind of differentiate
and explain Osolo in the puzzle andthe map of prosecco. And you also
(24:59):
have properties in Connecnian. I believealso and outside right, I got in
a god Doc Duc and d orc g right, so Arzolo and the
true our Azulo Montello. The truear is different than and also different than
Corneliano. All three r D allthree are great wine. All three wine.
(25:30):
I think the big difference is whenyou are the commerce Charlie, they
produced millions and millions and millions ofbattles and you are the family of wine
makers. The two proud are completelydifferent, and also the price. So
(25:52):
I think what the people want toloarn and explain is one one brand is
commerciale they buy the juice from everybodyand they produce another one comes from one
family. They have their own olderland. They produce so many thousands of
(26:17):
barrel and with a very good controlof what you produce, right, you
cannot produce ten million bottle of prosecco, and now it's all the same,
the same quality. I mean,if you do five six hundred thousand battle
(26:37):
or ros a leader for example,as we produce, I can guarantee you
that every year it's the same becauseit's a small quantity. We are with
the same way we look at theland, the same way we do use
pesticide. I think the biggest differenceon the on the prosecco is the pesticide
(27:00):
and that people use. And alsoteris. I mean, we've both been
to Boni and Cunegliano and cartizz andthey're they're different, completely different, as
is Osolo. But I think it'shard in the United States, too different.
You know, there needs to bemore. I call it elevation and
education. Well, for example ofone of my best friends, yes,
(27:26):
property in bellunoh and uh, andthat is also at the CEG and I
I think that that one is probablyone of the best of the probably performed
profaithful. I I think the sizoof a lotta to do. The climate
(27:47):
is changing where we are is verymuch warmer and uh. But at the
end of the day, the differenceis very minimal. It's very minimal.
It's very minimal between one area anotherarea. I lead a bit. Yes,
the biggest difference is the family theymake it, I think, and
(28:11):
the quantity it's an interesting perspective.It is actually it really is um and
I think that the opportunity besides buyingin the United States is bringing people to
Italy to explore the area. Let'stalk a bit a little bit about you
are native to Oslo, it's abeautiful or what do you want the listeners
(28:33):
you're reaching today to know about consideringto visit and people can visit Tuesday also
and say that right yea, everyforeigners America like here not too far from
here is the American base and thisbinary is that favorite. They're always there.
(28:55):
There's probably come to spend the afternoonand swam. All the Canadian come
to venic come and visit us becausewe're very well known, the Juicy family
and myself. We promote, youknow, we want to promote our territorial
area. We I think what weare is like paradise and uh and I
(29:19):
promote farming without chemicals, you know, eliminated chemicals. For example, two
weekend ago, I was in Veniceand Saint Marcus Square and one of my
friends sent me a message. Hesaid, I'm in Venice and a Canadian
businessman. I said, we arein Venice too, I said, let's
(29:42):
meet at Florian Bar. And wewere there in the most beautiful city of
the world, Saint Marcus Square,in the oldest restaurant of bar in the
world seventeen twenty and we opened upGracili in my way make it one of
(30:03):
my perfecto having it's priceless. Thereis no to be in a place like
this is, you know, andhaving your long wine. It's just just
amazing feeling, you know. Andyeah, so our territory we go advantage.
There's less than a half an houraway. We have Zolo, we
(30:26):
have Belluno uh old Old the northernpart of Courtina, and I mean they're
beautiful. They're rolling heels and fromit's a beautiful area, especially for people
that like going around with a bicycle, right right to the Montello area.
(30:49):
And there's more and more and moreof that like here. They come by,
they do the Monoco Venezia. TheGermans become every night. The people
stay in our places here and Ican see more and more of that type
of tourism. More tourist from Canadanow coming here and they send their bike
(31:10):
here just to go through the hillswith their own bike. So it's a
changing world. Today. Uh myselfeI want to us to do my part
to make sure that I keep everythingice and tidy and clean and see so
that they have a beautiful ride.Yes, yes, yes, exactly.
(31:33):
You know, Joe Um, asidefrom prosecco, you also produce a wonderful
line of still wines, reds andwhites. Why don't you tell us a
little bit about that side of thebusiness, because it's fairly significant. They
Okay, we used to own tothe shan Stacio, which is uh a
peewee, but I never spray howdo you spell peewee for our listeners?
