Welcome to Episode 1732 on Italian Wine Podcast, Masterclass US Wine Market With Juliana Colangelo. Today she moderates a wine2wine Business Forum 2023 session entitled “Spreading the Italian Wine Gospel to the Next Generation - Engaging New Sommeliers Italy through Discovery” with Shelley Lidgren Abstract: When Shelley Lindgren opened A16 Restaurants in California in 2004, southern Italy was far less travelled than it is today - especially in terms of wine. The historic viticulture and autochthonous grapes from this region were ripe for rediscovery by an international audience thirsty for unknown wines. This session will discuss the ups and downs of attempting to focus a wine list based on the regions and grapes of Southern Italy at A16 over the past 20 years, and the difficulties of sourcing wines from small areas such as Ischia or Molise. Lindgren discusses how times have changed and the growth of exploration in many southern Italian wine regions is uncovering a pastoral paradise of grapevines. These regions combine the preserved ancient grapes, along with the present-day story of Italy as one of the most biodiverse countries for wine in the world. In her newly released book, Italian Wine - The History, Regions and Grapes of an Iconic Wine Country - Lindgren recounts these legendary stories and shares her love of Italian wine. More about today’s guest: Shelley Lindgren is the Wine Director and owner of San Francisco’s Southern-Italian restaurant A16. She has received the “James Beard Award” for “Outstanding Wine Program”; has received the 2023 “Slow Wine Fair Award” for “Best Selection of Good, Clean, and Fair Italian Wine”; and has been knighted by the Italian government, receiving the prestigious “Cavaliere dell’Ordine Della Stella Italia” distinction for her professional dedication to Italian wine. Shelley’s third book “Italian Wine - The history, regions and grapes of an iconic wine country” was published in August 2023. Shelley’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Punch, San Francisco Chronicle, and many other publications. Shelley started a winery called Tansy Wines in 2021 with Kitty Oestlien – inspired by Italian varietals of Northern California but also Pinot Noir and an upcoming Cabernet Sauvignon all from organically grown, single vineyards. She served on the board of La Cocina, the Guild of Sommeliers, and Slide Ranch and is a member of Les Dames d’ Escoffier and ambassador of the Culinary Institute of America. Connect: Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelleylindgren/ Twitter: shelleylindgren Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/shelleylindgren More about Juliana Colangelo: Juliana Colangelo is a Vice President at Colangelo & Partners, the leading wine and spirits communications agency in the U.S. Juliana joined Colangelo & Partners in 2013 with previous experience in events, hospitality, and nonprofit development. During her tenure at C&P, Juliana has led the development of the California office, growing the agency’s domestic presence to a dedicated office of 13 people with representation of leading wine companies such as Jackson Family Wines, Far Niente, Charles Krug Winery, Foley Family Wines and more. Juliana has completed her WSET Level 3 and her eMBA in Wine Business with Sonoma State University, allowing her to bring a strategic and sales-oriented approach to communications strategy for the agency. In 2021, Juliana was named one of PR News’ Top Women in PR in the “Rising Stars” category. In 2022 Juliana became a Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Ambassador. Connect: Instagram: www.instagram.com/julezcolang/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/jules.colangelo/ Twitter: twitter.com/JulezColang LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/juliana-colan…lo-mba-04345539/ Website: www.colangelopr.com/