Leaving the desk behind
I’m fortunate to spend time with our winemakers in lots of different ways throughout the year. On our annual Tasting Tour, at the Naked winery in Sonoma, in winemaker meetings or when they pop into Naked HQ.
And every now and then, when calendars allow, I like to step away from my computer and jump on the road with our Wine Guy Toby – to spend time with them on home territory.
Toby always says these visits bring us closer to our winemakers than an email ever could. You see what their day-to-day actually looks like. Standing next to a highly pressurised tank of Prosecco. Or stepping into a pitch-black grape-drying room in Amarone. It helps you understand their challenges properly – not as bullet points, but in the flesh.
Most importantly, you spend time with people. With winemakers, their families, and the teams who make everything work. You see what support from Naked – and from our Angel members – really means on the ground.
So when Toby messaged me last Autumn saying, “I’m heading to Italy at the end of November. Seeing Paolo, Marica, Stefano et al. Want to join?”
I cleared my diary straight away. And a few weeks later, we were on our way.
The trip nearly ended before it began
While Toby was already at the airport, calmly waiting for our 10am flight along with our social media champion Dominique, I was staring at stationary traffic on the M25 and mentally drafting an apology email to our Italian winemakers. Miraculously, I made it with twenty minutes to spare.
We landed in Venice, piled into a little red Fiat and pointed ourselves towards Prosecco country. Our first stop: Paolo Sacchetto.
Paolo’s winery sits in a beautiful stretch of countryside. From the outside it’s striking; Toby described it as a James Bond secret lair and once he said it, I couldn’t unsee it. Once you step inside, it’s something else entirely.
Paolo Sacchetto’s winery: where bubbles are born under serious pressure
I’m no wine expert, but even I could tell this was serious kit. Toby was visibly blown away, as he explained “Sparkling wine means pressure – lots of it – so everything here is built around handling that safely and precisely. Pressurised tanks, specialist filtering, careful bottling. It’s joyful in the glass, but it’s no joke making it.”
We tasted Prosecco straight from the tanks. Glasses full of foam. Toby was in his element. Dominique was capturing everything for social. I was already thinking: this is exactly why I came.
Toby's titbits: One of the highlights here was tasting Paolo’s Moscato Frizzante. It’s an absolute cult wine that we used to stock and a favourite on tour with both staff and Angels. Super drinkable, super fruity, and dangerously moreish. It made me wonder if we should bring it back… watch this space.
That evening, we sat down to eat together. Conversation drifted from wine, to pasta, to tennis – and then dessert, which became a surprisingly serious debate. What’s the best of the best of Italian puds?
I’m in camp panna cotta. But Toby and Dominique are firmly tiramisu. And Paolo? He’s Panettone all the way. “I could eat a kilo in one sitting,” he said. We weren’t about to challenge him.
New day, new discoveries
The next morning, Paolo turned up with a box of panettone for us all to take home. Not just any panettone – he’d thoughtfully chosen a different flavour for each of us, based on what we’d eaten the night before. Pistachio for me. Tiramisu-style for Toby and Dominique.
It was a small gesture. But such a genuine and meaningful one.
Before we left the area, Paolo insisted we stop by Sacchetto HQ. Less picturesque than the vineyards, but deeply impressive. You could see the history in the walls, the growth across generations, and the pride that comes with continuing something that’s been part of a family for decades.
From there, we drove east, towards Soave and Amarone country, snow-capped Little Dolomites gradually appearing in the distance. When we arrived at Antonio Fattori’s place, our timing was perfect. His brand-new tasting room had been finished that very morning – so we got the first look.
Antonio’s niece, Chiara, drove us up into the vineyards. It was not a journey for the motion-sick – narrow roads, sharp turns – but worth every second when you get to the top and you can see for miles and miles around.
Inside the winery, the fermentation for this year’s Amarone had just finished. The smell was intense, of rich fruit and yeast. Then came the drying room: racks and racks of grapes laid out in darkness, fans humming constantly. Antonio explained they keep the rooms in complete darkness to stop fruit flies demolishing all the grapes (they are photosensitive and go into hibernation mode in the dark).
The Amarone drying room: where grapes shrivel up and become something very special
Toby’s titbits: This was an absolute highlight for me, seeing the drying rooms in action. Fun fact: it takes around 6kg of grapes to make one bottle of Amarone. A normal red uses about 1kg. The standout wine was a 2017 Amarone Riserva (longest finish ever). We also spent time fine-tuning blends for Angels – exactly the kind of collaboration Naked exists for, and got to taste the first drop of the 2025 Ripasso. The very first people to try it. Pinch me.
