米兰华夏酒庄

CLAUDIO QUARTA VIGNAIOLO

CLAUDIO QUARTA VIGNAIOLO AND HIS THREE ESTATES

       In 2005 the wine history of Claudio Quarta began, when he left his lab coat and a brilliant career as a researcher at his pharmaceutical company, for the role of winemaker; a return to his origins, and his continually growing passion for fine wines. When Claudio Quarta began making wines, he gave life to something more than great wines. His wineries embody a philosophy, a way of being, a way of thinking (or rethink) the earth, its vocations, and the traditions and the innovations that have always come together.

       The key to the wine world of Claudio Quarta is in the osmotic relationship between the territories chosen for their wineries and, not surprisingly, the strong history of the areas’ viticulture. So, we find ourselves in the land of Primitivo at Tenuta Eméra, in the land of Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Greco di Tufo DOCG, Falanghina, and Aglianico at the prized Sanpaolo cellar, and we find ourselves in the heart of the land of Negroamaro, the epicenter of the DOP Salice Salentino, at Cantina Moros. Moros is the latest addition to the family of cantinas and may be perhaps the only example in all of Italy where a single winery is exclusively dedicated to the production of a single wine from a single vineyard.

【人物】Claudio Quarta

—-不想当酿酒师的生物学家不是好商人

广袤的意大利南部普里亚(Puglia),温暖的气候和肥沃的土地孕育出世界上品质最好的农作物:足球大小的柠檬,口味咸鲜的火腿,新鲜多汁的Mozzarella……当亲口品尝过南方的这些美食后,你会对超市里卖的那些“工业化产品”嗤之以鼻。

上帝给出了他最好的礼物,剩下的就需要人类自己来经营了。如同卡拉拉人擅长开采大理石热那亚人擅长捕鱼一样,勤劳淳朴的普里亚人尤其擅长将大地赐予的宝物“雕刻”成人类的艺术品,他们用祖祖辈辈几代人流传下来的工艺将那些迷人的液体发挥到极致,从金黄色的橄榄油到血红色的葡萄酒,精细和卓越是他们的代名词。

《圣经·马太福音》(26章,26-28节)写道:“耶稣在最后的晚餐上说:‘面包是我的肉,葡萄酒是我的血’”。由于在宗教活动中占有重要的地位,葡萄酒的酿造早在中世纪前就已经受到了所有人的关注,人们利用当时有限的生产力水平全身心地投入到这项事业中,同时也为今天的人们留下了很多古老却很宝贵的经验。

与专职的葡萄种植者或者酿酒师不同,Claudio Quarta先生本是一名生物学家。他1984年开始为Farmaceutica Lepeti公司工作,作为研究人员负责研究抗生素。1995年,Lepeti公司的母公司Marion-Merrel-Dow收购了位于瓦雷赛(Varese)的Gerenzano研究中心,Quarta在成为该研究中心负责人后果断将其转型为生物医药公司,并在1996年将其更名为Biosearch Italia。“9·11”之后,Quarta敏锐的商业嗅觉发现了美国市场所蕴藏的巨大商机,于是他将工作重心转移到了新大陆,在那里组建了Vicuron公司,并一举获得成功。2003年Vicuron在纳斯达克上市。

到达人生巅峰的Quarta始终无法割舍对故乡的爱。2012年,离家十年的Quarta决定离开纳斯达克,离开纽约,重新回到家乡普利亚(Puglia)。这次,他决定穿上葡萄种植者的服装,专注于葡萄酒事业,一切只为“找回家乡土地的味道”。

“不同的时间做不同的事。作为生物学家,我的前半生都投身到了致力于造福全人类的事业中。但当我在美国取得成功后,我强烈地希望能为意大利做些什么”。于是Quarta创建了Magistravini公司并提出了“grappolo”计划,该计划旨在发掘出意大利高品质的酿酒厂,通过葡萄酒将意大利的传统与文化散播到世界的每一个角落。从经营方面来说,这种多个酒厂联合的形式丰富了产品的种类,降低了单个酒厂的生产压力,达到了保证酒品质量的目的。除了普里亚大区的Emera和Moros,Magistravini公司目前在坎帕尼亚大区也拥有酿酒厂Sanpaolo。2013年,公司总销售额超过了两百万欧元,而在2014年的前三个月里,销售额更是增长了40%。

