Did you really believe that? If so, would you like to buy a bridge?

We were going to write something noble and virtuous about how we did our own form of dry January — namely sticking to dry reds, with the occasional Vermentino (because technically it’s still dry, right?) — but even we couldn’t keep a straight face.

Let’s be honest. We’re glad January is over.

Montepulciano in January: a romantic ghost town

January in Montepulciano feels like the town is on life-support. There’s this gorgeous medieval hilltop setting, dramatic stone buildings, perfect piazzas… and then complete and utter silence.

You know how in a normal place you might say, spontaneously:
“Shall we go for an aperitivo?”
or
“Let’s not cook tonight.”

In January in Montepulciano, the next question isn’t where shall we go? It’s:

Where could possibly be open?

Yes, you could look up Facebook listings. You could check Google. You could even ring ahead like a responsible adult.

But this is Italy, and this is Montepulciano, and a lot of places operate on a slightly different business model:

We’ll see how we feel.

One of our favourite bars had a message that said (and we’re paraphrasing only slightly):
“We are open for Christmas. After that, we’ll see how we feel.”

And honestly? That is the Dolce Vita. At least for the bar owners. They’re living their best lives. We, meanwhile, are doing something far less glamorous:

We’ve parked the car, put on three layers of clothing, a scarf, and a hat, and walked up 300 metres — because one of us (not naming names) thought that exercise was a “good idea”.

Only to arrive, cheeks freezing, eyebrows iced over, and realise:
It is 2°, bloody cold and the bar is closed.

And then — as we stomp back downhill in bitterness and wool — we suddenly see how ridiculous the whole scene is.

We’re standing in a beautiful piazza, in a medieval Tuscan town, surrounded by centuries of history… and our biggest problem is that Luca has taken the night off.

Perspective. Tuscany has a way of forcing it on you.

Meanwhile on the farm… not much.

January at the winery is, to put it technically:

a whole lot of nothing.

The vines are in hibernation. The wines are aging in their wooden happy places. There are very few tourists, and therefore very few tastings — which is probably just as well because Tenuta Golo is currently… how shall we say…

a bit of a building site.

The big renovation project is underway and, whisper this quietly so we don’t tempt fate…

it’s actually ahead of schedule.

There are days when we look around at dust and protective plastic sheeting and we hear those drills a’hummin’ and think: This will all be worth it. This will all be worth it.

The snowstorm, the ditch, and the truck

January also included a snowstorm.

And in the tradition of couples who live on farms and occasionally misjudge conditions (or roads… or gravity… or the laws of physics), Niall “parked” his truck in a ditch.

Not parked parked.

More like… abandoned dramatically in nature after being defeated by winter. [Point of Order - reversing in 4WL at some speed, in blind conditions and executing a 90 degree turn\skid counts as parking as long as the truck is mostly in one piece.]

Good news: the truck has now been recovered. Niall, unsurprisingly, is very proud of this, as if it wasn’t his fault in the first place.

There is no logic here. There is only marriage.

The expat get-together

Despite the cold, the ghost-town vibes, and the construction chaos, we decided to run a little get-together for the expats of Montepulciano.

Because if January gives you lemons, you… gather everyone in a farmhouse and pour wine?

The organizer-in-chief (again, no names) was in her element — planning, hosting, feeding people, making introductions, and generally proving that even when a town is asleep, community doesn’t have to be.

There’s something about expat life in small-town Italy. You’re all slightly mad to be here, but you’re mad together, and that is oddly heartwarming.

February: the “buckle up” month

Then, almost overnight, February arrives and the energy shifts.

It’s like Tuscany wakes up, stretches, shakes off January, and says:

Right. Enough lounging. Let’s get to work.

Because February means the Anteprima.

Then March is exhibitions and distributor visits.

Then April is Vinitaly.

And suddenly we’re back to spreadsheets, logistics, travel planning, tasting prep, and that slightly panicked feeling of:

“Wait — aren’t we supposed to be ready?”

OMG don’t you miss January?

Yes. No. Absolutely not.

We love the beginning of the season. We love the sense of momentum. We love the feeling that things are starting again — tastings, visitors, events, wines leaving the cellar and going out into the world.

But still…

Just for a second…

It would be nice to have one more January day to do nothing but drink a glass of Nobile, stare at the vines, and pretend we are the kind of people who do Dry January.

Toodles,

Niall & Paari

We have come to realize that when we fail to hit one of those deadlines, that is a sign of success. Yes. Yes it is.

To misquote President Clinton: “It’s the [lifestyle] stupid!”

When things are delayed in Italy, when the idraulico (plumber) can’t come today (or tomorrow if it’s sunny) or when our financial statements arrive 9 months in arrears, these are not signs of inefficiency, bureaucracy, inability to organize a pissup in a brewery. No. These are signs of the lifestyle, the culture, the effects of that mediterranean sun, olive oil, vino and clean(ish) living. These are, in fact, clear signs of cultural maturity, the work-life balance thingy.

So, what does Slowing Down Actually Looks Like?

December here is quiet. Purposefully so. The vines are asleep. The cellar is calm. Nothing is being rushed because nothing can be rushed. And that, it turns out, is the real luxury.

(A short video from our walk at Tenuta Golo yesterday)

People imagine harvest as the hard bit. It’s not. Winter is.

This is when decisions are made that won’t show up in a glass for years. Take pruning. You get one chance to prune correctly. The work is precise and unforgiving. This year we had dense fog for the first two weeks so, it’s damp and [to use a phrase from The Lexicon of Niall] fecking miserable. If you cut too much, you weaken the vine; cut too little, you lose balance.

Christmas here is less about excess and more about balance.

Meals are long. Bottles are opened early and finished slowly. Conversations wander – just like herding lawyers. Nobody asks what you “do” — they ask how the year tasted.

