Below are brief interviews with three women at Vinexpo who arrived from California’s Napa Valley, the city of Paris and Italy’s Abruzzo region. They work in marketing, wine journalism and winemaking.
Marisa McCann - Luna Vineyards, Napa Valley, California, U.S.
Luna Vineyards is located at the southern portion of the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley. They produce several wines, including the signature wine for golfer Arnold Palmer. Some of their most successful wines include Pinot Grigio and a reserve made from Sangiovese. Although Sangiovese forms the backbone of wine production in Tuscany, Italy (think chianti and Brunello di Montalcino)—the grape remains an outlier in Napa and constitutes only one half of one percent of grapes grown in California.
“We’re two decades old, founded on this innovative beginning—our founders planting Pinot Grigio and then Sangiovese, which are very different grapes for Napa Valley,” McCann said. “Our first winemaker would go out and sing to the vines and play all this classical music in the wine cellar because he thought it would be better for the development of the grapes and wine itself.
Gabrielle Vizzavona - Le Figaro Contributor, Paris, France
Gabrielle Vizzavona is a wine contributor to Le Figaronewspaper and a growing presence on the French wine scene (recently inducted as a notable Dame de la Jurade into the city of Saint-Émilion's nine-century old ceremonial group). In giving master classes during Vinexpo, she chose to highlight wines originating from the less renowned 'satellite appellation' of Montagne Saint-Émilion on Bordeaux’s right bank. Montagne is the largest of four such satellites surrounding the more popular Saint-Émilion appellation (the separation resulted from a contentious court ruling almost a century ago). Vines in Montagne grow on a homogenous substrate of limestone and clay, which helps retain moisture during drought.
“Montagne retains independence,” Vizzavona explained. “There are 220 wineries and 1,600 hectares (3,900 acres) planted. There are lots of young winemakers, with an average age of forty. Why? Because it’s not expensive to buy property compared to other nearby regions.
Valentina di Camillo - Winemaker for Tenuta I Fauri, Abruzzo, Italy
This third generation family owned winery in the Chieti hills has won Slow Food and Gambero Rosso awards. Valentina di Camillo and her brother Luigi now manage all operations and marketing at Tenuta I Fauri. In addition to having wines made from the well known Montepulciano and Trebbiano grapes, they also produce white wines from Pecorino and Passerina grapes. Although these grapes are not well recognized internationally, the family utilizes them as homage to their region’s agricultural history as well as because of their suitability to local soils. ‘Pecorino’ is also the word for cheese made from sheep’s milk. Valentina explained the local lore: “During migrations from the mountain to the coast, the sheep ate these grapes, so a relationship formed between both.”
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