So Giuseppe, you've studied piano at the conservatory.Yes.It's very different.I mean, playing piano to playing wine.How did you reconcile from the music training to winemaking?
I don't know.I think that it's easier to make wine than to play a piece of Chopin or
Welcome to another episode of On The Road Edition, hosted by Stevie Kim.
Each week, Stevie travels to incredible wine destinations, interviewing some of the Italian wine scene's most interesting personalities, talking about wines, the foods, as well as the incredible travel destinations.
Hello, my name's Stevie Kim and welcome back to Italian Mind Podcast on the Road Edition.This is actually an impromptu episode because I wasn't really supposed to do any interviews.I am here in Aetna, as you might have guessed.
because I am now what they call the madrina, which means the godmother of Etna.There is for the Contrade dell'Etna, which is a bunch of producers from this local area.They have a celebratory event in a couple of days at Etna.
But here, we thought we actually made a sneak getaway, and we are here with Giuseppe Russo of Gerolamo Russo Winery from Etna. Ciao Giuseppe.Ciao Stewie.We are now in, you can't see I think right now, but just in front of me is of course Etna.
But Giuseppe, what is behind us?What are we looking at?
We are the Nebrodi Mountains that cover the Etna, the north side of Etna, where we stay, from the Tyrrhenian Sea.And the Alcantara Valley, The Alcantara is a small river that runs between Nebrodi Mountains and Etna.
So where are we for our audience who are less familiar?How can you describe where we are exactly?
We are in the northern side.This is Contrada, is Feudo.My family was these vineyards.
It was your father or your grandfather?
My grandfather.And then my father continued to grow this vineyard.Since 20 years, at least, I decided to continue to work here to make wine.
So Giuseppe, listen. Were you raised and born in Etna?
Yes, I'm from, my family was from Passo Pisciaro.Passo Pisciaro is the village at the center of the northern side of Etna, the northern area of Etna.And it's like Barolo for Barolo or Montalcino for Brunello, yes.
And I was born there and I lived for many, many years from when I was young.And then I studied in Catania.I studied classical music, piano, then Italian literature.
When my father died in 2003, I decided to come back and found this winery that has my father's name dedicated to my father, Girolamo.
So Giuseppe, you've studied piano at the Conservatory?Yes.It's very different.I mean, playing piano to playing wine.How did you reconcile from the music training to winemaking?
I don't know.I think that it's easier to make wine than to play a piece of Chopin.
No, wait a minute.It's easier to make wine or it's easier to play piano?
It's easier to make wine.The method I developed to make wine is the same I had when I started to apply a piece of Chopin or Brahms. What do you mean?
Can you expand a little bit?What that means?
Like a piece of music, the interpreter, the pianist, build the interpretation, analyzing every, every particular notes, but having at the same time an idea of where to build the whole piece.It's a process in the acronic.You could build a piece in
analyzing the particular notes, but having an idea of the whole time of the piece.It's the same when I build a wine, because I give from the grapes a fruit that must be another wine, but you build this product having an attention
to how to build during the time.
Yes, so you're thinking about from the grape going into the end product, which is wine, all the different processes, and you're looking at your music notes and then thinking about the big music, the end performance, I suppose.
Yes, maybe I continue to use the same method to make wine.Then, I don't know if... The association between and the classical music, I don't know, it's a easy game.
It's very interesting.I think it's also very unique.
So we don't have very much time, I know, but give me an overview as to how many wines labels you make and the volume and which area you're focused and perhaps what you're known for, your signature wine.
Can you just give us an overview, quick overview?
Since the beginning, I start to understand better and better my single vineyard, my old vines in the different contradas, especially Feudo San Lorenzo, Feudo di Mezzo, Calderara Sottana.
The focus has been to express better and better every year, every vintage, the soul of each terroir, each soil, each vineyards. For this reason now, I make four single vineyard labels.