Wine is not something you consume – it is something you share. In Montepulciano you are often sharing wine you made with others who are sharing wine they made. Niall just has to say this or he will explode – I have never seen two lawyers share a bottle of wine while complimenting each other on their drafting:

“Your boiler plate clauses are just the best man.”

“Ah gee thanks, I always loved your house style and font.”

This is the bit nobody tells you when you fantasize about leaving corporate life: the biggest upgrade isn’t freedom. It’s pace.

If vineyard life teaches you anything, it’s this:

· Rushing rarely improves outcomes

· Good things need rest

· Timing beats intensity

· Control is mostly an illusion

You don’t force a vine to grow faster. You create the right conditions in the vineyard, then you get out of the way. When your focus is quality wine you don’t want the vine to produce too many grapes – you intervene so it grows less!

That’s a lesson worth stealing for life — and business — in 2026.

So at the end of this year as we face into the next, whether you’re opening something special or just something open, do it properly. Sit down. Slow down. Let it breathe.

The wine will thank you.

And so will you.

A final thought for 2025: One of the best things we have gathered on this journey is the people we have met and enjoyed along the way. You see, it’s not us, it really is you….

With best wishes for a happy, healthy and wine-filled 2026 - cheers! 🍷

Niall & Paari

Harvest time is chaos, and fun. Stuff breaks at the worst moment (give it a good whack), things get stuck (hit stop, try reverse, is it even turned on?) when the tractor arrives at the cantina with the next load of grapes. From the moment they are picked our grapes are typically selected (for the second time), de-stemmed and in a fermentation tank within 60 minutes.

We stop picking every 43 quintals (thats 4,300 kg) for a rest because 43 quintals will fill a 50HL fermentation tank. We stop for rain - and then we wait for the vines to dry out. That can sometimes take days or just hours. We watch the clouds roll in and count the quintals already picked - we need 8 more quintals, lunch will have to wait (now that is a huge risk with Italians), get those grapes in and under cover! We change tractors for the northern vines because they are planted closer together (for higher density and perhaps as a gift to future pickers - us in this case- just to mess with our heads!). And in between picking and sorting loads of grapes, we clean the baskets using a big dishwasher thingy (sorry for being technical). Niall’s sister would love watching this because as a child (and even now!) Niall hated loading and unloading dishwashers. And here he is volunteering. Karma has a great memory and a lovely smile…

Guests arrive for a walk-in tasting and, after a bit of shuffling, we find a way. At least it is 100% authentic!

We had one group turn up who wanted to taste the grape juice. They explained nicely that they don’t drink wine, didn’t expect to pay anything but would like to sample the grape juice. Niall explained a little less nicely that we were not going to stop our process, clear out equipment from the cellar for safety reasons and allow 4 random strangers to access our steel tanks to interfere with the fermentation process. Elia offered them a few grapes directly from the vines. Needless to say, they will not be joining our wine club!

We feel exhausted rereading this so its time for a rest. Tune in next time for Niall complaining about fermentation and punching over. Of course Paari knows that he is not complaining and is secretly thrilled that Elia and he have worked out what ‘svinatura’ (racking) actually means and not just how to do it!

The grapes are in, the press has survived, and so have we — barely. The team looks like we’ve aged five years and gained a permanent aroma of Sangiovese (which, frankly, we’re fine with).

Still, we did it! The cellar is full, the wine is already plotting world-domination, and we’ve started remembering what sleep feels like.

Here are a few short clips from the harvest for your viewing pleasure.

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A post shared by @golo.winery

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A post shared by @golo.winery

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A post shared by @golo.winery

Until next time!

Toodles,

Niall & Paari

Our blogging brains are slightly overworked from figuring out vendemmia logistics - so we are going to do something we never do - cheat!

Instead of the usual juicy details of life and work in Italy, here are a series of our social media videos instead - suffice it to say that these take time, effort and, in Paari & Elia’s case only, a lot of convincing to get in front of the camera!

Enjoy - until next time…

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

golo.winery

A post shared by @golo.winery

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A post shared by @golo.winery

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A post shared by @golo.winery

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A post shared by @golo.winery

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A post shared by @golo.winery

There are more where these came from: Follow Tenuta Golo on Instagram or Facebook!

Our days are spent sheltered in AC comfort, together with our furry companions, working and watching - too much heat - too much humidity - what is the impact on the vines. The life of a farmer. Never a dull moment. Work in the vineyard is tough with the team starting at 6.00 and taking shelter by 12.00. This year is all about Canopy Management baby, yeah!

Work-wise the BIG news this week is that our Vino Nobile 2021 was awarded a Silver Medal and 94 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Our Super Tuscan, Oriolo, was also awarded a Silver Medal and 90 points. This is seriously good news as the Decanter Awards are the biggest in the wine world. As you can probably guess, we are ecstatic!

We are now busy deciding what wines to make this year. We’re adopting the strategy of actually ‘listening to the market’ - shock, horror! The market loves our new Rosè, and may want a more complex, higher range Super Tuscan. Oriolo is a Super Tuscan which we love to make, and which our good friends at Vins DiVino in Canada called the ‘best Super Tuscan for the price point’. We’ll take it! We are therefore considering making another one with a different taste profile (and it’s not the blue flask!). Watch this space.

Meanwhile, we’ve welcomed a bunch of new wine club members and the Villa is bustling with guests from the world over. We even had a famous DJ pass by …. Work is busy but fun, and we continue to learn how to roll with the punches. One punch at a time!

One of our friends who own a mini-hotel send us their guests for tastings, but asked us to stick to the reds as their guests do not like Rosè. We have responded by sending them videos of their guests loving the Rosè. Take that Igor!

