INTERVIEW AT BARRO NEGRO ATHENS
Starting strong with our very first interview, we had the chance to talk with one of the most influential personalities in the Tequila industry right now.
Stefano Francavilla started as an ambassador of Tequila Fortaleza and now he’s the golden hand of the brand as we like to call him. We asked a few questions, and the answers were more than fascinating.
Fortaleza has been on top of the list of tequilas for many years, worldwide as one the favorites and certainly with a lot of history following. It launched in 2005, but before that, the name of the distillery was La Perseverancia, which was founded in 1873 in Jalisco. The son of Doña Sylvia, Guillermo got Destilleria La Fortaleza up and running again, the same way it was 100 years ago.
Few things (or facts) about you …
Born and raised in Milan and quickly fell in love with our industry in the early 2000s.
My passion for everything agave and especially tequila exploded around 2007 which is when I moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco and there is what I call home also today.
I love dogs and of course good times!
Name a significant moment that had a great impact on you.
Talking about my career specifically, working with Julio Bermejo in his bar Tres Agaves in San Francisco really affected the way I understood and respected tequila. Since then (2006) I knew immediately I wanted to get involved as much as I could.
What made you decide to be a part of the agave industry?
The very first people I was introduced to and met along the way happened to be very special people. Because of them, I felt like this was more of a big family rather than a simple work environment.
Of course, I had some cold showers through the years but not enough to make me change my mind.
The biggest challenges you’ve faced within the agave industry…
To be honest I think that now, at least as Tequila Fortaleza, we can start to finally see the results of all the years we have been spending preaching and teaching people about good tequila and especially in Europe. Let me tell you, 10 years ago people out here weren’t really open to listening, learning, and experiment like they are today!
What does the future of tequila look like?
Unfortunately, like many examples we have from the past about different brands and categories, volumes dictate changes in production, and as a common consequence quality is the one that goes down. As long as consumers and bartenders buy and use what they are told to buy and use, mainly by the big companies, things won’t get better. At the end of the day it comes down to how much someone really wants to learn about something and that, only that, can make a difference.
What is your advice to someone that wants to deep dive into the agave industry? How to become a true agave aficionado?
To make sure to understand and learn not about a specific brand but about the category, the issues it has faced, and its facing and about authenticity or lack of. Travel to Mexico, discover and remember that knowledge is power. Don’t get fooled by someone's PowerPoint presentation, go and make sure what you’ve been told is the truth. And don’t try to brainwash people driving them into drinking what you’d represent, tell them what you do and how you do it, without lying, but have them make a decision at the end. Life is too short not to drink whatever makes you happy. Whatever that is!
A fun fact about Fortaleza…
What happens in the caves stays in the caves, and if you know you know ;)
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