商业方面的成功离不开高品质的产品。作为“grappolo”计划的创始人,Quarta先生必须对产品有着足够的了解,从选择原料到酿造工艺,每一个步骤都倾注了他极大的热情。对于当初为什么会选择葡萄酒作为人生后半段的事业时,Quarta先生说道:“在美国的时候,我感觉到葡萄酒市场正面临着转型,我预感到这样的变化也许可以给意大利葡萄酒带来更多的机遇,所以我才决定要将自己的下半生投入到这项事业中。刚开始的时候非常困难,但是感谢我的家庭特别是我女儿Alessandra的支持,现在我乐在其中”。

除了酿造高品质的红酒,Quarta先生还有一个心愿,那就是能将意大利的红酒带到中国,让远方的中国人通过红酒了解意大利的传统与文化。Quarta认为,中国与意大利虽然相隔千山万水,却有两样东西是非常相似的——古老的文化和丰富的美食,而这两样东西又可以作为桥梁将这两个遥远的国度联系起来。

他的这一愿望在遇到了同样热爱葡萄酒的米兰华夏集团董事长周小燕女士之后变得愈发清晰起来。2月13日晚,“佳酿飘香——米兰2016Claudio Quarta酒厂新品品鉴会”在米兰Spaziotto举行,周小燕女士作为东道主热烈地欢迎了Quarta先生和他的妻子,并对双方未来的合作送上了美好的祝愿。Quarta先生对周小燕女士的热情款待表示了感谢,在介绍了当晚新推出的酒品并对葡萄酒行业的现状发表了自己的见解之后,宾主双方共同举杯,祝愿华夏集团与Quarta先生未来的合作会更好。

生物学家?商人?在经历了一切之后,Quarta先生现在更喜欢人们把他当做一个酿酒师。当然,他是一个特殊的酿酒师,一个把意大利的传统文化与对家乡的爱融为一体注入到那厚重酒瓶里的酿酒师。“我想告诉年轻人的是,你们要敢于创新,要有主人翁意识,不要坐在那里等待机会的到来。你们要坚信,不管外部条件如何,每个人都可以掌握自己的命运”。

Sanpaolo

       Perfectly integrated with the landscape, Cantina Sanpaolo is in a hilly area between the provinces of Avellino and Benevento. Here the white grapes that give rise to Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Greco di Tufo DOCG, Falanghina IGP, along with the precious Aglianico that helps create the most prestigious Taurasi DOCG are all produced. This is a unique area with an extraordinary variety of land ranging from clayey, to sandy, to limestone with influences of volcanic ash from Vesuvius. Here the vineyards are planted up to 700 meters above sea level where notable temperature variations from day and night enhance the aroma of the grapes. 

      Claudio Quarta’s vineyard consists of small plots of land totaling about 22 hectares (55 acres): 10 (24 acres) extend around the winery, divided between the areas of Tufo, where the prized Greco is grown, the area of Lapio in the heart of the DOCG Fiano d’Avellino for growing Fiano, and the area of Paternopoli in DOP Irpinia Aglianico, dedicated to the cultivation of DOCG Taurasi and Aglianico. The other 12 hectares (30 acres), planted with Falanghina and Aglianico, constitute a single holding situated in Pietrelcina, Benevento area.

Tenute Eméra

      Located in the heart of DOP Manduria and DOP Lizzano, it is the largest of Claudio Quarta’s wineries. On the picturesque Ionian coast, the estate covers about 80 hectares (197 acres), of which nearly 50 (123 acres) were planted with vineyards in 2007.

      The name of the winery refers to the goddess Hemera, a Greek goddess who symbolizes the day: a tribute to the culture of Ancient Greece and a reference to the geographical location of the estate. In fact, the land is located on the Salento peninsula; the easternmost edge of Italy, the first to witnesses the rising sun. In addition to native varieties like Primitivo, Negroamaro and Fiano, international varieties such as Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were planted following a strict arrangement, the direct result of the scientific study and micro-zoning, which preceded the planting 

Tenute Eméra

      Located in the heart of DOP Manduria and DOP Lizzano, it is the largest of Claudio Quarta’s wineries. On the picturesque Ionian coast, the estate covers about 80 hectares (197 acres), of which nearly 50 (123 acres) were planted with vineyards in 2007.

      The name of the winery refers to the goddess Hemera, a Greek goddess who symbolizes the day: a tribute to the culture of Ancient Greece and a reference to the geographical location of the estate. In fact, the land is located on the Salento peninsula; the easternmost edge of Italy, the first to witnesses the rising sun. In addition to native varieties like Primitivo, Negroamaro and Fiano, international varieties such as Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were planted following a strict arrangement, the direct result of the scientific study and micro-zoning, which preceded the planting