We will sign off with this picture of the vineyards and the Villa. Even after all these years, it still takes our breath away.

Until next time.

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

or this:

So here’s the Big News since our last post:

1. We have a newly designed, amazingly fresh, Architectural Digest-worthy (ok, that is pushing it) TASTING ROOM! Niall put up the shelves and most of them are straight (ish). Now we have tastings almost every day which is fun - and the reviews are good. People seem to enjoy tasting wine in an idyllic setting - go figure! The wine flows, the smiles become laughter and the stories unwind. Don’t ask us about the 4x4 tour company who got their high clearance bloody massive truck stuck. While Elia organised two tractors to pull it out we poured the wine and made fast friends. Anyway, we digress - you have to see the tasting room - for now virtually (click on the video below and make sure the volume is up) and eventually personally.

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2. After years of avoiding anything that involved the words “subscription” or “membership tier,” we’ve gone and created A WINE CLUB! Here’s the ‘no sales pitch - sales pitch’. Our wine club is blissfully simple: no algorithms, no Bronze-to-Platinum pyramids, and definitely no pressure to know your barriques from your botti. Just wines we make and love, shared with people who enjoy drinking them. Early access to limited releases, shipping perks, and a free tasting for you and your entourage (or someone you owe a favour). Mostly, you’ll just be part of our slightly chaotic but very heartfelt journey from Corporate to Vino. Come and join the madness, won’t you?

3. We celebrated our anniversary recently (Paari gave herself a medal in the form of a trip to Venice - she allowed Niall to come along). If you haven’t been to Venice, we cannot recommend it enough. STUN-NING!! Here’s just a lil peek into what we were up to there. It was fantastic. If you’re planning a trip there soon, and want some recommendations, check out our itinerary here! Thanks also to our friends, Arturo and Maria for their input.

So that’s it for now, folks. Short and sweet.

Until next time.

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

p.s. there are lots of events happening in Montepulciano this summer. We will try to keep you updated even if it involves great food, amazing wines and deep deep culture. Look, someone has to do it and we are doing it for (ahem) you. Kind of … #wedontgetpaidenoughforthis #howmanylawyersdoesittaketorunawinery

One minute you’re sitting near the fire in January, thinking that you have three months before the season starts again, plenty of time to do all the admin-y bits, to make improvements, to move things forward. And then bam! It’s April, you’re moving at breakneck speed because guess what - life came in the way and now your To-Do List is longer than before (how did that happen?), you are being pulled in every direction (including ones you didn’t know existed!) and yearning for those winter months in Montepulciano (which you didn’t think you would ever do).

And of course we should have realised that everyone else around us is doing the same thing. That’s why it takes 3 to 4 months to get a quote for a new water pump!

So where do we start?

LIFE: all is good. Between VinItaly, work as lawyers and home, it has been rather hectic. We also threw in a couple of trips to the UAE and India, to get our fix of shawarmas and dosas. If you don’t know what those are, please Google. Your life will be better once you know (and try).

We have also become gym rats (much needed!) - we each have our own gym that we visit. Paari’s gym is a 25 minute drive from our home in Castiglione del Lago (beautiful place and well worth a visit), and her discipline of waking up at 6.10 am to make it to her session at 7.30 am three times a week inspired Niall to join the gym in Montepulciano that is a 4 minute drive away from home. [Co-Editor’s note: we all know who wrote this paragraph…]

AGRITURISMO/VILLA: the season of guests, fun, laughter (and maybe a little stress) is upon us. We are looking forward to welcoming our first guests towards the end of this month. So Villa prep is in full swing. Most mornings our coffee needs a coffee. The fact that we are kept guessing on what the world economy will do makes running a business in Italy EVEN MORE FUN. Not. At least there is an Aperol Spritz somewhere on the horizon.

WINERY: big big big news ——— you can tell it’s really big since we used the word three times.

For those who have been reading our blog for a while, you will know that we were working on our first Rosé. Well, we have now launched it.

Presenting: Lily.

This wine is an ode to our Mums.

• The wine is named after Niall’s mum, a lady with a real joie de vivre, who had many interests. She loved dressmaking, gardening, cooking, flower-arranging, being with family and eating delicious food and drinking great wine. She often used to say: Life is too short to drink bad wine. We couldn’t agree more.

  Doesn’t she look stunning in the picture above?

  Something else you may not know: barring gardening, Niall is adept at all of the above activities. Yes, even drinking great wine.

• The label is based on a painting done by Paari’s mum, Geeta, an artist, who also has a real love for life. Geeta recently celebrated her 70th birthday so the launch of the wine is very timely! We couldn’t have planned it better if we tried.

  The painting hangs in the dining room of our home in Italy, and was Geeta’s response to Niall requesting a painting of sailing boats. ⛵️ We absolutely love it.

  

• The other big big big news on the winery front is our soon-to-be-launched wine club. If you’re looking for a way to enjoy some of Tuscany’s finest wines in the comfort of your own home while not having to worry about silly things like shipment costs and dare we say the T word (tariffs), fill in this form to register your interest!

• We have also redone our wine tasting room. Fully designed by Paari and executed to perfection by Niall and Elia, wait for our next post to see what it looks like now.

Finally, we want to take a moment to thank all our blog readers - we really appreciate the kind and thoughtful messages we receive after we write each post. We set out to have a sort of online diary of our adventures in this beautiful country through this blog, but somewhere along the way it became bigger than that. It allows us to tell our story but it has also inspired a few others to chase (or stalk!) their dreams. So thank you for reading and please continue to do so. 😊

Until next time..

