C'era una volta in... VALCALEPIO

da un’idea di: sergio cantoni sceneggiatura: marco cantoni disegni: stefano realdini traduzione: sara cantoni progetto grafico: advision srl stampa: grafical srl finito di stampare nel mese di febbraio 2020 nessuna parte di questo volume può essere riprodotta, memorizzata o trasmessa in alcuna forma o con alcun mezzo, elettronico, meccanico, in fotocopia, in disco o in altro modo, compresi cinema, radio, televisione, senza autorizzazione scritta dell’editore. le fotocopie per uso personale del lettore possono essere effettuate nei limiti del 15% di ciascun volume/fascicolo di periodico dietro pagamento alla siae del compenso previsto dall’art. 68, commi 4 e 5, della legge 22 aprile 1941 n. 633. attività promozionale cofinanziata con fondi comunitari dal psr lombardia 2014-2020 operazione 3.2.01. questo prodotto è composto di materiale certificato fsc® e di altro materiale controllato. intro duzio ne

fabio rolfi assessore all’agricoltura, alimentazione e sistemi verdi regione lombardia la lombardia è una grande terra di vini. fino a qualche tempo fa pronunciare una frase di questo tipo era pressoché impensabile. in questi anni, grazie alla grande qualità dei nostri prodotti vitivinicoli e alla lungimiranza degli imprenditori, la percezione del nostro territorio è cambiata, sia in italia che all’estero. non a caso veniamo da un biennio in cui i vini lombardi hanno fatto registrare il proprio record storico di esportazioni. il mercato del vino è tuttavia in costante movimento. è un mondo frizzante per definizione, che richiede sempre nuovi stimoli, nuove idee. per questo è essenziale innovarsi anche nel modo di comunicare per essere efficaci verso i consumatori. non mi stanco mai di ripeterlo: il vino è il prodotto che meglio racconta un territorio. chi acquista una bottiglia lo fa non solo per il gusto, ma anche per ciò che una etichetta rappresenta. e se abbiamo la fortuna di vivere in un territorio straordinario, dobbiamo avere una egual bravura nel rendergli merito verso l’esterno. l’idea di realizzare un fumetto dedicato ai vini bergamaschi e ai metodi produttivi che contraddistinguono la valcalepio è un ottimo modo per diffonderne le peculiarità. credo non ci siano iniziative simili, almeno in italia. non posso far altro dunque che complimentarmi con chi ha avuto l’idea e con chi l’ha poi realizzata. la regione lombardia sarà sempre al fianco dei produttori anche per offrire una valenza istituzionale al lavoro che svolgono quotidianamente. colgo l’occasione per salutare tutti coloro che avranno il piacere di sfogliare questo fumetto. a presto e prosit! lombardy produces great wines. nobody would have dared to pronounce this sentence, until recent times. the perception of our region deeply changed in these last years both in italy and abroad thanks to the high quality of our wines and the foresight of our entrepreneurs. in these last two years, lombardy wine production registered its historical export record. the wine market keeps moving. it’s a lively world by definition, and it always asks for new incentives and ideas. this is why it is essential to keep innovating not only the production but also communication: to stay incisive towards the customers. i will never get tired of saying that wine is the best product to tell the story of territory. those who buy a bottle, do not only buy it for the taste but also for what that label represents. we are lucky enough to live in an extraordinary territory. we must be good enough to narrate it to the external world too. the idea of creating a comic strip focused on made in bergamo wines, and valcalepio’s productive methods is a perfect way to broadcast their peculiarities. i do not think that anything like this exists, at least not in italy. i just have to praise who had the idea and who realized it. lombardy region will always be near to the producers offering an institutional value to their daily work. i get the chance to great all the people that will enjoy this comic. i hope to meet you soon and cheers! intro duzio ne

