Gianni was born and raised in Muriwai on the west coast near Auckland, on a farm that is still in the family. Gianni’s father emigrated to NZ with his parents Zita ed Eugenio. They came as refugees from Istria, where after the Second World War the borders were changed and they village was no longer part of Italy. A great aunt had married a NZ soldier and Gianni’s grandparents decided also to follow her. Gianni's grandfather was a language teacher, and Zita was a dressmaker who later set up her own high-fashion label, Moda Bella. Both were founding members of the Dante Alighieri Society and Zita was also the president in the '70s. Gianni is telling us about his time with relatives in Trieste learning Italian, his involvement with the mandolin orchestra and the big passion in life: his profession as a winemaker. Gianni is a qualified viticulturist and oenologist and has worked for major winemaker companies in NZ. In 2000, he started on the family farm a small vineyard of Nebbiolo, a difficult variety to grow in the Auckland climate, now producing about 300 litres of Flego Wines. https://flegowine.substack.com/

Per il supporto alla realizzazione di questo programma Ondazzurra ringrazia l’Ambasciata d’Italia a Wellington, https://ambwellington.esteri.it/en/ che promuove la lingua e cultura italiana in Nuova Zelanda, e il Ministry for Ethnic Communities che promuove la diversità ed inclusione in Aotearoa. https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/