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

Well, December was filled with birthday celebrations, travel to Ireland and the UK, and unpacking boxes and more boxes. Fun. Christmas came and went - just like the festive tourists. Montepulciano is practically closed as are the shops and restaurants. The weather has been cold which is a good thing as it will help keep the vines healthy come Spring.

We are now well-settled into our new digs. Same town, different area. We’re having fun getting reacquainted…here’s a lil video on the stunning skies we have had in the last few days here in Montepulciano (can you spot the 🌈?)…

January was full of work stuff. Here’s a quick rundown:

• we were on dry January. In our case it was mostly dry Martinis and dry red wine

• we chose the bottle and name (hint: 🌸) that will be used for our new Rosé wine - yay - watch this space as it will be released very very soon!

• we had to taste the new Rosé - no seriously, we like had to….

• we finalised the blend for our Vino Nobile Riserva 2021

• we made some pretty big business decisions that will (hopefully, positively) affect how the winery progresses in the next couple of years

• we focused on new marketing and sales ideas and picked the brains of those near and dear (you know who you are!) to help with strategy

• we made a list (or three) of all the things we need to do to get the Villa in shape for the new season (if you’re thinking of spending the summer lazing by the pool, drinking Aperol Spritzes, while watching the sun going down and then gorging on pizza, wine and all (other) things nice, this may be the place for you)

• we created a new hashtag — ‘golooclock’, as in ‘It’s Golo O’clock!’ (we hope it goes viral - so please use and abuse it when you are next drinking a Golo!). For inspiration on how to create a masterpiece, check this out (turn up the volume):

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  A post shared by @golo.winery

We have also decided to get in front of the camera more for our ‘socials’ - if you don’t follow us on FB or Insta yet, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?

Stop everything, and hit that follow button now:

FOLLOW US ON FB

FOLLOW US ON INSTA

We’re off to a wine fair tomorrow so if you happen to be an importer who is attending Buy Wine Toscana and have an interest in wines from our region, we would love to meet you!

Until next time…

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

Mystified? Befuddled? Confounded?

Ok, it’s our very strange way of announcing that after six months of living like gypsies, moving from one apartment to another every few weeks with two very handsome but often confused King Charles Spaniels, and basically not having a couch to call our own, we have now moved to OUR NEW HOME! Ta da!

[Pause for applause]

And yes, we returned to where we started from: good ol’, not-letting-us-go Montepulciano! This time we know what we are getting (back) into. In fact a few of our friends (even Luca, our forever suffering electrician) knew we were coming back before we had actually finished the purchase. Apparently, the seller told one person in strictest confidence and well, you know (you’ve seen the stereotypical movies, the Stanley Tucci food programs, Stanley’s blog, Stanley’s wife’s blog) three people then told us.

So, in addition to:

• closing the Villa (Poggio Golo that is) for the season (yay!);

• a (very successful, very bountiful) grape harvest (thank you, God of All Things Grape); and

• an equally successful and bountiful olive harvest (is there a God of olives – a cousin of Bacchus??)

we have also been moving house. You may have noticed a spike in the IKEA and Maison du Monde share prices…

You can call us whatever you want but there is one thing we know….we are never ever EVER dull. (Even if sometimes we wish we were.)

To add to the chaos, madness and euphoria all rolled into one, we are also on a one-month no wine, no sugar, no joy cleanse. Our timing couldn’t have been more off…but we feel it is only right to detoxify our bodies and bring them to the best versions of themselves before toxifying them again over Christmas. Fair is fair. And then there is the Christmas Fair!

As we are already in the festive period (read: Diwali was last week), we are looking forward to turning the dial down a bit (the dial has no “off” position ☹️ ), settling into our new home and getting ready for another vintage (our new 2022 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) to be bottled by the end of this year. If you’re looking for something to make Christmas more interesting, check out our amazing collection of wines.

As it is now the end of our tourist season, the vendemmia (harvest) is done, our grapes are in various stages of becoming wine (yum yum), the olive harvest is done and our olive oil is made (it is so green it makes Niall homesick) we will have time to do the thinking and reflecting thingy. How and where is our little Italian venture going? How does Paari get Niall to help with the outstanding Italian admin that was banished (but never forgotten) over autumn? What is happening with the plans for our new winery (we know you noticed that we put them on the back burner for a bit)? Are we really going to be in Ireland over the Christmas period (it must be that green olive oil)??

For now, we will leave you with this little video of what we have been up to over the last few weeks.

Until next time…

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

You may have seen this already (but here it is again anyway) — our newest creation, Oriolo.

Oriolo means exactly the same as ‘Golo’. It’s the name of the native bird that lives in the area of the Villa and winery. It looks like a canary.

We had a long debate on the name and the label.

Would it be easy for wine lovers to pronounce? Does the name make you want to know what’s inside the bottle? Is the label too colorful?

We would love to know your thoughts! Let’s have a quick poll.

The big news this week is that our harvest has officially started! Woohoo #2! We harvested our grapes for a new Rosé wine - the first time we are making one and which we will release before next summer. The weather gods continue to tease and taunt. In between dodging raindrops we managed to harvest our Merlot. Everything is now on hold as we wait for a little more sun, a little less rain (we were praying for less sun and more rain only three weeks ago - yes, we hear you, we know, we are farmers and therefore NEVER happy with the weather) and the right sugar content. And then we welcome the Sangiovese to the cellar. All should be done within the next 10 days. God-willing. Le cúnamh Dé. ईश्वर की कृपा हो. Inshallah. Se Dio vuole. :)

More pics and videos will follow in the next couple of weeks!

The other bit of news is that we are currently in Basel, Switzerland to present our wine at a tasting event organized by potential distributors who, after they see what we have to offer and how the wines are received, may or may not order the wine. No pressure then….. These are the times when you may just miss a crisp, newly printed Sale and Purchase Agreement….or maybe not.