emanuele medolago albani presidente consorzio tutel a valcalepio due anni fa, come consorzio tutela valcalepio, abbiamo racchiuso in un volume “valcalepio ieri, oggi e domani“ i primi 40 anni del consorzio con i protagonisti del passato, del presente e del futuro della denominazione. volume classico accompagnato da un ricco corredo fotografico che ha conquistato il suo spazio nelle biblioteche degli appassionati enofili. oggi ci apprestiamo a presentarvi un volume completamente diverso sia come approccio che come destinatari, un’opera che vuole presentare il nostro mondo rendendolo fruibile a tutti e che, speriamo, aiuti il nostro prodotto ad essere sempre più conosciuto, amato e consumato. quando mi è stato proposto questo progetto l’ho subito sposato in quanto si rivolge ad una platea nuova e che in molti casi consuma senza conoscere cosa consuma, beve e non degusta, non si pone domande su cosa ci possa essere dietro il prodotto che ha tra le mani in termini di cultura e di tradizioni. la speranza è che queste tavole spingano tutti i consumatori a porsi qualche domanda trovando in esse le risposte e la voglia di visitare il nostro territorio per approfondire la conoscenza dei vini e dei produttori. it’s been two years since our last editorial project at consorzio tutela valcalepio. our last volume, “valcalepio yesterday, today and tomorrow”, recalled the history of the first 40 years of consorzio with information about the main characters of our denomination’s past, present, and future. it was a traditional book with many photos that found its right spot on the wine-lovers’ shelves. today we’re introducing to you something completely different. this book has not only another mood, but its target changed too. this comic aims at presenting our world to a larger public. we want everybody to know who we are and what we do. maybe this will encourage people to taste and love our wine. when they presented the plan to me, i promptly said yes: its target is a new public. an audience that usually drinks wine without the knowledge of what’s behind the product. an audience that mainly drinks and doesn’t taste. an audience that doesn’t have a clue about the product’s history, culture, and tradition. we hope that these sketches will help all the consumers to ask questions and to find the answers to those questions. we hope that they will create the need to visit our region, to discover more about our wines and our producers.

sergio cantoni direttore consorzio tutel a valcalepio è il 1976 quando il valcalepio, e la sua zona di produzione, nascono da un punto di vista legislativo. quella è la data dell’inizio dell’avventura del consorzio tutela valcalepio. sin dall’inizio non siamo stati una delle zone più note del panorama enologico italiano. i primi anni di attività, quindi, li abbiamo dedicati alla crescita tecnica dei produttori. il consorzio si è impegnato per assisterli nell’acquisizione delle conoscenze tecniche ed enologiche e nell’acquisto di attrezzature che potessero favorire la crescita vinicola, oltre che culturale del territorio. a partire dagli anni ’90 la nostra denominazione ha iniziato a farsi conoscere al di fuori dei confini provinciali. l’obiettivo è sempre stato quello di mostrare al consumatore le caratteristiche peculiari dei vini che producevamo, utilizzando come bandiera il nostro territorio. quando il prodotto principe della denominazione, il valcalepio rosso doc, è riuscito ad affermarsi, ha fatto da apripista alla crescita di altri vini e di altre cultivar che hanno poi trovato spazio nella doc terre del colleoni come l’incrocio manzoni 6.0.13, il franconia, l’incrocio terzi n. 1. negli anni abbiamo riscoperto anche vitigni autoctoni come il merera. quello che ha sempre contraddistinto la comunicazione del consorzio tutela valcalepio è il nostro essere originali e, a volte, un pò sopra le righe. negli anni abbiamo puntato su libri, sfilate di moda, giochi, cd musicali, filmati cercando sempre il coinvolgimento delle realtà culturali e turistiche del territorio. gli allestimenti del nostro spazio al vinitaly e la creazione di un concorso internazionale unico nel suo genere come emozioni dal mondo merlot e cabernet insieme che introduce, in un mondo contraddistinto da regole ferree, la variabile emozionale, ne sono la testimonianza. è quindi con gioia ed un po’ di “emozione” che presento il nostro nuovo progetto di comunicazione pensato per questo decennio appena iniziato e che utilizza un medium ritenuto, a torto, poco culturale e rivolto ad un pubblico generico. il fumetto viene considerato uno strumento “poco culturale” perché se ne sottovaluta la valenza unica e moderna: il fatto di poter trasmettere un messaggio utilizzando poche parole e, soprattutto, molte immagini, ne fanno lo strumento più contemporaneo e attuale. il tempo è sempre più prezioso e comunicare per immagini evita al consumatore sforzi immaginativi che, molte volte, lo tengono lontano dalla conoscenza di mondi a lui ignoti. una storia di 56 pagine raccontata per immagini che si pone l’obiettivo di spiegare ciò che molte volte necessita di ore e ore di discussioni, degustazioni, introducendo concetti che spesso allontanano il consumatore perché troppo complicati e poco interessanti. il linguaggio usato è stato filtrato da un giovane e quindi, secondo me, ricalibrato per un pubblico diverso ma ottenendo un risultato nuovo e fresco che speriamo venga compreso e trasmesso. è questo quello che chiediamo ai media specializzati o generici, aiutateci a divulgare a questo nuovo pubblico un messaggio fresco, senza pensare di non essere abbastanza “culturali” facendolo. buona lettura

