Italian Wine Podcast

Welcome to episode 2680 of the Italian Wine Podcast recorded live at Grandi Langhe e il Piemonte del Vino 2026.

As an official media partner, Italian Wine Podcast brings you firsthand insights from Grandi Langhe e il Piemonte del Vino 2026, Piedmont's premier wine event that took place on January 26-27, in Turin. Join top producers, buyers, and experts to explore emerging styles, winemaking innovations, and market trends shaping the region's future. From Barolo and Barbaresco to hidden gems, this series offers in-depth interviews and behind-the-scenes insights, revealing Piedmont's impact on the global wine scene.

Today’s guest: Brian Larky, the founder of Dalla Terra Winery Direct.

More about the guest:

Brian Larky is a respected wine educator, importer, and long-time advocate for Italian wine in the United States. As the founder of Dalla Terra Winery Direct, he has played a significant role in introducing and promoting some of Italy’s most renowned wineries and regions to the American market, with a strong focus on authenticity, terroir, and family-owned producers. 

Connect: https://www.dallaterra.com/ 

About the Grandi Langhe: 

Grandi Langhe e il Piemonte del Vino is one of Italy’s most prestigious wine events, dedicated to showcasing the excellence of Piedmont. Organized with the support of the region’s leading wine consortia, it brings together hundreds of producers representing top denominations such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Gavi, Asti, and Alta Langa. The event is designed as a key meeting point for international trade, offering tastings, professional networking, and a powerful snapshot of Piedmont’s role in the global wine market.

Discover more: https://www.grandilanghe.com/  

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If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ 

Until next time, Cin Cin!

Welcome to the Asia Wine Market: Almaty Special Edition and Episode 2679 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode, Roza Zharmukhambetova interviews Natalya Budayeva, a wine educator at Champagne Sommelier School in Almaty. Together, they dive into the role of education in shaping the market, and the opportunities for building a stronger connection between trade and HoReCa.

Key learning objectives:

Understand the role of wine education in Kazakhstan, including current knowledge levels, key challenges, and how educators make wine more accessible.

Identify the main gaps between education, trade, and HoReCa, and how industry initiatives contribute to building wine culture in an emerging market.

Learn how to build and position a wine portfolio for Kazakhstan, including selection criteria and market fit.

Bonus: Natalya’s favorite wine spots in Almaty:

Champagne Wine Gallery

Agora

More about today’s guest:

Natalya Budayeva is a wine educator and industry professional based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, working at the intersection of wine education, trade, and hospitality. She is an educator at the Champagne Sommelier School, where she develops training programs, teaches courses for professionals and wine lovers, and organizes tastings and brand presentations.

She also plays an active role in the local wine community as Board Coordinator of the Kazakhstan Sommelier Association (KazSomm), contributing to competitions, tastings, and educational initiatives that support the growth of wine culture in the region. Natalya holds the DipWSET qualification and takes part in international wine competitions as a jury member.

Connect:

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/notifications/?filter=all 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/?checkpoint_src=any 

More about the host:

Roza Zharmukhambetova has a background in foreign languages and education. She discovered her passion for wine in Beijing, where she gained two years of experience in wine sales. Since returning to Kazakhstan, she has focused on studying Italian wine and exploring its regions. Roza holds certifications as an Italian Wine Ambassador (VIA), Italian Wine Scholar (WSG), Langhe Wines Ambassador (BBA), and Valpolicella Wine Specialist (VEP). She is also a member of the Kazakhstan Sommelier Association. Since the end of 2024, she has been a member of the Italian Wine Podcast (IWP) team, contributing her passion for Italian wine.

Connect:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rozazharmukhambetova/ 

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Until Next Time Cin Cin!

Welcome to Book Club and Episode 2678 of the Italian Wine Podcast with Richard Hough. In this episode, Richard is in conversation with Jessica Dupuy, co-author of “Italianity, The Culture of Italian Wine”. 

Highlights of the conversation include:

What is “Italianity”?

Working with Andrea Lonardi MW

Exploring Italy and the concept of “Italianity”

Embracing the Italian concept of “sprezzatura”

How the US Wine Market has survived recent political and economic instability 

Further reading:

“Italianity, The Culture of Italian Wine” is available online at: www.italianity.wine and www.jessicadupuy.com and other major online retailers.

Jessica’s substack is: https://jessicadupuy.substack.com/.

The restaurant in Masala that Jessica mentioned in the conversation is Le Lumie (https://www.ristorantelelumie.com/). 

The Book Review by Richard Hough:

“Italianity is an extraordinary achievement. Not only have Jessica Dupuy and Andrea Lonardi created a sumptuous, original and insightful meditation on the culture of Italian wine, they have done so in two languages in a style that is ambitious yet humble, soaring yet grounded. Italianity is one of those books that effortlessly inspires, as it takes the reader on an unforgettable journey across Italy alongside two of the wine world’s most capable contemporary communicators.”

