Unwined Live Hosted By Roger Bissell

This week we are unwinding with our very own host Roger Bissell! Italian wine and travel expert Roger Bissell reflects on an unforgettable journey that culminated in the release of the first-ever, Wines to Watch 2022, a list of 40 carefully selected wine picks, inspired by a year of travel, tastings and visits with winemakers. Explore the list here: www.rogerbissell.co/winestowatch22

Valfaccenda was founded in 2010 by husband and wife Carolina and Luca, respectively an engineer and an enologist. Their vineyards are mostly in Valfaccenda, in Canale on the hills which line Le Rocche - a landmark in Roero - with a few old plots rented in Valmaggiore in Vezza, Madonna di Loreto in Canale and San Grato in Santo Stefano Roero. The soils of Roero are made of sand that formed the sea bed of Padania gulf, mixed with older clay sheets and small quantities of silt. This terroir helps the winemakers to make salty, juicy and chewy wines, which Luca and Carolina believe is the natural, true identity of Roero.

This week we are unwinding with Giulia Monteleone, vintner, Monteleone Winery. After extensive research, Giulia and her husband Benedetto Alessandro, made the fateful decision to purchase an old, two-hectare vineyard near the river Alcantara in July of 2017. The winery can be found at the foot of Mount Etna, less than 500 metres above sea level, and 30 metres away from the ancient Cuba di Santa Domenica, a rare and wonderful Byzantine jewel. If Mount Etna is a unique place for wine, the credit belongs not only to its uncommon climate conditions, but also to its soil. Monteleone vineyards are located on the northern slope of Mount Etna, in two different districts: Cuba and Pontale Palino. Since 2017, there has been a focus on expanding the business through new vineyards which would be the basis for new wines. For this reason they chose the East side of the Volcano and since 2018, they have been producing Etna Bianco wines in the area of Milo and Sant'Alfio. "Ours is not a family business, but simply a family: taking care of the vineyards and producing wine are activities which have transformed our lives so much that any boundary between life and work has been erased ever since. Our life paths have been very different (I used to write for several magazines and guides about food and wine), nonetheless - through bizarre turns of events - we have eventually met each other and chosen to take part in the wonderful and complex adventure of wine-making." - Giulia Monteleone Connect with Giulia: Facebook Instagram

This week we're unwinding with Deborah Parker Wong, the inspiring woman at the helm of the Slow Wine Guide. About Slow Wine: Formally born in Italy, the Slow Wine movement recognizes wineries that respect and reflect their local terroir and practice sustainable methods that benefit the environment. The Slow Wine Guide evaluates over 400 different wineries and personally interviews each one in order to create a well-informed, detailed review of the wines themselves and the people behind the production. "Slow Wine looks to tell their genesis stories, explain how their growing stance positively coincides with the environment, and offers thoughtful tasting notes beyond the ubiquitous "cherry notes" and "nicely structured" phrasing." - Mark Stock About Deborah Parker Wong: Deborah Parker Wong, DipWSET was appointed National Editor, USA for the Slow Food Slow Wine guide in 2020. As global wine editor for sister publications the SOMM Journal and The Tasting Panel magazines, she has been writing about the beverage alcohol industry for these and other outlets since 2004. Deborah teaches as an adjunct professor in the Wine Studies departments at Santa Rosa Junior College and Cabrillo College and owns a Wine & Spirit Education Trust school offering Level 2 and Level 3 certifications. In addition to writing and speaking about wine, she consults to producer groups and judges wine competitions. Her motto is: To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach. A partial archive of her published work can be found on her website. Connect with Deborah: Twitter - @parkerwong Instagram - #deborahparkerwong Facebook - www.facebook.com/deborah.parker.wong Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahparkerwong/

The minute you begin to chat with Riccardo and Maria, you instantly feel their warmth and passion for their small but mighty winery, with its origins strongly rooted over the centuries and in tradition. Their family has been producing wines in the Langhe for 6 generations. Mongioia is led by Riccardo Bianco Owner, Oenologist and Agronomist who has produced a collection of Moscato-based wines all with a strong identity and has transformed the cellar into an artisan boutique and his wife Maria Graziano who is dedicated to spreading the family's love and devotion for Moscato. Committed to producing Moscato d'Asti at its best, Mongioia has built a solid reputation for their approach to eco-sustainability. Their electricity is produced 100% from certified renewable sources, only use natural substances and are investing to reduce the use of fuel in tractors in the vineyard by 60%. Mongioia believes their cellar is a creative laboratory where inspiration is strongly rooted in history.