in 1976 the official wine regulation recognized valcalepio as a wine production region. that’s when our adventure at consorzio tutela valcalepio began. we have never been among the most famous wine regions in italy. at first, we focused on the technical advancement of our producers. consorzio supported them in technical education and encouraged them to buy new devices. we wanted to help the area grow from a technical and cultural point of view. the ‘90s marked the time when they started to notice us outside our province’s borders. we always aimed at showing to the consumer our wines’ peculiarities. our territory was always our symbol. then valcalepio rosso doc, the main product of our denomination, found its rightful place on the market. that was the time of the rediscovery of native varieties such as merera. we also restarted the production of wines like incrocio manzoni 6.0.13, franconia and incrocio terzi n.1. sometime later, we collected all these wines into the new doc terre del colleoni. the distinctive tracts of consorzio tutela valcalepio’s communication are our uniqueness and eccentricity. we wrote books, planned fashion shows, organized games, created cds and shot short movies. we always worked in partnership with the cultural and touristic institutions of our region. two of our traditional projects mainly demonstrate our uniqueness: our vinitaly booth’s setting and the organization of an international wine competition like emozioni dal mondo merlot e cabernet insieme. emozioni dal mondo is something unique in the wine competitions’ panorama: it introduced the idea of emotions in a system full of rules. and so i’m extremely glad and particularly thrilled to introduce the new communication project we developed for this newly begun decade. we chose a medium that most people wrongly consider to be not cultural. those who consider comic strips low-culture, don’t understand its unique and modern quality. what makes comic the most contemporary mean of communication we have, is the fact of easily and quickly transmit a message employing a few words and lots of images. time is something always more precious. communication through images avoids the inventive effort that sometimes holds back the consumer from what is new. here we have a 56-pages history that explains through images what often would take hours and hours of discussions, explanations and tastings. it quickly and easily introduces the usually complicated and unappealing concepts that most of the time keep the consumers back. we let a youngster filter the language. the focus here is on a new audience. i think that the result is something original and fresh. hopefully, everybody will understand and transmit our message. here’s what we ask to specific and non-specific media today: help us spreading a fresh message to this new audience without fearing to appear low-culture. enjoy the reading!

scri pt __page 16 sofia: valcalepio bianco doc is a blend of chardonnay, white pinot, and grey pinot. its color is straw yellow. its perfume is intense with fruity tunes. sofia: its taste is dry, rounded and harmonic. it perfectly matches starters, first courses, and fish specialties. sofia: our third doc is valcalepio moscato passito. this wine is 100% mo- scato di scanzo grape, grown and processed outside the municipality of scanzorosciate. harvest time is approximately in october and the bunches dry for at least 21 days. sofia: its color is intense red. its perfume has dried rose, acacia honey, cin- namon, and spicy tunes. it’s a perfect wine to drink at the end of a meal. it suits dry pastry and cheeses, especially blue and intense ones. __page 17 director: very good. these are our three docs. sofia did you a great portrayal. director: i hope you enjoyed this little tour across the world of valcalepio. elena: how was the presentation? sofia: everything ok, as usual. just an average workday. giorgio: are you kidding me? forget it! __page 18 president: as i already told you, your stepfather’s winery was in debt with consorzio. we waited for a long time, it’s now time for us to claim the money. giorgio: but i didn’t ask for the winery to be my heritage. i don’t belong to this world. it’s unbelievable