As my wine making friend said to me once: "Do you know how to get rich making wine?" "No", I answered. He continued: "You start very rich!". It is not unlike polo, the sport of kings. To make wine well, you need both skill and experience, and first and foremost, a nose which will not lead you down a garden path to where you grow the pickles! Great post.
Eric, not many wine makers can say they started their career with a head-lamp and a plastic supermarket bag....
Ha! I used to use a version of that joke all the time! Whenever someone would ask why I didn't just bottle my own commercial wine I'd explain that I wasn't starting out very rich! That, plus the fact that a magnum of Gotto d'oro wine was selling for €3.49.
You must be joking. My dad lives in Le Marche, an almost three hour drive away from Rome. But, oddly enough, his local alimentari always had Gotto d'oro magnums on its shelves, and therefore so did my dad in the fridge. He moved from Toronto in 2008, and stopped drinking in 2019. I estimate he drank at least a couple of magnums a month that entire time. Meaning over 240 magnums (probably much more). Meaning my dad actually had a glass of your wine. I had no idea.
Wow, I think you're right! At least half a glass anyway! Without getting into the merits of drinking that much pedestrian wine, it's pretty cool.
Somebody check my math: In an average year, Gotto d'oro bought enough grapes to make around 2,300 bottles, which rounds off to 0.5% of the company's 5 million-bottle annual production. Using that number, it means that around 1 in 2,000 bottles was from my grapes, but since these are big bottles, it's 1 in 4,000 magnums and there are around 12 glasses of wine in a magnum. If I'm right so far, that means that 1 glass out of every 333 magnums was probably from my little 1.84 hectares! That's pretty close to your estimate!
Another confession on my end: I struggle nearly as much with the headlines as I do with the essays themselves. So I'm extra glad to hear you think this one was a good fit!
I purposely picked a lighter topic this time around, after last week's post on U.S.-Italy ties that was so dense and historical.
When I was very young, my father attempted to make orange wine in the hall closet. I don’t know of its success or failure, but the fact that there was no version of it when I was old enough to remember it,
I have seen Grotto D’Oro in the grocery when I'm in Rome and have yet to try it.
Mold. Well, the native yeast didn't take off is my guess and you just got moldy grape juice that killed the lawn. Take it from me, it's easier to buy wine than make it. But it is easier to make it than sell it.
Chapeau! For the courage, imagination, persistance, passion and adventurous approach. I have friends who went into wine making and became really famous producers. A lot of work and a lot of love are required.
As my wine making friend said to me once: "Do you know how to get rich making wine?" "No", I answered. He continued: "You start very rich!". It is not unlike polo, the sport of kings. To make wine well, you need both skill and experience, and first and foremost, a nose which will not lead you down a garden path to where you grow the pickles! Great post.
Eric, not many wine makers can say they started their career with a head-lamp and a plastic supermarket bag....
Super post.
Ha! I used to use a version of that joke all the time! Whenever someone would ask why I didn't just bottle my own commercial wine I'd explain that I wasn't starting out very rich! That, plus the fact that a magnum of Gotto d'oro wine was selling for €3.49.
I'm very glad you enjoyed it!
You must be joking. My dad lives in Le Marche, an almost three hour drive away from Rome. But, oddly enough, his local alimentari always had Gotto d'oro magnums on its shelves, and therefore so did my dad in the fridge. He moved from Toronto in 2008, and stopped drinking in 2019. I estimate he drank at least a couple of magnums a month that entire time. Meaning over 240 magnums (probably much more). Meaning my dad actually had a glass of your wine. I had no idea.
Wow, I think you're right! At least half a glass anyway! Without getting into the merits of drinking that much pedestrian wine, it's pretty cool.
Somebody check my math: In an average year, Gotto d'oro bought enough grapes to make around 2,300 bottles, which rounds off to 0.5% of the company's 5 million-bottle annual production. Using that number, it means that around 1 in 2,000 bottles was from my grapes, but since these are big bottles, it's 1 in 4,000 magnums and there are around 12 glasses of wine in a magnum. If I'm right so far, that means that 1 glass out of every 333 magnums was probably from my little 1.84 hectares! That's pretty close to your estimate!
Great read, Eric! I thought at first the title promised more than could be delivered in a short post, but I was wrong, it's delightful!
What a nice compliment, Vincent! Thank you!
Another confession on my end: I struggle nearly as much with the headlines as I do with the essays themselves. So I'm extra glad to hear you think this one was a good fit!
I purposely picked a lighter topic this time around, after last week's post on U.S.-Italy ties that was so dense and historical.
Eric.....you are hysterical. My grandfather used to make wine from the grapes on his property!!! I think he was more successful!!! 🤣❤️
Haha, Lucrezia ... no doubts. I'm sure he was more successful! But I should also add that that's a pretty low bar to clear!
I will never look at Grotto D’Oro the same way again!
When I was very young, my father attempted to make orange wine in the hall closet. I don’t know of its success or failure, but the fact that there was no version of it when I was old enough to remember it,
I believe is my answer.
I have seen Grotto D’Oro in the grocery when I'm in Rome and have yet to try it.
Mold. Well, the native yeast didn't take off is my guess and you just got moldy grape juice that killed the lawn. Take it from me, it's easier to buy wine than make it. But it is easier to make it than sell it.
I really enjoyed this read. What an entertaining story! I remember seeing that label
I literally laughed out loud at Malvasia di San Giovanni Decollato D.O.C. A beautiful street in Rome but kinda creepy for a wine vintage! 🍇
Chapeau! For the courage, imagination, persistance, passion and adventurous approach. I have friends who went into wine making and became really famous producers. A lot of work and a lot of love are required.
Thank you for the wonderful post!
What fun ride this was!
The dead grass is killing me
This made me terribly nostalgic for a cool glass of that Marino….Salute!
What a super-enjoyable article! Winemaking is a calling, I guess.
one question though, for my curiosity: why "Chateau" Eric and not an Italian name "Casa Eric" or whatever?