Welcome to Episode 1066 in which Stevie Kim moderates Clubhouse’s Ambassadors Corner. In this episode Jay Di Donato with Marco Zani. These sessions are recorded from Clubhouse and replayed here on the Italian Wine Podcast!

Listen in on this series as Italian Wine Ambassadors all over the world chat with Stevie and their chosen wine producer. Which producer would you interview if you had your pick?

About about today’s guest host:

Jay Di Donato is an Italian Wine Ambassador through Vinitaly International Academy, WSET 3, and a certified Italian Wine Specialist from the North American Sommelier Association. He has worked part-time as a sommelier and at various wine retail and restaurants in Chicago and San Diego since 2016.

Jay commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy in 2012. He deployed multiple times to the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean. In 2019 he earned his law degree from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law and still serves in the Navy as a Judge Advocate General, stationed in San Diego.

Traveling throughout Europe with the Navy spurred his love of wine and he hopes to be stationed in Italy again soon!"

To learn more visit:

www.linkedin.com/in/julian-didona…/details/skills/

About today’s guest producer:

Marco Zani is one of the newer additions to the Selection Massale portfolio, but he already feels very much part of the family. The family domaine was put together by his father, who bought the castle (yep, there really is one, and Marco makes his wine with in its 10th Century cellars) and surrounding vineyards, which are situated on the lower slopes of the mountains that tower either side of the little town of Rovereto. Although his father was not a vigneron (like most growers in the village, he sold each years' crop to the cooperative), Marco knew from an early age that he wanted to make wine, and since 1989, Marco has been (fanatically) tending the vineyards and making the wine at Castel Noarna, as well as helping his wife to run the best hotel/restaurant in town.

The castle and the vineyards lie on east/southeast facing slopes at about 350 meters above sea level -- these are high alititude vineyards, similar to those of Belluard in the Haute-Savoie, and Knauss and Beurer in Swabia. The soils, which Marco has worked organically since 2008 are rich in minerals and poor in organic matter, and exactly what's needed for making of grands vins. Limestone, our favorite, quartz, slate, silt.

If you want to learn more visit:

www.selectionmassale.com/marco-zani.html

More about the moderator Stevie Kim:

Stevie hosts Clubhouse sessions each week (visit Italian Wine Club & Wine Business on Clubhouse), these recorded sessions are then released on the podcast to immortalize them! She often also joins Professor Scienza in his shows to lend a hand keeping our Professor in check! You can also find her taking a hit for the team when she goes “On the Road”, all over the Italian countryside, visiting wineries and interviewing producers, enjoying their best food and wine – all in the name of bringing us great Pods!

To find out more about Stevie Kim visit:

Facebook: @steviekim222

Instagram: @steviekim222

Website: vinitalyinternational.com/wordpress/

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