that i shall lose my money on a debt that is not mine. president: this is not the right behavior. you’re damaging your family’s good name. __page 19 sofia: who’s that? i’ve never seen him here before. sofia: silence? not even a hint? i thought you know everything that happens in the consorzio. i always imagined you manage a sort of complete dossier of every human being entering these doors. sofia: i was wrong, then… elena: wait! sofia: tell me everything. __page 20 name: giorgio - surname: mazzi - age: 31 - height: 1,83 mt - weight: 87 kg distinguishing marks: he was born in castelli calepio. his mother’s family is one of the most ancients in bergamo. his father, though, abandoned his mother as soon as he discovered she was pregnant. she raised the kid alone and decided to manage the family winery all by herself. he spent his childhood among these hills. in the meantime, his mother got married again. when he was 10, his young mother died of breast cancer. his grandparents and stepfather were too sorrowful to take care of the kid after the tragedy and sent him to a high-profile boarding school in switzerland. __page 21 caption: long story short. he attended to top-standard international institu- tions. he earned excellent certifications and he was offered a job in finance. caption: he moved to london and started his job as a broker there. elena: last week his stepfather died. he was the one taking care of the wi- nery and was still a member of consorzio, even though he wasn’t producing any wine in these last years. elena: giorgio is the only heir. actually, he got more debts than properties. who 68 __page 10 caption: bartolomeo colleoni, the great warlord, is fighting the battle that will become the most important of his life. caption: serving under the serenissima republic of venice in the harsh con- flict with milano. __page 11 caption: colleoni shows his virtue on the battlefield. caption: really different behavior is that of his captain, francesco bussone (aka il carmagnola) who stands still in the rear far from the enemy’s attacks. caption: this behavior will show to the doge that il carmagnola is a traitor and deserves to be beheaded. __page 12 caption: when the battle is won, the warlord comes back to his territory to enjoy his earned rest. caption: he is now surrounded by his vineyards and is ready to toast to the future. caption: he is happy to be alive and to have replied to death itself: not today! __page 13 caption: today colleoni’s effigy stands out on our bottles and represents the symbol of valcalepio wine. director: a total surface of 70 piedmont kilometers going from adda river to oglio river. a long and narrow strip of land enclosed by the mountains. director: beyond the mountains, you see the plain. this is where valcalepio is produced and this is the territory that gives to our wines all their peculiarities. __page 14 director: in some cases, the hills reach slopes that seem prohibitive for vine growing. those same slopes infuse to our wines their distinctive traits of sapidity, structure, and personality. director: something unique about consorzio tutela valcalepio is that it gathers the complete wine production chain: vine-growers, winemakers and bottlers. director: but let’s talk about the wines produced in this marvelous strip of land. we usually start by showing our productive pyramid. at the base, you see the igt bergamasca. going up, you see our two docs: valcalepio and terre del colleoni. at the apex, you see the docg moscato di scanzo. director: ok, now it’s our oenologist’s turn to show you more in detail the specific organoleptic traits of our wines. sofia: thanks, director. __page 15 sofia: the leader of do valcalepio is valcalepio rosso doc. it’s a blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. due to the different ripening time, the grapes are processed separately and blended after vinification. the official regulation states the percentages of the two grapes: merlot 40-75% and ca- bernet sauvignon 25-60%. sofia: the wine undergoes a 12-months refinement period in the barrels. at least 6 of these 12 months should be spent in oak barrels. its color is ruby red with garnet red nuances. its perfume is intense with black cherry notes. its taste is dry, soft, harmonic and totally gratifying. sofia: it perfectly matches red and white meat courses, roasted meats, game, and cheese. sofia: producers may decide to refine this wine for 3 years. in this case, it takes the name of riserva. the difference is that the riserva has more structure and it’s richer in its sweet tannic content due to the long period spent in wooden barrels.