(31:59):
Because it's a that was a newterm for me, b w i p
w i b i wi and it'sa disease resistant clone that can be used
for prosecca. Right. No,this one, this one they are shoving
you own bland. This one there'swe call them shaving your neptis by deride
(32:22):
from the shaving your own bland.Okay, then we can then we produce
the recantina. Uh then our topbourdeaux umberto Primo. Like I don't know
if you know, my wine makeris Graciana Grassini, also the ye maker
of Sasia for me it's considered tobe the top woman in the world.
(32:45):
Yes, maker, we are nowwell, I can open any barrel of
wine against anybody and another wine isgood. Work with her. And how
long has she been working with herenow? It's four years? Four years
Milk also still here, my olderwinemaker, and also my nephew Gabrielle Lesanata,
(33:12):
which would be between him and myother nephew Robert to dusty day would
be the future of the winery.And uh. And then we see some
of my nephew from the dusty sidewill pop up. We see what kind
of desire they have down the road. So Raccettini, that is a revived
(33:39):
great correct. Yes, yes,Riccina, what you mean King of the
Salard La Cantina, King of theSalard. We're doing it. The two
eight king we won the best wineof weekly and we won gold medal everywhere
Laciana. Two years ago. Shedecides, uh that she wanted no contamination.
(34:07):
She wont the wine to be pureRacontina. So we started and we
bought the am for the big Ampreand the two twenty one. We'll come
to America sometimes this year. Endof the years. And that is Basically,
(34:28):
we took the berry out of thebunches, put it all in the
in the am for a and theletters sit there for six months. After
six months, we took her outand the jews were all out, so
there is no they were not pressed. There is no tanini from the wood
(34:49):
and also very little taninni from theseed because everything dissolved over six seven months.
The wine is amazing. It wouldI would be tested and tested.
It's just amazing, amazing because hehas no flavor from the both barrels or
(35:09):
anything. And juiceful ever give uswhatever juiced to plan to give you and
we it would be it would belaunching America. How would you describe amazing
in terms of the characteristics of thewine? So, okay, one of
(35:30):
my favorite wine is uh. WhenI was younger, it was always Shtomago
okay, and today I think thatmy own Bartu Primo we are equaled that.
And I think the new wine issomething different and just special. The
one from the Recontina it's you knowwhen you drink that you're drinking something special,
(35:58):
and that's fairly new to the market. So that is going to be
in the United States. Awesome.Yeah, But in the United States.
You have already the Augusto uh,which which is done in the battle,
the biggest Romanian, but the thenew one, the one in the Ample,
will come to the state by theend of the years. We're seeing
(36:22):
a lot of Empera in Italian wineriesas we visited. What are your thoughts
on that and why emper I'm theone pushing it too. I believe that
the one. I believe that thewine should be whatever the plant to give
your ales, you not taste likeor anything else. I think they play
(36:46):
the double treople play like we havefrom in Bruneta, the ample breed uh.
I think it's a good thing becausethen you you are the real used
coming out of the yah right likeI'm one. I mean, I'm talking
about this every day and I'm veryencouraging and I'm happy the other people doing
(37:09):
it. Actually, I wish everybodydo it, because I think we have
to give the world the best wineis possible. We must, we must
never stop trying to give people thebest. I think that's that's me,
that's where I like, that's whoI am, and I think when we
(37:35):
do something, we have to wehave to try to overachieve because if we
said the bar very very high,we probably reach a good level. But
if they expectation are not there,then we use me the offering. Well,
I can't imagine aiming low. Yeah, yes, this doesn't seem like
(38:00):
you would want to do that.You know, you would always go for
the best and and and and seehow far you can go. I think
that's interesting them for it, becausewe heard a lot of people, most
people embracing, and a few werelike A few more traditionalists were like,
no, well, I think it'sbeen an evolution, just like stainless steel
was an evolution, just like oakwas an evolution. The forrest it's been
(38:22):
around for a long time, aswe all know, but it's been an
evolution of late because when we firststarted seeing him for it was with the
natural winemakers. Yeah, it's stillkind of novel renegades. And now now
it's been picked up by the traditionalwinemakers and they're experimenting with it, and
the wines are fabulous. Yeah,and they're really true to what they're true
to type as they say they are. This is only in the last few
(38:44):
years. Yeah, exactly. Oh, definitely, everything old is new again.
I thought that I was one ofthe four guys to go and I
I tell everybody that's what I'm doing, right, And because it's always better
to love somebody with you, followyou, you know, and no,
(39:05):
we are. We are very excited, very excited. And I would like
to see the other wine the nextyear's uh, for example, done that.