No trip up north would be complete without a stop at a lake. So we took in Lake Maggiore on the way. Yes. ‘Work’. Someone’s gotta do it.

Our season with our Villa guests is going well. We’ve had 11 groups stay with us so far and 6 more to go. It’s our 4th year of hosting guests. So far, the USA is winning by a long way in terms of where our guests come from. Thankfully, this year we have not had any ‘how does the washing machine work’ type calls at midnight! Hurrah!

No blog post would be complete without a mention of the new Cantina (winery)! So, now we have ticked that box….

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

• We had a number of great groups stay at the Villa. One such group of 10 guests was from Sweden. They enjoyed a pizza night and cooking class with our private chef, and a ‘dinner with the owners’. Yep, that’s us! They were celebrating Granny’s big 80.

• The sun has come out, and how. It was 35 C yesterday. Too hot but some days are mid-20s. Lovvvverly. We have therefore finally been able to do laps in the pool. And enjoy a Gin & Tonic. Or two.

• We had a very productive meeting with our bank manager last week. Only in Italy would you kiss your bank manager hello and goodbye!

• We received orders for our wine from Switzerland and a couple of new restaurants in Montepulciano. Hurrah! Piano, piano, arriviamo (We’re getting there…slowly).

• We continue to discover new and wonderful areas (and restaurants) in Umbria. We have frequented Rastrello in Panicale more than once, and love it. Their food, drinks and jazz on Tuesdays are fantastic. A must try if you are ever in the area. Picnicco at Madrevite is another must do. A lil video of what it’s like.

• It is summer time so of course there are a number of ‘Sagre’ in Toscana and Umbria, each based on a different theme. A Sagra is a local festival, very often centred around food, that is usually held at the piazza of the town/village. This weekend we plan to try the one in Paciano, which is based on Strozzaprete, a type of hand-rolled pasta.

• We have some big news coming up on our wine portfolio front. (Watch this space!) We tasted our 2022 and 2023 vintages, most of which are still in the barrel, to assess the evolution. We are very happy with the results. Niall likes to say: ‘Our past is our future’. He hasn’t found anyone who gets it yet!

  

• Max and Milo, our two beautiful King Charles/Cocker Spaniel-mix dogs, got their summer haircuts. There is nothing like happy, light and free dogs playing on green green grass!

The Not-So-Good Stuff

• The AC in one of the rooms of the Villas broke down. Despite a reset, it refused to work. External help was called. Did we mention it was 35 C and the bride was getting married that day? Fingers crossed this doesn’t make the review!

• One of our wine shipments to North America has been delayed at customs due to miscommunication (let’s just call it what it is, incompetence). Our biggest concern? The state of the wine in the bottles.

• We continue to be homeless. The house hunt continues….. where oh where will we end up? Answers on a postcard.

• Between Dubai work, Italy work, the house-hunt, doggie care, socializing, and a cheeky holiday to Greece, we have been torn in different directions every second. We don’t know whether we are coming or going. Breathe. Relax. Meditate. (Glass of wine). Repeat. (PS: #firstworldproblems)

The tally shows more Good Stuff than Not-So-Good Stuff, and so we go on… :)

The news today is that our wines will be presented, for the first time, at Calice di Stelle (one of the main wine-tasting events held each year in Montepulciano) this evening.

Mr OT and our colleague, Elia (our cantiniere/somm/manager and everything in between!), will also be conducting a guided tasting.

This morning Mr OT was advising on intellectual property issues and Paari was reviewing a shareholders’ agreement.

This, that and a bit of the other. That basically sums up our lives right now.

Until next time..

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

As we have just passed 4 July, we are thinking of democracy and the general election in the UK. Niall is always reminded of the Irish political proverb, ‘vote early, vote often’. And then there is the French election. Macron, what a muppet! Are we the only ones concerned with the apparent rise of the far right in the European elections? We are happy to explain to our friends in the UK what European elections are. And after those elections apparently Italy has the most stable government in the EU. Read that sentence again. It’s shocking to think that Italy has a stable government, not to mind the MOST stable government in the EU!

Niall is officially banned from mentioning US politics so there will now be a three minute pause while he wanders off into the freshly pruned olive trees to have a bit of a rant. Let’s hope he doesn’t meet any of our American guests while there.

While Niall continues to do his impression of Moses, Paari would like to tell you that

• our IGT (a Super Tuscan) wine is being well received

• we just had our first wedding at the Villa - woohoo!

• the AC gods are a fickle bunch and have been playing with us a lot lately

• the grappoli (grape bunches) are forming nicely in the vineyard

• our new cantina (winery) project is motoring along (actually it is moving at the pace of a donkey going backwards on a mountain pass) and

• there are lots of activities going on over the summer whether it be jazz festivals or a Banksy exhibition (all of which we hope to hit at some point or other).

It’s probably the best time of year to be in Italy. We are working hard but remembering to take time out to enjoy life.

Oops, he’s back now and no doubt he will want to talk about rugby. God help us.

Until next time. In the meantime, here’s a short collage of what we’ve been up during the last few weeks. Hosting guests for wine tastings, unexpected trips to Milan, spending time with the furry babies, meeting up with fellow winemakers for aperitivi and working (yes we do that too) remotely. Also, don’t judge us for the amount of food and drink that features…

[Music credit: Jeff Kaale]

Toodles,

Niall & Paari

We are currently across the border in Umbria — we have sold our house (NOT the business) in Montepulciano. We are either:

1. dazed and confused after a frantic and stressful house move, where the goalposts and deadlines were constantly shifting Italian style, OR

2. we are enjoying the freedom of not being tied down by a 16th century house and all the related maintenance issues, the garden, the olive trees, the electric gate with a nasty disposition and a sense of umbrage, and lots of places to mislay ones favourite garden implement (such as an amazing rake), OR

3. all of the above…..