Calderara Sottana, Feudo di Mezzo, Feudo, where we are, and San Lorenzo, that is my most northern Contrada on Etna D.O.C.area.And classic red wine, Arina.Three white wines, Caricante and Arina, dedicated to my mother.
that wanted a white wine, and Nerina means small black.So I dedicated just for joke.And since the few years, two single vineyards, the white wines, Feudo and San Lorenzo. Plus, I don't say, I don't say why, not last year, last 2003.
23, because Paganospera destroyed my production of Paganospera.Yeah, it was a terrible harvest, right?Yes, yes.And since 17, I added this label.
This is San Lorenzo, a part of San Lorenzo, an area, a micro area of San Lorenzo that my father loved particularly.He called Piano delle Colombe.That means where the doves fly because the birds went to eat the grapes.
My father considered this part a special part, and after a few years, a few vintages, I can say that my father was right.
Okay, so how many bottles?Let's have a taste of this wine.
This is a 21, a very classic vintage from Etna, and very balanced, enough rainy, and fresh. 2021.Okay.Cheers.
Cheers.Okay.It's a beautiful, wonderful place.Do you want to tell us a little bit more about this wine for the wine geeks out there?This is 14.5%.Yes.Right.And how many bottles are you producing?
1,800 for a very small production.
Where do these wines go?Where do you sell them, your wines?
I sell especially in Italy.My best markets are Italy and USA especially.Then also in North Europe and in Asia too.
But in terms of percentage of
International and Italy?Italy, 30% Italy, 70% international.Oh, okay.So it's mostly international.Yes.
Right?So just going back to my original question, how many labels do you have in total?
I have nine labels, six, three, no, 10 now.Right.Since 2013, I have 23 because I added Feudo White.
20 hectares plus four in the front.
Okay, so you're leasing four.And you're here, according to this book, the Etna Guide from Fabrizio, you make 90,000 bottles, is that correct?
19,000, yes, about.Yeah, more or less.
23 will be a little bit less, yeah.
It depends on the vintage.21 has been a very good vintage also for the quantities, but not always is the same because my focus is during the harvest to select plant per plant.
because I have especially mostly old vines, and in the old vines you find very good fruit for deep wines, but it needs to know how to select.
Okay.So I have a question for you.You're originally from this area, and you've started a little bit later.I mean, other than, of course, Salvo Fotti, who's the alpha of Etna.
The people who started kind of the Aetna movement was, of course, you know, Marti Grazia, Andrea Franchetti, Franklin.Listen, they kind of started at the same time, but they're foreigners.And you're kind of the only tie-in.
What kind of relationship did you have with them?And what is it now?What is your perspective as the native son of Aetna?
A great opportunity.I am here to with you, because before Marco De Grazia, Andrea Franchetti, and Franco Nellisen came here.Otherwise, for the native, it would have been a little bit, a little bit hard.Yeah, more challenging.Yes.
This is kind of the common theme, running theme.The past couple of days, I've been talking to many producers, is that
Paradoxically, the international influence of these three, the trifecta, what I would like to call the franchetti, the grazia, and also franconi.
Listen, has really, really helped, facilitated the national, I mean, international presence and interest and has fermented that interest and certainly ethnized what is today.
because also them and I think you know anyone in the wine world they know Edna but it's also they were the movers and shakers who have made this possible so that's it for now I would like to wrap for now but we'll have to come back because today it's kind of an impromptu it wasn't organized I just came here and I said it's so beautiful I said let's open a bottle of wine and have a small chat so
Cin cin with Italian wine people directly from Etna with Giuseppe Russo.
Ciao ragazzi, alla prossima! Thank you for joining us on another episode of On the Road Edition, hosted by Stevie Kim.Join her again next week for more interesting content on the Italian wine scene.
You can also find us at Italianwinepodcast.com or wherever you get your pods.You can check out our YouTube channel, Mama Jumbo Shrimp, to watch these interviews and the footage captured at each location.Cin cin!
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