With a career that has spanned so many different fields it was tempting to ask Sting and Trudie a bundle more questions that accurately reflects the different fields they influence. I decided then to split them into three areas: their Tuscan estate Il Palagio and the wines they make there; how these wines are influenced by Sting as an artist; and why they have got into bed with wine company ZONIN1821 ?
How Il Palagio works as a wine estate
Il Palagio has been making its own wine since the 1500s and was saved from decay in the 1990s by Sting and his wife Trudie Styler © Jaime Travezan
Peter Dean: When you bought the estate what was your vision for the wines?
Sting & Trudie Styler: We bought Il Palagio in 1997, and after trying the wine that was produced there we were both encouraged but also felt that with some investment we could do better. We had a dream that it would be amazing to make wine here … being in Tuscany was very exciting for us.
We didn't really know if it would be good enough to sell, but once we'd replanted all the vines (Alan York was our first viticulturist and winemaker who led the way with that), and when we tasted our first vintage of Sister Moon in 2008, we really felt like there was a lot of potential here.
And have you got there yet?
We're really proud of the (10 different) wines we're making at the moment. The Chiantis and IGT Toscana wines coming out of Il Palagio are wines that can really hold their own in the marketplace and regularly get great scores in the wine press.
Who actually makes the wine and how hands-on are you two?
Our winemaker is Riccardo Cotarella (appointed in 2020) and he has continued the work respecting the area where we’re situated, making improvements with constant hard work in the vineyards, along with our team at Il Palagio, Catalin Ghenici and Ettore del Lupo who manage the vineyard workers and the cantina.
Riccardo will present to us for tasting any new wine ideas and the new vintages and Trudie creatively directs the label designs and works with a graphic designer on the concepts and development.
We aim to be at Il Palagio during some key moments – for some of the harvest and for bottling days. During our month-long stay in the summer we take the opportunity to go to the vineyard, help out with the pruning (under strict supervision!), and we might agree to an editorial opportunity about the estate while we are both there. The actual winemaking, of course, we leave to the experts.
Vines on the 350-acre Il Palagio estate - all biodynamically farmed © Jaime Travezan
Presumably the wines are IGT because of the international grape varieties?
Yes we make IGT wines as we have a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Why did you choose international varieties rather than indigenous grapes?
Actually Il Palagio is composed of 75% Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino; only the remaining 25% are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Are there any plans to make DOC or DOCG wines?
We are situated in Chianti Colli Fiorentini, and we’ve made our Chianti When We Dance DOCG from the very beginning. We are also situated in Valdarno DOC and soon we will have a new entry Valdarno DOC.
How does the entire estate run operationally?
Our estate manager is Giovanni Sani, and he manages the wine team with the direction and advice of Riccardo Cotarella.
Il Palagio is also a hospitality venue, for holiday stays and for parties and weddings – that is a separate activity to the wine business but plays a big part in the life of Il Palagio. We also make olive oil and honeys to sell in our farm shop, and we now have our own pizzeria next to the farm shop. So there are different strands of the life of the estate with different people in charge of the various activities.
And, of course, for at least one month in the summer Il Palagio reverts to being a home for our whole family, children, growing number of grandchildren, and some of our closest friends.
What kind of reception did you get from the locals when you first moved there?
The local people are very welcoming to us. We feel very much a part of the community. They seem to enjoy coming to the pizzeria when we're open during the summer months – it's not just tourists who come to eat and drink there. And every year we have a party there and Sting will play a few songs and we invite as many people as we can safely have space for.
"Like a good song, a good glass of wine tells a story – it has a beginning, a middle and an end, and must always include a surprise."
How long do you actually spend there?
When touring in Europe, Sting will take any opportunity between dates to go to Il Palagio, if he has a few days off to make it worthwhile. And we spend every August there, sometimes a bit more, the whole family comes for a few weeks and we get some great family time all together. Really any chance we get we head to Tuscany – who woudn't? The climate, the food, the people – and Il Palagio is one of the most relaxing places we can go.
Is this the same amount of time you’ve always spent there?
When the children were much younger we used to spend more than two months in the summer, but as people grow and have work and commitments it's not so much all in one chunk any more. And Sting has rehearsed and recorded at Il Palagio at times. But we've been renting out the property for events and holidays for almost ten years now so that has limited the time we've spent more recently.
Why rent the estate out? Do you really need to?
The expenses involved in running an estate like Il Palagio are very great. It makes sense that it should contribute to its own upkeep, and it also makes sense that we should keep the estate alive and vibrant with activity and life. We love the idea that it has become such a special place for so many people. And we value being able to give employment to the local people, and have Il Palagio a real and living part of the community.
OK, so you go see the doctor – he asks you how many units you drink a week? What’s your reply?
That really depends on whether there's a tour going on or not. If we're on holiday it's better not to count!
Bono pops round for a bowl of pasta – do you serve him Sacred Love or a 50-year-old Conterno? (I’m guessing both!)
Sacred Love!
Sting the winemaker and musician
How do you see the relationship between music and wine?
Like a good song, a good glass of wine tells a story – it has a beginning, a middle and an end, and must always include a surprise.
Your music has clearly influenced the wine – naming and marketing – how about the other way round, how have these wines influenced you as a musician?
Our wine cellar is under the Music Studio so it makes a full circle. Perhaps the music helps the wine to evolve and the scent of wine from the cellar helps with creativity in studio.
Talk us through the process of how you pick a name for a wine from the many songs you’ve penned?