We are exploring the Umbrian and Puglian countryside this summer, while in temporary accommodation, as we search for a new pasture to call home. On that note, and based on our initial exploring of restaurants, beautiful little towns and countryside (all in the name of research - for you…), Umbria is stunning and we are enjoying making new connections in this region. If you haven’t visited, you must.

But seriously, moving home is always tiring and quite often stressful. We had a bit of both. Thanks to Paari’s diseas..uh..superior skill of preparing for the worst in every situation, the move went off very smoothly. You will be glad to know that the Amazing Rake was found and made the cut. We have a ton of boxes in storage and some more with us. We can’t wait to see where we end up. Last video of the old house….

During that period, we also headed off to VinItaly — the largest wine expo in Europe was AMAZING. It is massive. It could easily be overwhelming. There are some very big exhibits and thousands upon thousands of little ones, whole areas dedicated to single regions, organic and non organic wines, a few foreign countries who apparently also make wine (imagine that) and lots of equipment stuff. You can guess who seemingly got lost and found (him) themselves there a few times.

Everyone is trying to stand out - mostly by doing the same things as everyone else! It is crammed full of producers, distributors, buyers, restaurants, wine students (now thats a lark!), suppliers, advertisers, politicians (Madame Melloni shimmied through the halls (Niall wanted to say “goose stepped”)), rake salespersons but no Luigi Public. And everyone is sampling wine or grappa or even beer. And its mostly in Italian.

It. Is. Bedlam.

We had a very successful first attendance there showing off our first Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (2021). Lots of useful contacts, discussions, experiences and above all, learning! We have had interest in our wine from a number of countries and our days are now filled with sending export price lists and samples, and having Zoom calls, with potential importers and distributors across the globe. We have just fulfilled our first major export order but to where? Those of you who guessed Mozambique take a bow!

We then did a sneaky trip to Berlin to see Paari’s folks, who were touring through all parts of Germany. Another stunning city Berlin…so many places, so little time!

Then, a couple of days ago, we were invited to speak to some US university students about life as a foreign business owner in Italy. We had three very keen, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed students who sat open-mouthed as we regaled them with stories of life in the Tuscan countryside. They may never return.

No post would be complete without a weather report. Hey we are farmers after all. The weather has been all over the place. One week we had 30 C heat and the next there were downpours for 4-5 consecutive days. The weather gods seem to be playing musical chairs. However, the grapes are doing fine and Niall is often seen loitering among the vines, singing Irish folk songs to them. So if the 2024 vintage has an Irish accent, you know why.

Until next time…

Toodles,

Paari - Niall

1. The first thing is that the Italians (or the ones we have met anyway) work to live. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. They work to have enough to live. This also means they know the meaning of, and practise the art of, living each and every day - in other words, having a work/life balance comes naturally. It is not something they need to learn or incorporate into their world. They don't need to read books or blogs or listen to podcasts about how to make it happen. They have it. It's simply there and every one in their circle has it too. So there is no need for explanation, justification, acceptance. Nothing to be done. Life is just that way.

2. Number (1) means that there is almost always no rush, hurry or urgency to get 'stuff' done (other than perhaps when meeting government-imposed deadlines (which are also extended quite regularly!) or when dealing with tourists (who have a different sense of time). Time is not money. Time is time and money is money. If it can't be done today, it will be done tomorrow. That doesn't mean 'it' is not important. However, 'it' cannot become a hurdle so big that there is no time with the family or dinner is forgotten, or even worse, completely missed. That is not living.

3. Number (2) means that there is time to 'smell the roses'. Since things can extend to the next day or the next week, one can actually stop, contemplate, enjoy that unplanned coffee with a friend without feeling a sense of guilt. They don't need to give themselves permission to spend a few extra minutes 'living', nor do they need a life coach to tell them it's okay. They even have a phrase for this - il dolce far niente or the sweetness of doing nothing. This is soul food part uno (#1).

4. Number (3) allows one to spend more time with people, nurture bonds and have deeper and more meaningful relationships with family and friends and be connected, whilst enjoying all that life has to offer (a coffee, an aperitivo, a passeggiata (walk) in the evening, a play in the piazza, whatever that may be). This is soul food part due (#2).

5. Add to this the real food and of course il vino - the Italians deeply value food that is fresh and strive to use the best ingredients their money can buy (shopping for fruit and vegetables in a supermarket is frowned upon - why would you do that when there is a market every week where you can get produce so fresh it still has dirt on it?) and of course enjoy (what we consider to be) the drink of the Gods - red red wine (and some white too). Some of the best meals of our lives have been eaten within a few kilometres of our home, using ingredients that are locally sourced.

No mention of la dolce vita would be complete without mentioning the natural (and manmade) beauty, the history and culture and the unwavering Italian spirit, that we are surrounded by every day. All of these serve as constant reminders that we are part of something bigger, our daily strifes are just that and that life is meant to be lived and savoured.

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

Yes of course there was the lure of the Italian way, the beauty of this magnificent country and the temptation of all things gastronomic. For us however, it was much more than that.

Our individual and collective journeys led us to a 9 week sabbatical in 2017. We turned off our phones. We turned on our out of office messages. We didn’t read a single work e-mail. We decompressed for the first time since, well, forever. We spent about a month in Italy, doing a 'zigzag' across the country, from Napoli to Milano with various stops along the way, getting to know it, its people, its culture, its coffee (sorry Starbucks, you are not even in the race) and its cornetti (a type of Italian pastry). Fascinating and inspiring.