About today’s guest:

Jessica Dupuy covers wine, spirits, and travel from Austin, Texas. She holds a Diploma with the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust, is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators. Dupuy’s work has appeared in Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Imbibe, Texas Monthly, Forbes, SevenFifty Daily, GuildSomm, VinePair, and Southern Living. She recently published, The Wines of Southwest USA in addition to six regional cookbooks. She also co-hosts podcast, Another Bottle Down.

Connect:

Website: www.jessicadupuy.com  

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

More about the host:

Richard Hough is the editor, translator and project curator behind The Art of Wine Storytelling, Wine Democracy and Vine and Prejudice. He has also published several books about life in Verona, chronicling the city’s history, culture and daily life, not forgetting, of course, its wine, including Verona Campione, published in May 2025. With a long-standing passion for whisky and beer, he’s a relative newcomer to the world of wine and is now desperately trying to make up for lost time! He is the host of Book Club on the Italian Wine Podcast.

Connect:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rickhough.bsky.social 

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickhough/

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Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast 

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If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/.

Until next time, Cin Cin!

Welcome to Clubhouse Ambassadors’ Corner and Episode 2677 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode, Stephanie Johnson IWE interviews Moreno Petrini  of Tenuta di Valgiano in Lucca, Tuscany.

These sessions are recorded from Clubhouse and reproduced here for the Italian Wine Podcast. 

Key Learning Objectives:

Learn a bit about the history and territory of Lucca.

Understand how French varieties first came to this region.

Learn about the biodynamic movement that dominates Lucca’s winemaking culture.

More about today’s host:

As well as being a certified Italian Wine Expert (IWE), Stephanie Johnson holds a WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits. Her wine career spans the journalism, retail and restaurant sectors. She joined Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2013 and later served as Italian Wine Editor from 2016 to 2024. Stephanie has judged at international competitions such as the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon in Bordeaux and 5StarWines – the Book in Verona. She has led masterclasses for top sommeliers in New York City and presented at major industry events including Vinitaly and wine2wine Business Forum in Verona. A passionate educator, she teaches WSET Level 2, Level 3, and Diploma courses at NYC’s International Wine Center. Her upcoming venture, SteepleJack, will spotlight the heroic stories of Italian wine producers, blending deep expertise with compelling storytelling.

Connect:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-johnson-dws-b0a0121a/ 

More about today’s guest:  

Moreno Petrini was born and raised in Lucca in a traditional Lucchese family. After studying Political Science in Milan, he began his professional career in the glass industry before moving into private equity for an American company.

In 1993, Moreno acquired Tenuta di Valgiano, the historic estate neighboring his family property, and for many years balanced a double life between the corporate world and wine production until dedicating himself fully to wine in 2015. Located in the hills north of Lucca, Tenuta di Valgiano is known for its biodynamic philosophy, low-intervention approach, and elegant wines that express the unique terroir of Tuscany’s Colline Lucchesi area. In 2005, Moreno also became a permanent member of the prestigious Grand Jury Européen.

Connect:

Website: https://www.valgiano.it/ 

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

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Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels:

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If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ 

Until next time, Cin Cin! 

 

Follow Italian Wine Podcast for more great content – winery interviews from the Clubhouse sessions! Psssst…FYI, this show is our most popular show, find out why by tuning-in!

Welcome to Episode 2676 of the Italian Wine Podcast and the 14th episode of Pellegrinaggio Enoico con Professore Attilio Scienza! This series is recorded in Italian.

Episode 14: Storie di crinali, Medici e mercati.

You want to dive into the stories and myths behind Professor Scienza’s new series, but Italian isn’t your thing? No problem! You’ll find all the conversations, translated in English, in the new Mamma Jumbo Shrimp book: An Italian Wine Pilgrimage: with Professor Attilio Scienza. Now available in English on Amazon.

A true oenological journey led by Professor Attilio Scienza in the company of Stevie Kim, winding its way across the peninsula, following ancient Roman roads, paths of faith, and historical itineraries. Genetics, morphology, climate change, and the concept of viticulture vocation come together to tell the story of our grape varieties and their inextricable bond with the territory. Expect amazing stories, random digressions, curious anecdotes, and a new way of thinking about wine.

Join us on A Wine Pilgrimage with Professor Attilio Scienza.

More about Professor Scienza:

Professor Attilio Scienza is the one who checks all the facts and regulates when we mistakenly type “Verdicchio” instead of “Vermentino.” He is a full professor at the University of Milan in the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences where he teaches courses on genetic improvements to the vine; he also teaches Viticulture in the Master’s program of the University of Turin in Asti. 

He has been the lead for many national research projects in the field of physiology, agricultural techniques, and vine genetics. As the author of over 350 publications on vine and viticulture in national and international journals, you can bet he knows his stuff!

To find out more about Attilio Scienza visit: https://www.vinitaly.com/formazione/vinitaly-international-academy/attilio-scienza/ 

 

If you want to learn more about Stevie Kim, the Scienza wrangler:

https://www.vinitaly.com/eventi/operawine/stevie-kim/ 

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Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels:

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast 

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp 

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If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ 

Until next time, Cin Cin!

 

Share your love for our lovely Professor if you are a true Italian Wine Geek 🙂