scri pt knows what’s the future of the winery. some say he wants to sell everything and go back to england as soon as possible. sofia: one day you’ll tell me how can you know everything about everyone. elena: it’s a professional trick. __page 22 maria: giorgio? is that you? maria: we were waiting for you last week, for the funeral. giorgio: sorry, too much work. i really didn’t make it. __page 23 maria: look how much you’ve changed. giorgio: here everything looks the same, instead. maria: my job here is to keep everything in order. i always did it and always will do it. i remember when you were just a little kid, playing around this courtyard. maria: now everything here is yours. giorgio: i’ve never wanted it, you know. maria: it doesn’t matter. this was your mother’s will. giorgio: i don’t belong to this place. i will ask the new owner to keep you and pino as caretakers. this is definitely your home, more than it has never been mine. __page 24 giorgio: what about pino? where is he? maria: guess where… pino: that isn’t exactly working-in-the-vineyards shoes… giorgio: i bet it since the price they cost me. pino: you’re just passing by, right? giorgio: just the time to sign all the papers at the notary’s office. pino: maybe that’s for the best. old good times are gone, and so is this place. __page 25 notary: well, that was the last one. tomorrow i’ll take care of the registra- tion of the contract. i feel that thenew owners are good people; they really want to take the winery back to its excellent tradition. notary: i heard you had a lively meeting with the president of consorzio tutela valcalepio. giorgio: lively, i would say. notary: don’t worry. i’ll talk with the president, i’ve known him for a long time. giorgio: there’s no need for your intervention. i’m not planning to be back in bergamo soon. giorgio: i might be a spoiled child, but i learned early how to get through by myself. __page 26 announcement: ladies and gentlemen, this is the pre-boarding announce- ment for british airways flight 2591 to london gatwick. regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes. giorgio: hi honey, i’m almost on board. __page 27 kate: here you are. i thought you were dead. i don’t know if you heard about it but here, in the civilized world, we’re in the middle of a mess. markets got crazy, and people are completely panicking. kate: matt told me he sent you at least 10 emails. did you get them? we need one of your brilliant exit strategies asap. and then, when this madness is over, we’ll celebrate in your favorite way… giorgio: i saw them. i’ll take care of everything as soon as i’ll land. i had to arrange lots of things here. this place is hell. kate: you sound odd. put your ass on that plane as quick as you can, and forget about italy. we need your help here. giorgio: the gate is opening in a few minutes. i’ll call you back soon. __page 28 mother: giorgio, help me. put this bunch in the crate. be careful. announcement: this is the final boarding call for flight 2591 to london gatwick. __page 29 giorgio: i’ll show you that you’re wrong. let’s do this wine. pino: let’s start with this: talk less and do more. __page 30 giorgio: buddy, when i say let’s do this wine i was thinking about so- mething different. pino: what were you thinking, exactly? giorgio: i don’t know. maybe a refined talk about the structure and theory of wine. an elegant dissertation about the wine body. a game to guess perfumes and scents. that kind of stuff. giorgio: moreover, i thought we pay someone to harvest. pino: we used to. but now the debts are too heavy to afford it. pino: remember: the wine is made in the vineyards. you have to dirt your hands. it’s going to do you well. and it’s going to do the wine well too. __page 31 giorgio: i feel a life lesson coming. pino: no lesson for today. i’m not teaching you anything. nature will be the teacher today. pino: look. vines are full of bunches. if you work hard enough, the vineyard will reward you with its fruits. pino: your granddad used these same barrels. wine means tradition. you have to respect it. i’m here to be the keeper of all these. pino: there’s just one method if you want to make good wine: make it as it has always been made. __page 32 pino: look at this press. they don’t produce instrument like this anymore. giorgio: it must be quite old: look at that rust! maybe it’s time for an update of the cellar equipment. pino: here we have the london broker again. i thought that part was over. pino: look at my hands. can you imagine how many harvests they did? giorgio: ok, ok. i completely trust you and your hands. giorgio: but we need to work on this need of yours to always recall the old times. __page 33 sometime later giorgio: i’m not sure about the color. pino: be patient. you just need to give it time. sofia: maybe it’s just that old barrel’s fault. giorgio: who are you? and who let you in? sofia: nice to meet you. i’m sofia gentile. i work for consorzio tutela valca- lepio. i’m an oenologist. __page 34 giorgio: do oenologists always enter private properties without an invite? sofia: mrs. maria let me in. giorgio: in any case, i don’t understand why you’re here. sofia: i’m here to offer my help. and it seems that you might need