Ep. 1087 Gary Green | Voices

Welcome to Episode 1087 Cynthia Chaplin interviews Gary Green, in this installment of Voices, on the Italian Wine Podcast. More about today’s guest: Mt Yengo is a unique venture. Started by Gary Green and Ben Hansberry, Mt Yengo was created to bring the culture and values of the First Nations People of Australia and fuse them with the more recent culture surrounding wine: to create not only a wine brand, but a true community entered around wine. A community that values bridging the cultural divide, instilling cultural understanding, and embracing reconciliation and diversity. Gary Green is a Gamilaraay and Githabul man from New South Wales, whose father was a prominent businessman and leader in the Aboriginal community. Gary has inherited his father’s business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and social justice orientation, and has employed these traits in the food and beverage space. He founded a premium Australian Wagyu wholesaler called Mr Wagyu Beef, as well as Gondwana Wines in 2016, which was rebranded as Mt Yengo Wines in 2019. Mt Yengo has always featured Aboriginal art on its labels. In 2021, the winery announced that Wayne Quilliam, who had been the featured artist on the labels, would join the team in a permanent role as a director. This is an extension of Mt Yengo’s mission to include their artists in the commercial success of the winery, as they have been giving a portion of the proceeds of each bottle sold to the artists for years. Mt Yengo also gives a portion of the proceeds of each bottle sold to the National Indigenous Culinary Institute, which is a program of national significance to create highly skilled Indigenous chefs. To learn more visit: https://mtyengowines.com.au/ About today’s Host: Cynthia Chaplin is a VIA certified Italian Wine Ambassador, a professional sommelier with FIS and the WSA, a member of Le Donne del Vino, and a Professor of Italian wine and culture. Born in the USA, she’s lived in Europe since 1990. Italian wine, in particular rosé, is her passion. She works with embassies, corporations and private clients, creating and presenting tastings, events, seminars and in-depth courses. Cynthia is a wine writer, a judge at international wine and sake competitions, she consults with restaurants and enotecas developing comprehensive wine lists and food pairings, and she advises clients who want to curate an Italian wine collection. She currently works for Vinitaly International in Verona as a Project Manager, Educator, and the host of VOICES Series on The Italian Wine Podcast, focusing on diversity and inclusion in the global wine industry. To learn more visit: Facebook: Italian Wines in English Instagram: kiss_my_glassx Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-chaplin-190647179/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodcast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin!