When it’s ready

"You know what would be super cool...?"

I was in a good mood that day. "Like, if Marco could make a super tight, fresh, frizzante rosato in the style of his Labaia bottling. Almost like a slightly rosso light."

Vale agreed. "Want me to ask him?"

"Yeah, check in with him. We're definitely down for 100cs. I know his wines and his style really well. And if we can be around the Labaia pricing, we're fine. We can't keep Labaia in stock."

This conversation happened almost a year ago, pre-harvest 2022. Marco Cordani came back to us energized by the idea. He had never made a rosato before, but we weren't asking him to deviate from his winemaking or winemaking style. We were saying- make a wine, traditional frizzante like you always have, but from direct press red fruit. He had Barbera he thought that would be perfect for it.

He was up for the challenge. And we got equally excited. A Cordani frizzante rosato for the Summer of 2023...Fantastic!

But the wine didn't come for the Summer of 2023....

How are we looking?

"Marco says it still has residual sugar. It hasn't warmed up enough yet to start the re-fermentation." It was March.

Then it was April. "How are we looking on the Barberosa?" Vale checked in with Marco. Nope, not yet- the frizzante is not there yet.

Then it was May. "Guys, how are we looking on this. We're gonna need to pick up really fast to get it here for June selling." We checked in. Still not yet. Ay yi yi...The marketing and sales plan started fading quickly. 

June. "Marco says he can bottle it and he thinks it [the frizzante] should arrive by the time the wine reaches New York. What do you think?" Vale asked. No can do. The wine has to be good, and it has to be finished.

July, and Marco came to see Vale. The finihed frizzante Barberosa had finally arrived. It had eaten the sugars and the classico frizzante style was there. The wine was complete. We all got on a zoom call. 

"Marco, sei contento del vino?" (Marco, are you happy with the wine?)"

"Si. Si." He smiled. It obviously took much longer than he expected, but the wine arrived to the idea of what he hoped. That beautiful, authentic style, with a light rosso structure. 

"Vale, how is it?"

"Amazing. We've missed Summer, but the wine is delicious."

We had missed the Summer. But, we said we would take it. We will take it. We sell Collina's La Rosa all year round, and we will happily sell Barberosa as well, I said.

Maybe we can sell it as a wine for Thanksgiving?

That was my pitch to Vale when we sent the formal PO. But it didn't sit well with me. This wine and the collaboration behind it wasn't a holiday gimmick. We believe in Marco and his work. We love him for steadfastly maintaining his traditional approach in his style. He makes Piacenzan wines the way Piacenzan wines have been made for generations. This latest effort was an extension of his work, not a side show to pump sales. The value to our clients and to the consumer was simply the ability to get more of Marco's work while giving Marco a safe way to play and experiment in the cantina.

No, we will present and offer the wine on its own merits, completely out of the marketed rose season.

There is a war happening right now.

Between quality and art and authenticity, and an ever growing need for more money. As inflation and the overall cost of living rise, the tension in this war is becoming greater and greater. At Indie, we are not immune. Perhaps, because we have chosen to represent 'indies'- producers who work artisanally- we have placed ourselves in an even tougher position than others. 

In the case of the Barberosa, from a business perspective, the product was ordered to be ready by May, to be brought to market by June 1, to be sold thru by August 1. In and out. We would hit market and see good inventory flow. Good cashflow. Good business. And as that schedule could not be met, we could have said, "I'm sorry, but we can't take the wine as we can no longer sell it." That would have been one way to look at this scenario.

But we think longer term.

It took courage to say, yes, we will grab it. But we did it because we support the producer. We support Marco.

"You know, my Japanese importer came and he saw it and wanted to taste it." Marco added at the end of the call.

Oh no, not the Japanese! We always lose to the Japanese- they buy wine at an incredible pace and are laser focused in their execution. Japan is often one of the best markets for any producer because they are so consistent, so clean, and so open to experimentation by the producer.

"He wants some, but I told him no", Marco added. I was smiling ear to ear. Wait, did we finally one-up the Japanese!? "So, I'm making some for him this year as well. Would you like another 100cs for the 2023 vintage?"

At the time of the call we hadn't even sent the PO yet for the 2022. 

"Yes. Thank you Marco."