it. sofia: don’t you wanna know why your wine is turbid? giorgio: it’s just a matter of time. sofia: no, it isn’t. it’s a matter of barrels. that wine is dirty. you need to change the barrels. giorgio: listen, i never needed help in my life. if there’s a problem, i’ll solve it by myself as i always did. giorgio: now, please, leave my property. __page 35 reporter: welcome! today we are in the charming piazza vecchia, in the he- art of the old city of bergamo. here, the sixteenth international oenological competition “emozioni dal mondo merlot e cabernet insieme” is taking place. reporter: the competition receives merlot and cabernet wines from all over the world. reporter: it’s a celebration of merlot and cabernet blend. here you can taste and appreciate the different techniques of blending these wines worldwide. reporter: the competition helps our territory, wine culture, and tradition to reach an international public. reporter: we’re waiting for the medals to be announced. in the meantime, let’s go inside the wonderful sala delle capriate where the closing ceremony is taking place. 69

__page 36-37 director: it’s been 16 years since the first edition of emozioni dal mondo here in bergamo, the crib of italian merlot and cabernet. director: this is the international competition with the highest rate between the number of judges and the number of samples tasted. every year at emo- zioni dal mondo judges belonging to more than 30 nationalities taste wines produced in more than 28 countries around the world. director: i personally congratulate the winners of our gold medals. these wi- nes got an 80/100 or more rate awarded by a technical committee. it’s an in- ternational recognition that the producers shall proudly show on their bottles. __page 38 sofia: wait! sofia: the technical committee didn’t appreciate your wine because of its flaws. they’re too evident. if you wanna succeed in this work, you have to trust those who know more than you. giorgio: my family has been producing wines for generations. i wanna carry on this tradition. i’ve never believed i would have said this, but it’s important to honor my family’s past heritage. sofia: this doesn’t mean that you have to produce bad wine. you’re just lo- sing time and energy. sofia: wine does not imply tradition only, but technique too. some factors are fundamental. this is the last time i say it: if you wanna produce real wine, i’m here to help you. but you must be humble and accept the risk. giorgio: it’s not a matter of humility. it’s important to me, that i do it by myself. sofia: that be the case, you’ll inevitably fail. __page 43 sofia: i see some steel in this cellar, at last! steel is perfect for fermentation. sofia: put that barrel near the other, over there. sofia: on the other hand, we need wood for refinement. it gives the wine its peculiar perfumes and flavors. giorgio: ok, but i’m doing all the work. i don’t feel much difference with pino’s method. sofia: how does the proverb go, pino? you made your bed… __page 44 sofia: we must carefully monitor the number of pumping overs. wine must is composed of two parts: a liquid one, and a solid one, that we call hat, and lay on the surface. sofia: in the past, we used to punch down with a stick. nowadays, we use a pump to soak the solid part with the liquid one. sofia: with this technique, we extract the tannins and the color deriving from the antocians in the grape’s skin. __page 45 giorgio: did you get hurt? sofia: now i understand, why in romances it usually happens the other way round. giorgio: these antocians really suit you, though. __page 47 maria: here are the casoncelli! giorgio: maria, no one else in bergamo does the casoncelli as you do. __page 39 voice: you’ll fail… you’ll fail… you’ll fail… giorgio: stop it! ghost: nervous? giorgio: who are you? __page 40 ghost: that’s quite ironic. i’m just a product of your imagination. wait, you don’t believe ectoplasms are real? do you? giorgio: ok, let me guess it! you’re the guiding spirit of bartolomeo colleoni and you came here from the afterlife to persuade me. i think this has so- mething to do with my conversation with sofia. am i right? ghost: spot on! now let me do my job. remember how important is the help of others. alone you cannot achieve anything. if you wanna win any battle in your life, you’ll need a group that supports you. giorgio: what about my hurt pride? ghost: let’s put it this way. for your mental health, i truly hope i’m just a product of your conscience. your subconscious created me to free you from that responsibility. feel free to ask for help. giorgio: i like this viewpoint. __page 41 sofia: the first step is the winter pruning. you have to leave just a few buds on the vines. in springtime, there is the green pruning. at this point, you shall remove the surplus sprouts. sofia: when the vine is too heavy, fruits are less concentrated. we need a beautiful grape full of color and taste. sofia: if we reduce the number of bunches, we’re making the first selection directly in the vineyard. the vinification process starts here. giorgio: like this? sofia: be confident! don’t worry! __page 42 sofia: the second step is the cellar hygiene. wine is a food, and its production has to