Farinetti tells the story of Italian wine producers in a book

Stories of courage, Farinetti journeying through wineries, glasses, and tales of Italian wine producers

I bought the book "Storie di coraggio – 12 incontri con i grandi italiani del vino" without even opening it and with a bit of skepticism that, I confess, I hoped the reading would prove wrong; I was expecting the usual "radical chic soup" despite my admiration for Oscar Farinetti.

Let's start with him: Oscar Farinetti. A highly successful Italian entrepreneur, former owner of the Unieuro chain and founder of Eataly.
Oscar is the son of a partisan – he will repeat this endlessly throughout the book – commander Paolo, the very founder of Unieuro.

After selling the latter, he decided to focus on a sector where Italy has always excelled but where no major entrepreneur had ever invested the way he did: food.
Eataly is a global phenomenon that does good for the image of our country and its regional realities both within the boot-shaped peninsula and beyond – quality, assortment, and marketing.
Oscar, however, didn't stop there, also putting his stake on wine, not just by selling it in his chain, but also by acquiring some wineries and renovating them.
The names? Serafini & Vidotto, San Romano a Dogliani, Fontanafredda, Borgogno, Le vigne di Zamò, Agricola Brandini, and others.
Important initiatives for Oscar, son of a partisan and promoter of Vino Libero – free from additives, costly and polluting packaging, and other unnecessary frills.

Oscar immediately gets ahead of himself by "writing that he is not a writer," saying he is a simple type who limits himself to "writing the way he talks" and "being a storyteller"; in reality he comes across to us as a great communicator. He skillfully positions himself at the level of the average Italian – a wine lover but not an expert – speaks simply, jokes and pokes fun at himself and others, and at times certain things seem to be said by a random simpleton; yet every now and then his ego overflows and he confesses the "strategy" behind his conversations, letting it show that he is the skilled guide of the discussion.

By his side are his secretary, Simona Milvo, and an expert in wine and Italian gastronomy, Shigeru Hayashi, also president of Eataly Japan.
Shigeru's role is precise and serious, complementary to Oscar's – an entertainer and "human" enough to knock back wine like the most ordinary of our dinner companions!
At each meeting, the Japanese guest tastes 5 wines (one offered by the producer, the other 4 brought by the guests) and recommends pairings with the appropriate dishes.

This book talks about the courage of certain entrepreneurs in deciding to bet everything on wine and how they managed to build what their estates and wines are today: Costantino Charrere, Angelo Gaja, Beppe Rinaldi, Walter Massa, Marilisa Allegrini, Josko Gravner, Piero Antinori, Niccolò Incisa della Rocchetta, Ampelio Bucci, Teresa e Chiara di cantine Lungarotti, José Rallo, Francesca ed Alessio Planeta.

I found the text "motivational" – it definitely makes you want to give it a try, because after all "there is no courage without optimism!"
Wine addresses important themes such as terroir, the foreign market ("Italians in the world are only 0.83%"), the importance of marketing, the lack of planning and cohesion in the Italian context, family, the balance between quality and quantity, and between ethics and money.

The importance of numbers is one of Oscar's cornerstones!
Overall the book is fluid, sparks curiosity and fuels passion for the sector (food in general), for the territory and for the promotion of quality products made with respect for nature. What I didn't particularly enjoy is the constant and pointless "Who did you vote for?" which often translates into praise for the PD and a few too many references to Renzi – "I'm distracted because I'm texting Matteo Renzi."
I nonetheless consider it a book worth reading for those armed with curiosity and a desire to understand the story of some established realities and perhaps glean some of Farinetti's intelligent thinking. The book contains wonderful quotes – here are a few we'd like to share with you....

"If I have to explain to you how to build a ship, I don't tell you how to take the timber and bend it – I tell you how beautiful and thrilling it is to sail." cit. Il piccolo principe
"The future is growing abroad. Every morning when you wake up, remember this number: 0.83. Italians in the world are only 0.83%! There is a 99.17% out there waiting for us, wanting to eat and drink Italian." cit. Oscar Farinetti
"Those who have had success and good fortune in life must dedicate a part of it to making themselves forgiven for it." cit. Enzo Biagi
"Doing, knowing how to do, knowing how to get things done, making it known." cit. Clotilde Rei Gaja
"An elephant and a gnat cannot make love." cit. Angelo Gaja
"When trying to take a woman to bed, who ever thinks of Moscato or Barolo! Only Champagne! Like in the song by Peppino di Capri." cit. Beppe Rinaldi
"At the root of quality lies scarcity." cit. Beppe Rinaldi
"(debts) They are an essential raw material, along with the grapes. They too have a scent – they smell of the sweat it takes to pay them back." cit. Walter Massa
"Hens are fantastic communicators, because they cluck. They are the ones who invented marketing. They lay an egg and then they announce it." cit. Oscar Farinetti
"Land is the only asset that cannot be increased." cit. Marilisa Allegrini
"By combining tradition and innovation you can find the winning formula." cit. Marilisa Allegrini
"Crisis generates new creativity in courageous, proactive people who, instead of complaining, roll up their sleeves." cit. Marilisa Allegrini
"Nature gives us everything – every now and then it has the right to take back." cit. Josko Gravner
"There is a great future in our past." cit. Ugo Tognazzi
"The Creator, that great crafty one, placed pleasure – indeed, orgasm – in two acts that guarantee the continuation of the species: food and love!" cit. Oscar Farinetti
"We must think local and act global." cit. Ampelio Bucci
"We try to redeem our land." cit. Alessio Planeta
"In beautiful places, good wine is made." cit. Francesca Planeta
"The creation of harmony is the key to the success of companies. Successful companies create jobs." cit. Oscar Farinetti