A Tale of Two Amazing Women
As Mother's Day is upon us, and it's a good time of year to celebrate women all over the world, I’d like to tell you about two remarkable women, both taking on the world in different ways, and each outstanding in their own right.
First, let me tell you about Stella di Campalto. She makes some of the most sought after wine in the Montalcino region (famous for its Brunello di Montalcino) and is known all over the world as an incredible wine maker. But it wasn’t always that way. She’ll be the first to tell you that she didn’t chose to be a wine maker, it chose her.
Her family acquired the San Giuseppe property, in a remote area just south of Montalcino, in 1992 and at the time, Stella had absolutely no wine making experience. In fact, she didn't even drink wine. The land had been abandoned in the 1940s and was overgrown and in poor shape. Convinced by an aunt who reads tarot cards to apply for an EU grant to start a winery (true story!), she headed to the local council office in her aunt's bright pink car to apply. But they couldn't find it. Finally in a fit of desperation, Stella stopped a man on the street and asked for directions. The man turned out to be EU rep himself on his way to the office to approve grant submissions (again, true story!) He got in their car and drove them to the office, and a couple hours later, Stella left with her grant approved, one of only three grants allocated in all of Tuscany.
She decided to move to the farm for just one summer - she was a city girl from Rome, after all - but the land changed her in ways she hadn’t imagined. She ended up staying for years in a rustic house with no TV or modern conveniences, little disposable income, and with two toddlers in tow. She broke ground herself, planting all of the vineyards, and although those early years were incredibly tough, she told us “they were the best years of my life.” She sat and cried many times, wondering what she was doing, often feeling like giving up, and yet she didn’t. She rolled up her sleeves and listened to what the land was telling her. The hardest thing she said is learning to surrender, "I like this word, we don't have such a word in Italian," and realising that you don't always have to be in control, you just have to listen.
Stella was a pioneer from the outset, making the decision to go organic in 1995 and biodynamic in 2002. long before most people had even heard of such a thing. Working the land gave her the energy to keep going over the years, and thank goodness she did because her wines are truly out of this world. Mr T, who is a little picky about his wine after trying so many good ones on this trip, was almost jumping up and down after we left the tasting, telling me that Stella’s wines are the most outstanding Brunellos he’s ever had.
We tasted 2015 and 2016 vintages of her Brunello directly out of the oak casks they are aging in, as well as the 2009 and 2010 vintages. Every single one was a delight to drink, even the ones that have another year or two of aging left to go. Hearing Stella talk about these wines though is the most incredible part. 2015 is like “a classical dancer, delicate but very strong with perfect balance.” 2016 is like “a big man, bloody and meaty.” 2009 is “I think an artist living in a loft in New York,” and 2010 is “a bit full of himself, he needs to sit in the corner for a while until he is a little more easy going.” I could listen to Stella talk about her wines all day. Her energy is infectious and you can’t help but feel invigorated when you leave her winery. You feel like anything is possible.
Talking of infectious energy, let me tell you about Cristiana, who we met when we stayed at her guest house in Civita di Bagnoregio. Corte della Maestà is what Forbes calls “one of the most captivating places to stay in all of Europe,” and I have to say that, for once, I agree with something written in Forbes (feels very odd to say those words out loud).
Not so long ago, Civita, a tiny settlement outside of Rome built on a piece of volcanic rock, was dying. Having survived earthquakes, landslides and floods for the past 2,500 years, it was in dire need of investment. Cristiana, along with her husband Paolo, were some of the first people to invest in the town, and Cristiana project managed the entire renovation. In less than a year, she turned crumbling, run down buildings into an extraordinary luxury guest house. It took me nearly that long to get one fridge fixed, how she did it is an indication of how remarkable this woman is. Each of the rooms are inspired by literature (Paolo is a well renowned writer), and the attention to detail in every single room is like nothing else I’ve seen. Cristiana describes it as a timeless retreat which perfectly sums up how you feel when you step inside Corte della Maestà.
Cristiana keeps this whole operation going and let me tell you, that woman doesn’t stop moving. She has the type of magnetic personality that you can’t help but fall in love with, if I can be as upbeat and positive as she is just half of the time, I’ll call it a win. Also anyone who loves animals as much as she does is solid gold in my book - check out her Instagram to see her dog Tito, various cats, a tortoise called Ugo who pottered around in our garden much to Shadow's delight, a horse, and a very cute looking hedgehog. Shadow was instantly in love with Cristiana, in fact if she'd offered Shadow a new home, I have no doubt she would have taken it without a backwards glance (traitor!)
In all of the places we’ve stayed, both on this trip and other countries around the world, I can’t remember another time when I felt so instantly at home and content, and that’s all thanks to Cristiana. Not only is she an amazing person but she's also making a huge difference to the preservation of Civita and it's ongoing survival. As Cristiana told us, "The whole world arrives at my front door."
Why do I tell you about both of these women? Because they are each the driving force behind something remarkable. Both of them are creating something that is world class. And meeting them will change you in some way. After talking with each of them, I feel like I have a new perspective on what it means to do your best. Here’s the thing though: there are women like Stella and Cristiana all over the world. When you meet them, do me a favour. Tell everyone you know about their stories and what makes them special. The world needs a little more positive inspiration these days, and amazing women like Stella and Cristiana have that by the bucket load.