follow a precise hygiene policy. sofia: no more salami hanging in the cellar to age. sofia: even if i love them, your hen will have to scratch about somewhere else. sofia: webs and mold may damage wine. in this case, all the work you did in the vineyard would be lost. sofia: i suggest changing the floor too. we need an easy-to-clean and non-porous material. __page 48 pino: what? there’s no polenta today? maria: on such a hot day? pino: it’s never too hot a day for polenta taragna. maria: well, you could have cooked it yourself. kate: giorgio! __page 49 kate: do you still recognize me, don’t you? giorgio: kate, what a surprise! kate: a pleasant surprise, i hope. giorgio: of course. people, this is kate. i talked about her to you, right? usually, she doesn’t leave the circle line, so something terrible should have happened to have her here. kate: i’m here on a recovery mission. sofia: it’s very late. i must go. giorgio: please, stay. sofia: i can’t. i have to check the bottling line. it was a pleasure to meet you. kate: see you soon. kate: the flight was horrible. help me with my stuff. __page 50 giorgio: what? i can’t come back to london before the presentation. in two days, i’ll reap the benefits of two years of hard work. that’s way too impor- tant. moreover, i discovered a new part of myself here. this place is different from the memories i had. kate: i presume it. in the past, there wasn’t any charming oenologist. giorgio: what do you mean? kate: listen, i got it immediately. you have a crush on that girl. there’s no problem, honey. it may happen. you were having a really stressful period. you unplugged. and now you think, that you may spend all your life here. but it isn’t true. this place doesn’t really suit you. giorgio: why are you so convinced about it? i’m fine here. i feel different. kate: right! you are different. you aren’t yourself anymore. one day, you’ll wake up, and you’ll realize that you’re in the wrong place. i talked to the boss: your two years of time off work are almost finished. he said he will be glad to take you back into the team. but we need to fly back to london asap. and trust me, once you’ll be back in london, you’re gonna feel at home again. giorgio: you’re assuming that i agree with you. kate: i’m assuming that the giorgio i know, who may be hidden under that wild farmer’s beard, is not gonna throw away his brilliant career on a crush born on the chalky soil of a vineyard. 70

and sparkling wines. for the first time in history, in bergamo we also have a doc sparkling wine now. __page 58 sofia: today i wanna focus on two of these mono-varieties: the crossings. specifically, incrocio manzoni and incrocio terzi. crossing in vines is so- mething really peculiar. it’s a fusion of two beings that give birth to so- mething new and unique. sofia: in this case, the pollen of the first vine pollinates the flower of the second one. the result of this union is a new vine with a genetic asset that derives from those of the parents. it’s real teamwork. sofia: crossings are the results of experimentation, of failed attempts, and of hard work. the results are exceptional, though. the vine is more resistant and has extraordinary organoleptic characteristics. it’s a perfect reflection of what may happen in life when people work together for a common aim. sofia: incrocio manzoni 6.0.13 was created by professor luigi manzoni in 1930. it’s a wine that inherits the best of the french and the german school. in fact, it’s the “son” of a white pinot and a rhenish riesling. its taste is dry, elegant, and fruity. __page 59 sofia: the second crossing we’re introducing today is incrocio terzi n.1. it derives from the union of barbera and cabernet sauvignon. its inventor was the vine grower riccardo terzi in the first half of the xx century. sofia: the carefully selected grape is pressed and steeped for 10 days. its refinement process lasts 6 months in the barrels. sofia: its color is deep red. its perfume is spicy. we can define it as a structured wine. sofia: it’s a wine i really love because i personally followed the entire production process from the vineyard to the bottle. sofia: i’m really glad to have the chance to present it to you today. in this glass, i see the sharing of work and a dream. __page 60 sofia: you’re here to say goodbye? giorgio: my flight is leaving in two hours. there’s a taxi waiting for me outsi- de. but it’s not gonna be a definitive leave. sofia: you think so? your girlfriend showed quite a different opinion. giorgio: things change. people change. sofia: only if they’re brave enough to make their decisions. __page 61 kate: to orio al serio airport, please. kate: at the office, everyone is thrilled by your return. they’re also plan- ning a surprise party. so, please, remember to act surprised when you’ll open the door. __page 62 kate: oh dear! i’ll sue the taxi company if we’re gonna miss our flight. taxi driver: i’m doing my best, ms. __page 63 kate: we’re not there yet. listen, it’s a complete mess. now we stopped on the roadside. it’s surreal! taxi driver: sometimes things do happen or do not happen, for a precise reason. giorgio: are you talking about destiny? taxi driver: call it as you want. i prefer to see it this