When we first made Sister Moon, the name seemed very appropriate because originally the grapes were grown using biodynamic methods, which as you know integrates the cycles and rhythms of nature, especially the moon's influences on plant growth. Message in a Bottle just seemed like too good a connection to ignore. Other than that, I think the most appropriate names have been the ones that conjure romance in some way – Sacred Love, When We Dance, and Roxanne. They're all about being in love in some way.
Then there are the wines that almost name themselves – when Trudie first tasted Baci sulla Bocca the first time she said it drinking it was like a kiss on the mouth. And immediately thought of Elliott Erwitt's great photo that we use on the label. All it took was to translate it into Italian. It was all the more poignant as we were all still wearing masks against Covid in public at the time – people definitely weren't kissing each other.
Will it ever work the other way round – ie would you write a song about one of your wines?
You never know!
But why use your songs to name your wines in the first place? Does this not run the risk of the wines not being taken seriously?
They're not all names after songs, and no doubt won't always be in the future. Our first rosato was called Beppe! in recognition of the retirement of one of Il Palagio's workers who had been farming the land there for 60 years. And we had a wine named after one of the properties there, Casino Delle Vie. But it's fun, isn't it? No one should take themselves too seriously.
The fine art of selling wine
Sister Moon 2021 - well received by the critics
So you’ve just signed a new sales and distribution deal with ZONIN1821… What are your goals with the company?
This year we want to have a renewed focus on the UK market. The premium on-trade will be a priority for our wines and with ZONIN1821 as our new agent we're very excited that Il Palagio's wines will be able to reach a wider market in Britain where we have a home.
Which markets are you targeting, and in what order?
Italy is a very important market and our first market for sales today. We distribute wines to around 40 countries and they’re all important whether big or small. ZONIN1821 is an essential partner for Il Palagio for the premium on-trade market and others - it will be wonderful to build our business in the UK. We’re very happy for a partnership with a winemaker as reputable as ZONIN1821.
Have the wines been available in the UK before? And what was it about ZONIN1821 that was a good fit for the brand?
Il Palagio wines have been in the UK market previously with small importers, but we wanted to improve on-premise visibility. We are close neighbours to the Castello di Albola winery owned by the Zonin family, which is very special to us.
What is their brief and what does success look like?
Our real goal is to be part of a community, to contribute and to work together – team work is the greatest success. We’re very proud to be part of the Zonin family in such an important market to us.
So you’re a sommelier in a high end London restaurant and you’re getting a customer interested in Sacred Love… how do you sell it to them?
Just by getting them to taste it! It's completely delicious. Sacred Love IGT Rosso Toscana is single vineyard Merlot (less than one hectare) which today is 22 years old. The average grape production, when fully operational, is about 1kg per vine (50 quintals per hectare).
So how were the wines tasting?
Il Palagio, Message In a Bottle Vermentino, Toscana IGT 2022
Fresh, dry, thirst-quenching Vermentino that punches well above its weight. The nose has Italian herbs in the sun, pear and quince notes. The palate is medium, fruity, moreish but seriously made – a lovely salty tang on the finish. I read somewhere that it would pair well with spaghetti with mint-yoghurt pesto and that’s it in one. Fermented in steel and aged on fine lees. 13.5% abv
Il Palagio, New Day Rosato, Toscana IGT 2022
Well made ‘serious’ dry rosato with just enough attitude. The grapes are 90% Sangiovese with 5% each of Colorino and Canaiolo. To look at the wine is very pale salmon pink; an attractive perfume of mixed fruit (wild strawberries, white peach) and flower petals. In the mouth the wine is light to medium weight, fresh, a touch of fine-grained ripe tannin, the fruit has a tart edge – blood orange perhaps – and the wine has high acidity which keeps it all fresh and balanced. 12% abv
Il Palagio, Message In a Bottle Sangiovese, Toscana IGT 2022
Entry level Sangiovese- a vin de soif with real presence which demands a shady tree and a Tuscan picnic. Plum and strawberry dominate the nose with touches of leather, clay and a wisp of smoke. The mouthfeel is warm and rounded, tart cherry makes its presence felt, blackberry, the ripe, grainy tannins and acidity hold the ripe fruit in check and the wine ends on a lean, dry finish. Like the white it is all steel fermented and vinified. 14% abv
Il Palagio, Sister Moon Rosso Toscana IGT 2020
A Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, fermented and vinified in large oak barrels. Dark purple red with garnet edging. The nose is intense and inviting, aromas of black fruits of the forest, blue plums, a minty lemon balm lift (almost eucalyptus) and chocolate. The mouthfeel is open, warm and rounded with a broody power and structure just beneath the surface of the concentrated fruit. Well balanced and a great match with beef and game.
A lot to like about this wine and its presentation – really attractive label – just a shame about the heavy bottle which feels out of step with the good intentions of every other stage of the production. 14.5% abv
Il Palagio, Sacred Love Rosso Toscana IGT 2020
Deep, deep opaque dark red, almost black. The nose is extraordinary, heady and intoxicating – massively intense. The mouthfeel is similarly concentrated with huge power – youthful, ripe, micro-fine tannins, firm acidity. The nose and palate give you ripe, luscious, juicy black cherries, liquorice, violets and dark chocolate, graphite and clove notes on the nose. Massively intense but well-made and of a very high standard. Is fermented and aged in tonneaux for 14 months and then aged in bottle for 8 months Like Sister Moon, this wine falls into the same trap that having a heavy bottle signifies iconic quality, but the quality of the wine proves that Valdarno di Sopra (also has Sette Ponti and Petrolo) is a terrific region for Merlot. You can drink it now but best kept for 5-10 years.
The wines of Il Palagio are sold and distributed in the UK through ZONIN1821, for more information click here.
