Episode 029 | Casaloste - With Maria Giovanna: Wine is a living product, right from the start
Maria Giovanna d'Orsi from the Casaloste winery in Panzano in Chianti
Visiting Maria Giovanna D'Orsi from the Casaloste winery in Panzano in Chianti
What happens when you swap London for Panzano - the hustle and bustle of the city for vineyards, cellar air and Tuscan sunshine?
This is exactly what Maria Giovanna d'Orsi has done. She is the daughter of Emilia and Giovanni d'Orsi, the founders of the Casaloste boutique winery in Panzano in Chianti. And she represents the new, lively generation in Chianti Classico - curious, courageous, down-to-earth and full of passion.
In my new podcast episode, Maria Giovanna talks about her very special harvest: her first grape harvest, in which she not only worked in the vineyard, but also in the cellar. For the first time, she took on the responsibility - and experienced how wine is really made.
She describes this moment with shining eyes:
"There is a vibrancy during this time - seeing how what is going to be wine is changing every moment, every day. It gives you that sense that wine is a living product since the very beginning."
And you can feel this in every word she says. For Maria Giovanna, wine is not a product - it is a living being that is constantly changing, growing and maturing. From the first day of fermentation to many years later in the glass.
We talk about what it means to take responsibility, to make decisions - and still remain open to what nature dictates. About wet boots in the vineyard, about teamwork, about the happiness of creating something with your own hands. And, of course, about the magic that happens when grapes slowly become wine.
Giovanni and Emilia d'Orsi, the two founders of the Casaloste winery
Maria Giovanna also tells how she grew into her parents' work step by step - without reinventing everything, but following the rhythm of nature and her own development. Not a revolution, but a gentle evolution, driven by passion, curiosity and a deep respect for what her family has built.
My favorite moment from the conversation
When she tells us that she came out of the cellar in the evening, exhausted but happy - and saw the next morning that the wine had changed again overnight. "It's like he's alive," she says. And I think there's no better way to describe wine.
The wines of Casaloste
Anyone who visits Casaloste immediately senses that wines with character and soul are produced here. The range is small but fine - and each wine tells a piece of the family's story. The d'Orsi family originally comes from Naples, and this origin runs like a red thread through the entire winery. Vesuvius, the symbol of Naples, can be found on every label - a symbol of the roots, passion and energy that can be felt in every wine.
The Chianti Classico DOCG (90 % Sangiovese, 10 % Merlot) never fails to impress me with its drinking pleasure, juicy fruit and fine spiciness - a wonderful interplay of structure and elegant tannins. The Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG (95 % Sangiovese, 5 % other grape varieties) is somewhat more powerful and complex. After fermentation in steel tanks, it matures for around 14 months in French oak before coming to rest in the bottle - a wine with depth, balance and a long finish.
Even more concentrated is the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG -100% Sangiovese from the estate's best grapes. It matures for 18 months in wood and then at least 6 months in the bottle. Power, elegance and origin in its purest form.
And then there are two very special wines that make Casaloste so unique: The Don Vincenzo IGT, a pure Sangiovese from a single vineyard, shows impressive depth, fruit and spice. It matures for 18 months in new and used French barriques and is dedicated to Giovanni D'Orsi's father - and son Vincenzo.
Its counterpart is the Inversus IGT, which shows the signature of the house in its very own way: 90% Merlot and 10% Sangiovese, the exact mirror image of the Chianti Classico. Fruity on the nose, silky on the palate, it also matures for 18 months in wood. This wine is dedicated to Federico D'Orsi, the son of Maria Giovanna's brother - whose organs are mirror-inverted, with his heart on the right. A touching story and a wine that proudly shows its origins.
Find out more about this episode and Nina in Chianti
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🎙️ Early episode about Casaloste with Maria Giovanna - Click here for episode #016
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