We would like to know your first memory associated with Wine ?
At the age of 15 he had his first sip of wine from his grandfather’s glass, who used to drink half a glass of wine everyday at lunch & dinner. For him this culture of enjoying a glass of wine with the food was a family tradition. Having grown up in this culture, his fascination towards Wine grew more & more day by day.
Your favorite wines - one in your brand & one in another brand ?
Fratelli Sette because of the complexity of the wine & all the various layers it has- which are present because of the 2 to 3 grape varieties present in it.
In general, I also love Chardonnay & Pinot Noir from Burgundy region of France. Unbranded wines from that region are beautiful & I enjoy them every time I am in France.
I love Brunello di Montalcino, which is a red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located about 120 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region.
Your all time favorite grape variety & wine region.
Sangiovese grapes from Brunelo De Montalcino in Tuscany
Brunello di Montalcino is a red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located about 120 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region.
Italian Wines & Indian wines comparison… Wine drinking trends in Italy & here… How would you like to change or maybe create awareness about Wines in India?
Alessio said that Indian wines are spicier and have black pepper & capsicum notes in comparison to Italian wines. They are very similar to North Eastern Italian Red wines.
Italian wines have more finesse & elegance like the wines from Piedmont & Tuscany.
Wine drinking trends in Italy are divided on the basis of innovation & tradition. A great trend in Italy is enjoying Pinot Grigio which is an easy drinking wine & a great aperitif. Then in Italy, there is another trend of making the Proseco which is France Corta by the traditional method.
Alessio wants to create awareness about the reality that how easy it is to pair Fratelli wines with Indian food. He gives example that how nicely the white wines go with vegetarian food. His best illustration is that Fratelli Sangiovese Red wines go very well with the Raan, like they serve in ITC Peshawari in Rajasthan & ITC Bukhara in Delhi.
Check out his video on fox traveler – Cooking Maharashtrian Mutton & pairing it with Fratelli Sangiovese wine.
I believe that you are studying oenology, tell us a bit about that ?
He says that study of Oenology is an ongoing process; he has studied his theory in Florence in Italy. The practical part according to him is the most important & is now pursuing the oenology study in regards to the Indian soil.
Your wine making mentor is ?
Pero Massi has always been my all time favorite wine mentor.
Fratelli as a brand, how would you describe the wines?
In Alessio`s words Fratelli is a refreshing wine with a very unique style. It is an easy drinking & consumer friendly wine but complex in nature when you start tasting the wine.
The first glass of wine that a first time wine drinker should try is either a Classic Chenin or a Classic Merlot & then he must progress to Chenin Blanc & then to Chardonnay.
Tell us a bit about Sette & Vita wine labels from Fratelli ?
Sette has always been a dream of Fratelli. This wine name Sette has always been more important than the company name Fratelli. That`s why we always say Sette & Vitae & not Fratelli Sette & Fratelli Vitae.
Our aspiration has always been to create the brand (Sette & Vitae) within the brand (Fratelli). The quality of the wine is far more superior & once you start sipping it the wine talks to you about all its various flavors & aromas.
Vitae means life & it is a tribute to a woman who gives life to a baby in this world, So Vitae is a tribute to all the mothers across the world. Vitae is a tribute to Creation!!
How do you see the impact of alcohol awareness website such as All About Daru on social stigmas & misconceptions related to alcohol in India?
Accordingly to Alessio websites like this are much needed to create awareness. Two things that attracted him when he opened the website were - the part which talks about drinking in moderation & secondly the calorie calculator. The calorie calculator is much needed for people to make a right decision of what to drink & how much to drink...
Rapid Fire:-
Your All Time favorite Wine Bar in India & Abroad.
In India it is – “The Glass House” In Bangalore. Pizza Vino in Florence in Italy
One place that you have been yearning to visit to try the wines of ?
Definitely the wines from Burgundy & the new world wines from New Zealand.
Any pointers for the young & upcoming Winemakers ?
First of all winemakers should study Agronomy as after all wine are made from Grapes & the Oenology. Knowledge of Grapes is more important only then you will know what blends well & then learn making the wine & then tasting it.
His final quote is Never Forget that Wine is made from Grapes!!