I would like to see to producevery tiny quantity, like a couple
of bunches per plan and do somethingspecial. I would like to see that.
(39:29):
I'd like to attend to tasting umwhere you had the same wine vinified
and ampra, steale and oak,so that everybody can understand the how it
evolves and the nuances. I thinkthat would be fascinating because we taste as
we go, but that comparative isthe ultimate enlightenment. It's like day and
(39:52):
night. Yes, it would bereally nice to do that. I'd like
somebody to work in it. Maybewe'll We're gonna we'll do it. We'll
do it. If it doesn't exist, create it, right. What are
you guys in the States? Whatare you everywhere? In New York,
the South? Where we can bewherever we need to be Texas, Then
(40:15):
we will organize it and we beatwhen we do the launched up. Yeah,
we should do that, and Iwould bring away met her. No,
no, we've never met her actually, but obviously heard a lot about
her and tasted the wine. Yeah, we'd like to meet her. I
think that would be very successful,Joe. So maybe we'll do that in
New York. Yeah, new York. We we have some thoughts. We
(40:37):
would be in New York in September, and then I think in December probably
will come with me. Well,that's a that gives some ideas. Yeah,
we'll talk about that. Let's talkabout tiding up and your love of
tiding up and also your love ofart and restoration, because you shared with
us over our wonderful lunch that you'repassionate about Renaissance art and you're a passionate
(40:59):
reader. And you're also overseeing therestoration of the Benedictine Abbey of sent Eustache,
which is also on your label,which is near the one your your
state talked to us, it's insidemy improperty. Yeah, we don't ate
it to enough medium Europe to restoreit for the community, because for me
(41:22):
it was important to stay up,you know, for the next two three
hundred years. And because there's achild. I used to drive by in
front of them with my bike andthere was something every time I look at
it was something special for me.So when I had the opportunity to buy
this property, because I sold onlyonce for eleven hundred years, belonged to
(41:45):
the Collato. Then I was soldin the nineties and I tried to buy
it at a time and I couldn'tdo it. I didn't want to pull
the Canadian company in trouble by takingtoo much money out. And then when
it came to children in two thousandand eight, and then there was no
question we were going to buy it, and we didn't have a price.
(42:06):
Art. Uh, you know,I paint. I think you probably saw
some of my painting. That wasmy first passion. I like to paint.
But my dad to me that Ibetter find a real job too.
Did you study painting? I thinkyou studied painting, right, I read,
I had a teacher with me fora long time and I read,
(42:27):
that's my first passion is art.But then I have to do something else.
Money and but going up, goingup in the sixties, it was
not very popular to have, especiallyyour all the sun refusing to go to
(42:49):
work and just painting. So Imade my dad happy and I decided to
go and work and had the familypainting. It was obviously in my heart.
I'm an art collector. We arejust building a new that we're restoring
a new willa here which I willhave my own art gallery. I have
(43:14):
probably to Tory painting from the fifteenhundred, sixteen fourteen, fifteen, sixteen
hundred. I I'm very curious,and because I have this desire for knowledge,
I look at this painting and Isee how come, how could they
(43:37):
could be so good? You know, three hundred years ago? I think
sometimes I think that those people werebrighter than we are back in those days
three four hundred years ago, becauseI don't know how they could do something
so beautiful with with very little knowledgeis beyond mine. That way about architecture,
(44:07):
we've we've been to Perugoe and yousee these beautiful buildings and stone structures,
and you think they didn't have thetechnology back then, and everything was
perfect, and it's perfect and andand and it's It's the same with the
ancient Roman ruins that still exists inuh in Italy, and you wonder,
(44:27):
how did they do that? Withouttechnology, and it's the same with I
mean, you know, creativity hasits forms no matter what. The mind
is amazing machine throughout time. Right, it's true, it's true, that's
true. So the just the abbeyitself, what was the significance of it?