As cliched as it sounds, we came away with a new perspective on life in general and our lives in particular. Maybe it was just that the timing was right or maybe we were, in that period and in that mind space, ready to receive and listen to the messages that the universe was sending us. Maybe we just like Italian wine a lot!

At that point we had each survived and dare we say it, thrived as lawyers. There was no burning reason to make a change. Life was very comfortable and that way of living was a 'known commodity' - we could have quite easily continued with that life but we knew that, at some point, our life as lawyers in Dubai would come to an end. We could either wait to see what destiny had in store for us or we could give a destiny a nudge in our chosen direction. Whatever it was, after our sabbatical and our time in Italy we were ready to take risks, to explore, to create options. There was no timeline, no deadline but the game was well and truly afoot!

Just to be clear, the life of a corporate lawyer is never really “comfortable”. You have to be on your game and completely committed to the role. If not, you are not giving your clients what they deserve and you are probably (if you are being honest with yourself) not enjoying the life. If you are at 97% you are off your game…

We spent days discussing and debating, and many an evening pouring over books and articles on what constitutes 'a good life' - we are nothing if not analysis-driven. We felt that there was something missing. Being in Italy for an extended time forced us to stop and reflect on what the 'it' was.

It didn't take us long to figure out that the 'it' was being connected.

Connected to people, connected to nature and the environment, and living a different life.

That's not to say we didn't have connections in our previous life. The fact of the matter is that we wouldn't have been able to have this dream without living our previous lives. The connection we sought was however deeper. We wanted to be part of a community (in the true sense of the term), we wanted to build something, to produce more than words, to get our hands dirty, and we wanted to do all of that while being as close to nature as possible.

We believed we could find all that (and much more) in Italy. Of course, being suckers for a challenge and hugely goal-oriented, we decided to throw in starting a winery and agriturismo into the mix. So started the dream, and so started the planning. It is likely that one or both of us even spoke to the person reading this post about the dream and our slow (very slow) process of execution, so you would know what we went through in that part of our journey (thanks for listening by the way!).

It ultimately took us three years from the time we made the decision that this would be our 'next phase' to making the move here. During that time, we:

• made frequent visits (about 4 times a year) to Italy, and in every season;

• tested the Italian health system by having one of us contract pneumonia (clearly we were living in a pre-Covid world otherwise we would have been on-trend!);

• poured over real estate websites and then visited around 80 properties of varying sizes and descriptions, between the Chianti and Montepulciano regions;

• had several meetings with real estate agents, lawyers and commercialistas (a mix between an accountant, tax advisor, government specialist);

• went on a course about living and working in Italy (featuring great food and wine…);

• successfully completed the WSET level 2 course (not a very advanced certificate in wine, but a start nonetheless - and yes, one of us achieved a Merit in the course - we are not naming him as he prefers anonymity);

• made a start on learning Italian; and

• read several books written by expats on moving to Italy (our favourites were A Vineyard in Tuscany and Living in a Foreign Language).

While it was a good start, did it prepare us completely for life here?

Assolutamente N-O.

For now, we will end by saying that as far as we know (and have read), no one on their deathbed has ever said 'I should have spent more time working in the office'. What they have said is 'I wish I had...'

…and knowing this how could we not?

Four years on, how are we getting on?

Well, we will soon share the disasters and joys we have experienced over the last four years in another post, but we like to describe life (and each day) in Italy with the help of this graph:

One minute you're sipping your amazing espresso in your garden, while looking out at the centro storico (historic centre) of Montepulciano (happy emotion), the next minute you're struggling to understand why the post office in your town is as inefficient as it is (frustrated emotion), the third minute you are dealing with some crazy documentary requirement in order to get your Italian identity card renewed (unhappy emotion), the fourth minute you have just booked to attend the VinItaly Exhibition as an exhibitor, showing off your first wines (excited emotion) and the fifth minute you're reeling from the emotions experienced in 1-4 (exhausted emotion). And so it goes..

A far cry from the type of week we used to have - client meeting, calls, drafting, food, Starbucks “coffee”, meeting, drafting, client call, martini, martini, martini.

Ok, maybe the martini, martini, martini bit is still the same.

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

The downside of course is that about a third of the posts from our other platform unfortunately didn’t transfer over easily so, instead of fretting (which one of us is particularly good at!), we have decided to refresh and reuse the content, with the hope that it still makes for relevant (and dare we say it, enjoyable) reading!

Given, our Nobile di Montepulciano is now in full-swing sale mode, we feel it is timely and apt to go over some basics!

To start, here is a picture of our newest baby.

Which grapes are we talking about here?

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine made primarily from the Sangiovese ( the of the prugnolo gentile variety) grape. The wine is aged for a minimum of two years (often for much longer) before being released for sale.

Fun fact: the reason it’s called ‘Vino Nobile’

It was referred to as the ‘King of Wines’ in a poem, ‘Bacchus in Tuscany’, written in 1685 by the Italian physician and poet Francesco Redi and thereby acquired the Italian name for ‘nobile wine’.

Another fun fact: it was the first wine to get the DOCG seal back in 1980

DOCG = denominazione di origine controllata e garantita = a labelling system which essentially (i) confirms the origin of the wine; and (ii) is a guarantee, by the Italian government, that the wine is of especially high quality. Each DOCG-labeled wine must pass a wine quality tasting panel.

So what makes it a Tuscan wine I need to know about?

The elegance of the wine — the dance between the Sangiovese grape and the terroir is reflected in the softness of the wine. It is structured with fine tannins, and a real pleasure to drink.

Go on, talk to the wine geek in me — tasting notes?

According to Wine Insiders, the Nobile

offers primary flavours of cherry, plum, strawberry, and dark berries, with subtle spice and earth notes. In contrast to stronger reds, Nobile wines have medium-bodied and tannin composition, balanced with cleansing high acidity.