way. if i’m in doubt about anything, i’ll always find a good reason to do it or not to do it. giorgio: like a sign … taxi driver: no. you don’t look like a guy believing in signs. you look like a guy who just waits for the right time to complete his exit strategy. giorgio: i really envy your self-confidence. but do you think that i can leave everything i built here in a blink of an eye? is it something the giorgio you know would do? __page 51 kate: let’s do it this way. i’ll call the boss, and i’ll ask him for some days more. you’ll be able to take part in your precious wine’s presentation. you’ll great everyone, and you’ll put an end to this fantasy that lasted way too long. giorgio: ok, maybe you’re right. kate: fine, i’m glad i sorted it out. well, it’s my specialty. kate: you didn’t tell me anything about my new haircut. you like it? __page 52 sofia: hi. everything is going as planned. here is our incrocio terzi ready in the bottles. giorgio: fine. i need to talk to you. sofia: what? giorgio: i need to talk to you. shall we go out? __page 53 sofia: here we are. giorgio: well, you know. kate and i … sofia: i got it. don’t worry. you’ll fly back to london with her. it’s logic. that’s the right end to it. giorgio: and you’re ok with it? sofia: i’m not the one making decisions here. i’m not the one at the mercy of the events. moreover, there’s nothing between you and me. you don’t owe me any explanation. you don’t have to apologize, right? giorgio: ehm, right. nothing … sofia: fine. we agree. let me just know if you’re gonna manage the cellar from the uk, or you’ll designate anyone here in bergamo. let me suggest the se- cond option to you since this has been only a temporary hobby for you. you don’t need to worry and come to the presentation tomorrow. i assume you’ll be busy. giorgio: that’s not the case. all this has really been relevant to me. i would never miss the presentation. i really care about it. sofia: do as you want. __page 54 caption: today it’s a very important day for bergamo. caption: today the wine producers will join in a new commitment. caption: a commitment to producing more certificated and guaranteed products. caption: we want to underline the fact that this is not an award but a commitment. caption: a commitment of the producers toward the consumers. caption: to aim higher. caption: to raise the production standard. caption: a guarantee toward the foreign markets too. export represents an increasing market for valcalepio. caption: it’s another way to celebrate and promote our territory. __page 553 president: we’re here today to introduce the doc terre del colleoni. this is the second doc in bergamo. this is the most proper place to do this pre- sentation. we’re in the city house of colleoni, the symbol of our consorzio. ghost: so you didn’t get my message. giorgio: what are you doing here? ghost: actually, that’s my house. you’re the guests here. ghost: however, are you really letting her go? and for what reason? to go back to a dull and boring life in an office? giorgio: it’ more complicated than this. president: the bold and brave conqueror who perfectly reflects our want to protect and renovate the wine of bergamo. ghost: nature always tends to work most easily. __page 56-57 sofia: the official recognition of this doc represents the rebirth of some native vines traditionally grown in bergamo. sofia: the doc collects 14 mono-varieties. there are red, roseè, white, dry, 71

marco cantoni, nato il 13 gennaio 1994. diplomato al liceo scientifico angelo messedaglia di verona. studente presso la facoltà di ingegneria elettronica e delle telecomunicazioni all’università degli studi di trento. ha frequentato il master in tecniche della narrazione della scuola palomar di rovigo. ha pubblicato un racconto sulla rivista inchiostro. dal 2017 ha un canale youtube con più di 3000 iscritti in cui recensisce libri. è un lettore vorace e instancabile. questo è il suo esordio come sceneggiatore di fumetti. marco cantoni sceneggiatore stefano realdini illustratore bio gra fia stefano realdini, nato a bologna l’11 settembre 1970. fin da bambino trascorreva interi pomeriggi immerso nella lettura di fumetti e libri illustrati cercando di ridisegnare magici personaggi, eroi invincibili e impossibili avventure. è stato solo il primo passo: il liceo artistico e la scuola internazionale dei comics lo hanno proiettato nel mondo dell’editoria e della pubblicità. ha illustrato copertine, guide per bambini, campagne pubblicitarie, storyboard per spot televisivi e realizzato storie a fumetti per l’italia e per l’estero. ha lavorato con i francesi edition petit à petit per la saga storica di rouen; per mad maxx editore ha scritto e illustrato un racconto di 100 pagine del suo lorenzo lanotte; per marco editore la serie postatomica lenin; per la tornado press un racconto fantascientifico e per il comune di prato un episodio di desdy metus l’insonne; per mercedes italia un webcomic a fumetti per facebook; per la cina un albo del super eroe captain gaia e per adnav edizioni un libro illustrato della favola di pinocchio. grazie ad advision ha avuto il piacere di illustrare il volume che avete fra le mani. il bambino che è in lui, ancora oggi continua a sognare.