A Bit Scared of the Mountains
Beatrice Zocche
Beatrice Zocche is a sommelier from northern Italy. She has an abiding love of the Dolomite mountains.
The “Sense of Place” magazine series celebrates the wine regions filmed for Modo di Bere TV.
Portrait by Tamara Beckwith
My father always told me to be a bit scared of the mountains so I would never get in trouble.
“Is not a game Beatrice! Make sure you can always come back in the same way you started.”
Apart from this, I also know that this region is not only mountains but also definition of a strong culture where people grow up in sometimes unpleasant weather, in a not-easy landscape for transportation.
Thanks also to my adventurous parent, my father, I was been able as a child to hike and appreciate all the things that the Dolomites can give to us.
courtesy Beatrice Zocche
“They are determined people who look ahead or rather beyond the peaks. ”
I said clearly can give because Dolomites are not a gym, Dolomites are not a playground. Dolomites are a natural monument to keep intact, appreciated and respected in all its majesty.
I always look at Trentino-Alto Adige with respect and enthusiasm.
Growing up being three hours away by car, you can’t find the same big trees in Veneto like in Trentino Alto-Adige: the smell of resin and fresh air that stings your nose when you roll down the car window, the sun that tingles your skin because you are so much higher above the sea.
And what about the food! Trentino-Alto Adige is an incredible cradle of strong flavors, starting from the land with all its vegetables that are literally strong and bitter to survive the cold. The recipes are most of the time characterized by abundant cheese, due to the cow farming, and plenty of butter: not in an excessive way, but in a balanced way, to provide energy.
“My father always told me to be a bit scared of the mountains so I would never get in trouble.” Photo courtesy of the author
The people who live in these places are seen by the rest of my country as strong and resilient. People of not too many words, for sure, but hard workers without too many frills in their head. People of Trentino-Alto Adige have a strong love and attachment for their heritage.
The history of Trentino and South Tyrol (Südtirol) has always been synonymous of encounter or rather conflict due to the two World wars, with the dialects being strongly influenced by this history. Part of the region was once Austria, and many people speak German instead of, or in addition to, Italian, in addition to other ancient local languages.
Elisabetta Foradori with a cow. Photo courtesy of the author
I remember well a friend at school whose father was studying a Tyrolean song, which to me sounded funny. I wondered, “Why study a language that is hardly used anymore?” but that’s precisely the point: it’s done to not forget, to keep alive a centuries-old culture so fascinating and unique.
Over the years, my profession has led me to visit the Dolomites for another reason: wine. On these occasions I have visited winemakers like Elisabetta Foradori and Uva Mani e Cuore and others.
Their strength and genuine spirit unite them. They are determined people who look ahead or rather beyond the peaks. The wines are elegant hearty and balsamic. When you drink them, you can really feel like you are hiking over there!
And one last small thought about this beautiful region is the solitary life that many people have chosen to live there, in small villages literally in the rocks. This always fascinated me!
It would be a dream, at least for a while, to escape the excesses the routine of modern life and simply stand in silence, admiring those wonderful monuments that the Nature has given us.
Beatrice hiking with her father
“The wines are elegant hearty and balsamic. When you drink them, you can really feel like you are hiking over there!”
Born in Vicenza, small town in northeast part of Italy, I always dreamed to be among cool people in different places. Soon, as a teenager, I started to travel by myself, curious to see how the world is outside my town, always pushing myself to adapt to other cultures.
My first studies were Economics in Verona, but soon I realized was not my right path. Working in restaurants since I was eighteen gave me the chance to get close to the wine world, from the winemaking and the service part; that’s why I decided to do a master’s in agriculture in Padua. I spent the second year of that master in Australia, Sydney and from there I would say my life changed drastically. I opened my heart and eyes to bigger options.
portrait by Tamara Beckwith
After getting my sommelier certificated and finishing my studies, I got the opportunity to move to New York city in 2021.
I am now working and spending my time learning about wines still at Cellar 36 ,a beautiful wine bar in Chinatown, where you can find me pouring crazy wines and having fun.
What is right for you will find you !
—Beatrice Zocche