It pairs well with red meat, game, and hard, aged cheeses. However, it is extremely versatile and can be enjoyed as an aperitivo or with a full meal.

Ok, but is this a wine for special occasions or can I enjoy it with my friends on the weekend?

Both.

A really good Nobile will set you back by about $35 which, for a quality Italian wine, is a really good price point.

The reason this is Italy’s best kept wine secret? The production of the Nobile is small compared to some of its Tuscan neighbours (Chianti, Brunello). It appears that those that taste it tend to want to keep it to themselves!

Small quantity, amazing quality and a reasonable price.

I’ve heard of ‘Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ — is it the same wine?

For the sake of our friendship, we will pretend like you didn’t just ask that question.

(The answer by the way is a resounding ‘No’. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is from Abruzzo — a wine made from the ‘Montepulciano’ grape. It really has nothing to do with the town of Montepulciano or for that matter the region of Tuscany (other than the obvious confusion with the name!)).

Ok, I’m off to get a bottle of Nobile — which one should I try?

There are over 80 producers of the Nobile and each one has their own methodology and way of making this fantastic wine. Having said that, if you want to start strong (and who doesn’t?), we would suggest trying one (or more) of these, if you can get your hands on them. The first two producers in the list below are big and the last four are boutique.

Boscarelli

Poliziano

Il Macchione

Le Berne

La Combarbia

Tenuta Golo

Official reviews?

We thought you’d never ask!

Here are some that we’ve received for our Nobile di Montepulciano 2021, released this year. We are over the moon!

We hope you enjoy discovering this wonderful appellation and perhaps you will also be inspired to visit us here in Montepulciano, Tuscany during your future travels.

Salute!

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

PS: If you’re attending VinItaly, drop us a line. We would love to see you there!

Click below to taste our finest wine (yet).

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

Time to present our first Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (2021) to the world.

The Anteprima (an event about which we have written before -- you remember that post, don't you?) takes place at the Fortezza in Montepulciano, from 10th February onwards. It is where wines from the latest vintage are first presented, before being officially released in April.

Our turn is up! Where did the last 2.5 years ago?

The 2021 vintage has been waiting patiently, first in the big oak barrels and then in bottles. Finally, we get to open a few bottles, and taste and share our version of the 'nobile wine' with other Vino Nobile producers, potential importers, journalists and wine-lovers.

We cannot wait.

If you fancy a quick jaunt to our neck of the woods during the second week of February, come by the event and we will treat you to a glass of our finest.

A personal invitation from Niall and Elia...

golo.winery

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Until then.

Toodles,

Paari & Niall

ps: A separate note will go out to all our subscribers on how to pre-order our first VNM. Watch out for that next week!

The Christmas fair, its bright lights, the mulled wine and bombardino (that's Italian eggnog - its like normal eggnog, locked and loaded and with the attitude of a rather upset Camorra) are fading from memory. In fact, after two bombardini, it’s hard to remember anything anyway.

Most of the restaurants are closed until the end of February. Those of us who live here all year round are entertaining friends in each other’s houses.

And breathe.....

Of course there is always something to do in the vineyard. We are more than halfway through our dry pruning. We are converting from Cordon Spur to Guyot. That is an entire post on its own. You have been warned!

We are nervously awaiting our permission to construct our new winery (cantina). We are lead to believe (hope is the last thing to die!) that 7 February 2024 will be the day. The starting gun for the mad rush – to build our cantina (oh no groans Paari - not another cantina story). Just imagine the tension before a Spacex launch, the envelope ripping thingy at the Oscars, the Secret Santa reveal at your office Christmas lunch (okay, maybe not that one). Well, it's nothing like that.

We have designed our labels for our first Vino Nobile. We are so excited we might burst, or start giggling for no reason. We are already smiling like eejits. It’s at this stage we realise that a labelling machine (to attach said labels to the bottles resting peacefully in our 40’ High Top Reefer super sexy container) might come in useful. We think we have enough space for one. Actually, we don’t really know what they look like, how much space they need or how they work but everything will be fine. Yes Andra Tutto Bene (everything will be alright). Say it with us !

One of our friends has told us that, after mature reflection, he has decided to do dry January. He’s chosen the 25 January as his day. Obviously, we all wish him well, and will be ready to salute his achievement (with Prosecco of course) in the evening.

There will be lots to report on in February and lots of preparation between now and then to set us up for the rest of the year. This is really the year when the wine part of the business (as opposed to the villa/agriturismo part) comes to the fore. Of course a cantina would really help here (oh bugger, he’s doing it again).

Wherever you are we hope you are enjoying January and that you are off to a great start for 2024.

To end, here's the latest from Golo Winery's Insta feed!

golo.winery

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Toodles,

Niall and Paari

P. S. Only one of us thinks that the container is in any way sexy. We don’t want to name names, but he also owns a fabulous rake.

We've had a few days where we have done nothing but go on long walks, read, eat leftovers, and take a lot of deep breaths...something we should do more often (and as Niall is quick to point out, keep doing)! And in response to a few questions, yes his rake is still looking fabulous...

We can't believe it is already the end of 2023. Where did the year go? And what lies ahead? Our 2022 Rosso and our 2021 Vino Nobile being released, our first time as a participant at the Anteprima in Montepulciano, at Prowein in Dusseldorf and, sure why not, at VinItaly in Veneto. And there is the small matter of building our new winery. But before we get too stressed out thinking about all that, we have one last thing to do this year.

And that is to wish you all the most fulfilling, joyous and happy festive period. May 2024 bring you everything you need - which may not be everything you wish for! Onwards and upwards. Happy New Year and thank you for reading!

A couple of videos of Poggio Golo to end our 2023 posts...

Toodles,

Paari & Niall