(44:47):
Yea abbey is very important place becauseit was as well monsign the manner
u. It was for the Pennettinimonth, right, it was the place
of the knowledge, you know whatI mean, Like the people were very
(45:12):
poor in this area here and likethe trevisigning of nor Treviso, where we
are if you look, we areall over the world, like Brazil,
Venezuela, Argentina, Australia. Wewere the person swimming very because the hills
belonged to Venish for foreign and seventyfive years and now in the flat land
(45:37):
people were starving. So after theabolish is lavery in Brazil and they start
bringing immigrants, there was people fromthis area, many fact, from South
Paolo. Down the drive for fivehours. They speak Travis they speak the
dialect that we speak, the ricespeaks. So it was the monks were
(46:05):
discipients the knowledge. They they energylike you know, they were they were
the lucary people, so they weremuch above everybody else. Like back in
those days, people used to dograde one, you know, if you're
lucky. So and at the abbeymanufact tonight it was one of the bad
(46:28):
boy bad priests here Marcantonio Brandolini,And tonight I go into the cash for
where he was born. And herethey wrote a book for the Vatican wrote
a book about him. The humanbeasts you remember in there in the restaurant,
there was a man in the horsethat guys so much, so much
(46:50):
ust to be right and myself allowedallowed to know the history of all this
time, going back sanctury, becauseto know where we come from, who
we are, how do how dowe get to be the way we are?
They must be a reason right,and and the knowledge and those things
(47:16):
I don't know. I think youmay mean our mind. We can do
wonder if and I think we're allstriving to full knowledge. I think one
of the things we enjoyed most aboutvisiting with you, Joe. We visit
a lot of wineries, and we'reblessed to be able to travel. It
(47:42):
is so wonderful to have a mealand a conversation with the owner where it's
own, not just about the wine, but it's about the vision and the
passion. And when you opened upand I asked you about your other interests
and you opened it about the artsand your paint, your face glowed and
it was so nice to take theelevate the conversation beyond the usual talk about
(48:06):
you know, malo elected fermentation andstainless steel and aging, which sometimes is
what happens at these lunches. Andthat was we were like, this man
is amazing, you know, hehas so many dimensions to him, which
leads us to a final question.You are an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is
a builder of businesses. Your businesshas been building, That's how you built
(48:31):
your success. What do you hopeto build in the future. What is
your dream? Because entrepreneurs always havea vision and a dream ahead. They
never stop. I would like toown some land in Oregon because we have
businesses over there. Yeah, Iwould like to buy there. I hope
(48:57):
within the next five years I canraise my my nephew, Gabrielle with the
Ato Greciana Grassini, because it wouldbe the future of the company. Right.
I want to be the Antinori orthe new generation. I want my
family the duty wine to be aroundthe next three hundred years. That's my
(49:22):
dream. I want to produce thebest wine I want. I want the
people to enjoy what I did toenjoy the wine, all the people of
the world, because I got friendsfrom every walk of life. You know.
We have businesses in San Francisco,Seattle, Portland, and so I've
(49:47):
been too late. I've been trulybrushed because I don't think so that I
ever found in my whole life aperson that I didn't get along. Were
all wonderful people, you know,and I have a great memory of all
the people that we meet. Soso that's the least I can do,
I think, is do I wantto lose the best glass of wine?
(50:10):
And there's nothing better to sit cheerswith friends and a gray wine in your
glass. Well, as a builder, you know what laying a foundation is
like. You're laying a very goodfoundation for that right here, and we
want to underscore when we visited,you have photographs of your beautiful family,
giant blown up photographs of your familythroughout the tour or family is very important.
(50:32):
They're the photos are behind you rightnow. So you've built a wonderful
foundation that has dated back centuries withyour family and from that and they have
become far flung. And then youbuilt your business and you've built your vision
and you've restored along the way.So it's really inspiring and no wonder you
get along with everybody. You arereally the most happy fellas as that Broadway
(50:55):
show, as I remember, hewas a most happy fella. I'm burn
up you, I guess. Andyou know, for me, life is
uh, find my family, mywords, my grandchildren, and my friends.
You know what I mean. Lifeis too short to be grouchy exactly.
(51:15):
And you know what else, lifeis too short for to drink bad
wine. So to you for makingvery good wine and we so enjoyed sharing
some glasses with you at our visitto Juicy Wine. Thank you for your
hospitality, and thank you for yourtime today on the Connected Table. Thank
you, and I will make surethat I will advise you guys when we
(51:37):
will love the testing all the newwine, yes absolutely, and Oregon,
all our Oregan friends. Did youhear he wants to come to Oregon?
Love you, Thank you Chow.You've been listening to another edition of The
Connected Table Live with Melanie Young andDavid Ransom. We hope you're excited about
this show. Oslo is a beautifulplace to visit. It's so easy to
(51:59):
get to from. Then us dothe do the city, do the country.
Take some time to explore, tasteand drink local, and savor every
sip. As always, our messagesstay insatiably curious. Thank you,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!