“Right now, I still use the same methods, the type of grapes, as my great-grandparents. The only thing that has changed is that now I am responsible for the Aceto Balsamico and my father has always trusted me to carry on in this tradition. Because for us, the balsamic vinegar is your family history in a bottle.”

We’re in great company with Mattia Montanari, the dedicated and determined founder and CEO of Opera|02, a certified organic winery, traditional vinegar cellar, and tastefully designed resort woven into the rolling hills of Modena’s vineyard landscape—where 3 generations of balsamic vinegar mastery meet contemporary hospitality, inviting guests to reconnect with the craft, culture, and terroir of Emilia-Romagna.

Mattia shares how growing up sneaking tastes of balsamic juice and getting his hands dirty in the family harvest shaped his vision to create an immersive experience where travelers could taste, sleep, and live inside his family's legacy.

In this episode, Mattia reveals that true innovation happens not by abandoning tradition, but by creating new ways for others to understand and appreciate it.

Top Takeaways

[2:00] Growing up in Modena, Mattia learned that craft creates connection—a lesson that would later inspire him to invite the world into his family's three-generation story.

[4:35] After traveling through the vineyards of Tuscany, Piedmont, and Napa Valley, Mattia envisioned bringing that same immersive wine-country hospitality back to Modena—but centered entirely around the time-honored craft and storytelling of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.

[5:45] At Opera|02, Mattia honors his family's wisdom by preserving the exact recipes and processes his great-grandmother began—proving that tradition and innovation aren't opposing forces, but rather two sides of the same story.

[8:00] Leaving the roar of Motor Valley's Ferraris and Maseratis behind, guests wind up into the vineyard-lined hills to discover Opera|02—where the noise fades into silence, and the only thing that changes with each season is the view from your terrace.

[9:50] From sunrise in the vineyards to sunset in the acetaia, a day at Opera|02 is an invitation to taste, touch, and witness the slow alchemy that turns grapes into legacy.

[11:05] Each of the eight suites is a love letter to the land—named Grappa, Nocino, Prugna, Aceto, Saba, Duroni, Vino, Miele—where the colors and textures of each room mirror the very products that made Mattia’s family name.

[13:40] In the acetaia, each family member has their own barrel aging in the darkness—a tangible thread connecting Mattia to his brother, his parents, his grandparents—a tradition that asks, what legacy are you building that will outlive you?

[14:55] At the Bistrot, every plate holds seasonal ingredients within zero kilometers and is touched by aged balsamic—telling you exactly who Mattia's family is and what this corner of Emilia tastes like.

[16:30] Opera|02 invites guests into vineyard picnics with baskets of local cheese and bread, intimate dinners among three hundred barrels of aging balsamic, wine tastings that change with the seasons, and Lambrusco served in a can—proving that tradition doesn't mean stuffy.

Visit For Yourself
Opera|02 Website | Shop Opera|02 | @opera02resort

"Of course we're gonna have a menu that's constantly changing, we're following nature. And your ingredients when they're at their peak, your dish is gonna be at its peak. So why put something on a menu that maybe is out of season already two months ago. And that also challenges us to think outside the box, to be creative, which is something that we're taking back from Noma because the creativity there goes beyond what you may imagine.”

We’re in great company with Samantha Lamanna and Luca Invernizzi, the chefs and visionaries behind Tenuta Lamanna, who spent four formative years at Noma in Copenhagen before stepping away to pursue their own hospitality dream.

Now they are cultivating a soon-to-be agriturismo and restaurant nestled in the Tuscan countryside between mountains and sea, where rolling vineyards meet olive groves and family values take root. Here, they are building not just a place to stay and dine, but a deliberate return to what matters most—land, community, and the art of slowing down.

In this episode, Samantha and Luca invite us into their formative first year of learning to let the land lead, building a restaurant rooted in seasonality and creativity, and discovering that the greatest plans are the ones flexible enough to change with the seasons.

Top Takeaways

[2:25] Two different childhoods on opposite sides of the world, yet both shaped by family kitchens and the belief that food is where it all begins.

[5:10] At Noma, one of the world's most competitive and intentional kitchens, Samantha and Luca discovered a partnership that grew with the seasons—a foundation that would carry them through everything ahead.

[12:15] A family dream deferred by life's twists and turns for many years became a reality overnight when they least expected it.

[19:10] From minute-by-minute timelines in the Noma kitchen to learning that a farm moves even while you sleep—Samantha and Luca are discovering that the greatest lesson is not planning, it is listening to what nature asks of you each day.

[25:10] What you see and hear as a guest will shift with the seasons—olive harvests, winter hibernation, budding vines. But you are guaranteed one constant—integration into the daily rhythm of a working farm.

[29:25] Apartments with kitchens to cook on your own, a restaurant for shared meals, harvest seasons that welcome anyone willing to learn and teach—Tenuta Lamanna is building a place where you can escape the city, pass through, or stay rooted in community.

[32:40]  For Samantha and Luca, seasonality will dictate the menu, hyper-local ingredients will take center stage, and Noma's creative philosophy will continue to guide them. But do not expect Italian food—expect something born from their hands, their curiosity, and the land itself.

[37:30] Six family members, six different minds, each with their own expertise—wine tastings, olive oil courses, cooking classes, harvest experiences—all designed so guests can savor memories and carry a taste of Tenuta Lamanna home.

[40:15] Medieval piazzas, crystal lakes, mountain bike trails, farmers markets alive with passion—Samantha and Luca have become tourists in their own backyard, eager to share what they're discovering.

[45:15] At Tenuta Lamanna sustainability is not just philosophy, it is practice—nothing wasted because everything comes full circle, from kitchen to animals to land and back again.

Notable Mentions

Noma in Copenhagen, DK

Massa Marittima

Follonica

Lago dell'Accesa

South Italian Sugo

North Italian Polenta Taragna

Visit For Yourself

@tenutalamanna | @samantharosella | @lucaainve