ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What do Olympic sailing, aerospace engineering, and world-class Brunello have in common? More than you might think.
This week on The Sipping Point, Laurie Forster sits down with Alessandra Angelini of Altesino, one of Montalcino's historic Brunello producers.
Before returning to Tuscany and her family's wine business, Alessandra trained with the Italian National Team in Olympic-class sailing and earned a degree in aerospace engineering. She went on to work in the United States designing aircraft engines before bringing that combination of discipline, science, and problem-solving back to the family wineries.
Alessandra shares how Altesino has maintained its signature elegant style of Sangiovese even as tastes in wine have changed—and why a style that once seemed almost out of step with the times now feels remarkably modern.
Laurie and Alessandra also explore the differences between Rosso di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino, why Rosso deserves to be taken seriously as its own wine, and how dramatically Sangiovese can express the different soils, elevations, exposures, and microclimates within Montalcino.
Then they dive into Montosoli, Altesino's legendary single-vineyard Brunello and one of the wines that helped pioneer the concept of vineyard-designated Brunello in Montalcino.
In This Episode
- How Olympic sailing prepared Alessandra for the unpredictable world of wine
- What aerospace engineering taught her about research, efficiency, and winemaking
- Why Rosso di Montalcino isn't simply "Baby Brunello"
- Why Alessandra calls Sangiovese a "religion" in Tuscany
- How northern and southern Montalcino differ
- How long you can age a great Brunello—and why there isn't one perfect drinking window
And perhaps the most important takeaway: great wine doesn't have to be intimidating. As Alessandra puts it, "Brunello is always interesting."
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