Welcome to Episode 1946 Stevie Kim moderates Clubhouse’s Ambassadors’ Corner – In this episode, Barbara Fitzgerald interviews Giusi Calcagno. These sessions are recorded from Clubhouse and replayed here on the Italian Wine Podcast! In this interview, they delve into what it means to be native to Etna; by learning more about the specifics of Etna climate, geology, geography and territory that make it such a unique place to grow wine

Co-Moderator - Barbara Fitzgerald 

With a career of nearly two decades in the wine industry, Barbara specializes in D2C marketing and business development. She's led roles from entry level to senior management, combining her extensive experience with data analysis, critical thinking and storytelling while driving revenue growth and brand recognition for California wineries. As a part of the 4th generation of an Italian-American family among the California wine industry pioneers, Barbara has spent her life around wine growing, production, marketing, distribution and hospitality. A Syracuse University graduate, she returned to California to gain diverse industry perspectives from a range of wineries. As an Italian Wine Ambassador, she brings her expertise to the Italian wine market, known for its authenticity and consumer demand. Barbara now runs Apri La Creative Consulting, coaching wineries in Italy and the US to strategically develop their D2C channels in line with their brand values. Together with her husband, Barbara also owns and operates a boutique wine production company, and a small import company specializing in Italian wines to the US.

Connect: 

Instagram @aprilabottiglia

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-fitzgerald-iwa/

Website www.aprilacreative.com

Guest Bio - Giusi Calcagno

Giusi was born in Acireleae near Catania, but has lived her entire life on Etna. She studied European languages and cultures at the university of Catania, with a thesis in comparative literature. 

Her life and studies have provided her with several opportunities to meet diverse people from around the globe and acquire what she calls, “a good spirit of adaptation.” 

She currently teaches Italian to foreigners and refugees, where she continues to learn how connected we all are. 

Giusi loves writing and travelling, having collaborated for several years with local newspapers and recently winning a literary prize for her poem titled “Vineyard in Summer”. She says one of the most beautiful experiences she’s ever had was working on a project Lithuania in a project to learn a language that would be attentive to hate speech. 

Giusi loves wine. She recently took her WSET Level 2 exam, and has always studied with her family, thanks to the experience and wisdom of her father and uncle, as well as their winemaker Alessando Biancolin. She is also an active member of the Donne del Vino, and she’s proud to be part of a group that tells the stories of women in wine and advances them in this sector. 

Giusi currently lives near Randazzo and is very active in her community to help preserve the culture and heritage of this unique place.  

Connect:

Website: https://www.vinicalcagno.it/it/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinicalcagno/ 

Email: info@vinicalcagno.it

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Until next time, Cin Cin!

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