Next stop: Lake Garda
We arrived at Marica Bonomo's place as darkness was setting in, so we missed the spectacular view of Lake Garda that I’ve heard many things about – but Marica wasted no time making up for it by showing us what she’s building at her winery. Down many levels of stairs, into what is currently a concrete shell, but clearly destined to be something special.
What stood out immediately was the scale of the investment and the pride behind it. Marica is creating something that blends old and new Italy beautifully: a cellar, a shop, a place where Angels can come and visit. Her whole family lives and works on the same land. You feel that sense of place straight away.
A fun detail I loved: during the Manchester stop on our 2025 Tasting Tour, Marica visited an art exhibition in Salford for inspiration and sent ideas straight to her architect. So a little piece of the Naked Wines Tasting Tour will live on forever in Lake Garda.
After the tour came a modest fourteen-wine tasting. Where I discovered my new favourite grape: Garganega.
I don’t think I’d knowingly tried it before. Smooth and powerful at the same time. Full of flavour, but incredibly easy to drink. I might not have Toby’s vocabulary, but I know what I like – and this really stopped me in my tracks.
Toby’s titbits: Watching Maza taste Garganega for the first time was a top 3 highlight – his eyes positively glowing from excitement. Marica’s wines are fantastic across the board and visiting her is a real privilege. She loves showing people her corner of Lake Garda and I always highly recommend Angels to book a visit via our Cellar Door.
That evening, fellow winemaker Mirko Sella joined us and we headed out for dinner. Marica gave us a choice: something fancy, or a local trattoria. Easy decision. When in Rome (or near enough) do as the Romans do.
Everything was cooked over open fire. Incredible smells. Sharing plates of bruschetta, grilled vegetables, Lardo di Colonnata, Valpolicella in the glass. And then an onion soup that completely rewrote my understanding of onion soup. I always thought it was a French dish. Now I think the Italians might have invented it first…
Harvest’s end with Mirko Sella
The next day we drove into Valpolicella to see Mirko. He lives in a small town on a hill outside Verona, and when we arrived, the last batch of Amarone grapes was coming in. A big end of harvest party was in the works.
Mirko walked us up behind his place to a viewpoint. The kind of view that stretches forever. Vineyards rolling out below, snow-capped mountains in the distance. The sort of view you wish you could trade the spreadsheets for.
Maza, Toby and Mirko Sella in the Valpolicella vineyards: mountains in the distance, one of those views that stops you in your tracks
Mirko’s winery story began with his grandfather, then his father, and now him. Continuing the family business – and investing in its future – is clearly a huge source of pride. And Naked’s support helps make that possible.
Before the full tour, Stefano di Blasi arrived for lunch. Another great meal. Another stunning view. I remember thinking very clearly: this is the view I want to see at the end of my life. Heaven.
We talked through Stefano’s range and some exciting ideas for the year ahead.
Toby’s titbits: After years of someone (cough Dominique cough) begging me to find a Sardinian wine, we might finally have an in. Stefano knows a vineyard planted in sandy soils, right by a beach. I’ll be tasting it for the Fine Wine Club soon – no promises, but fingers crossed.
After lunch, Stefano and Federico headed back to Tuscany and we toured Mirko’s winery. As opposed to Marica’s show-stopping winery, Mirko’s is more understated and discreet – hidden behind the property so the landscape stays untouched. From the outside, you’d never guess what’s there. Dominique said it was like a TARDIS.
We tasted through Mirko's Amarone, Soave, Recioto and more. Toby was, once again, in his element.
Toby’s titbits: Mirko’s wines have featured on Naked UK shelves before, but he currently sells exclusively to US Angels. After this visit, I’m keen to change that. The quality here was astonishing. Highlights included a Recioto San Cassanio made only in the best years, plus some stunning Amarone and local specialities.
Heading home
As we waved off Mirko and headed to the airport, we got to sharing our personal highlights from the trip. Toby adamantly declared he couldn’t pick one single highlight “What stands out is the quality in everything – the people, the food, the wine, the views.” Although I do think those Amarone drying rooms left a mark on him.
For Dominique, she was over-the-moon to taste Paolo’s Moscato Frizzante for the first time in years. And somewhere over the planet Jupiter to hear Toby was interested in bringing it back.
For me? It was simple. Being CEO often means wearing a very serious hat. It was good to take it off for a few days and just experience wine – and life – with the people who make Naked special.
I came home with panettone in my bag, a new favourite grape on my mind (I’ll be hunting down Garganega wherever I can), and an even deeper appreciation for the connections between winemakers, Angels and everyone at Naked Wines. That connection is real – and it’s powerful.
You don’t need to experience it in person to believe in it. But it makes it all that much more real. That’s why I’ll keep making time for it.
Salud (or should I say Salute!)
Maza
