Passionate woman and wine producer 1/2 : Interview with Flaviana Bilotti

I did not start my journey in this world (I studied law) but at university I started to get passionate about the world of wine and then, when I married my husband, I renewed this passion that has also become my job. Seeing people coming out of the cellar happy, enthusiastic of our history, led me to take the path of hospitality. The tasting room has become a restaurant with lunches and tastings with the pairing of our wines with local products, exclusively linked to seasonality. We like to welcome one group at a time in order to devote all the attention possible. We transformed the part of the company that remained unexploited into a series of 5 bedrooms to offer an all-round welcome.

It happens that foreigners who are on holiday in Calabria, taste our wine maybe in a restaurant by the sea and are intrigued and go as far as the hinterland to come and meet us. This is something that gratifies and impresses a lot for us. It shows a strong drive to know the entrepreneurial and wine reality by visitors. It’s the best appreciation you can have, even more than the results at contests. We therefore try to convey everything we can, our passion, love for our territory to ensure that they take home this memory.

The Sette Chiese has remained in my heart. For the province of Cosenza it was the first wine ambassador of the Terre di Cosenza del Magliocco because it was a wine with a very strong and recognizable character, with a great territorial imprint. Among the awards he has received is the Oscar of Gambero Rosso as best Calabrian wine quality price, won for many years in a row. Red, firm, it has rather structured tannins despite being born to be a simple wine, a table wine, without aging but very significant in character.

For women who approach this sector today, I would like to say that in some ways the way is much easier. The wine sector, unlike other sectors of agriculture, is not a sector that makes gender differences. If you approach this profession today you must do it with a lot of passion, passion must be the prime mover. A piece of advice that applies to everyone, not just women, is not to lose goals. We must never stop comparing ourselves with other companies and international competitions therefore with wines that come from all over the world. In storytelling and in transmitting women have an extra quid. They manage to use it in companies because they are very pragmatic but they also have a certain nature to make choices decisively, therefore, they well represent the right balance that is needed in this profession, like an excellent wine.

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