We had left off with the story of our first (aspiring) Michelin-starred client: Joia in Milan. A boost of courage we needed like air. At that point, we decided: enough kitchen DIY — we needed a real place to produce.
Guys, if you’ve ever lost your patience house-hunting, know that finding a factory is pure madness… more dust, more doubts, and you also have to figure out whether the machines will fit through the doors (spoiler: they usually don’t, and that’s when the real chaos begins).

After months of searching, a childhood friend tipped me off about a warehouse in Mezzolombardo, in the Piana Rotaliana, between Teroldego vineyards and apple orchards. For me, Mezzolombardo had always been a place you passed through: between Trento and Bolzano, between Italian and German, between city and valleys. One of those places where you only stop at the traffic light. 

And yet, as soon as I set foot in that warehouse, I fell in love. In front: soft, green valleys; behind: a vertical, stern mountain. Trentino is like that — it welcomes you and scolds you at the same time. It’s a borderland: our grandparents were Austrian, our parents Italian. A land of contrasts between rural simplicity and the luxury reserved for “holidaymakers,” with the Dolomites as a backdrop. But deep down, we care more about having a vegetable garden than a sauna. For us, luxury is climbing a mountain without a chairlift to reach unknown spots. And grandma’s strudel? That’s serious business.  (And our bottles too - grab yours now here)

Anyway, in autumn 2022 we were renovating our “fermenteria” with a breathtaking view, while Seba was experimenting in the lab. And then there was Paolo.
Need a forklift? Ask Paolo.
A custom mosquito screen? Ask Paolo.
A fermentation plant built in two days? Always Paolo.

Everyone should have a Paolo in their life. 

In the evenings, the FFF — Family, Friends & Fools — would come to hand-bottle the first batches. It felt like a village fair, but with assembly-line speed. My physiotherapist sister kept friends, boyfriends, and ex-boyfriends in line like a drill sergeant. By the end, everyone was exhausted — but guys, you saved us!

After a few group bottling sessions — we realized that producing food was serious, complex work. We needed a new hero, who arrived just in time for the start of the dance: Andrea. 
From Brianza, living in Rome as lead brewer in a craft brewery. A mystical character: Breaking Bad glasses (yes, that series where a chemistry teacher becomes the king of meth), tribal tattoos, electric bass, a passion for taralli, and the habit of assigning each team member a “forest animal” revealed to him by his talking spirits (apparently, I’m a lynx).

In a flash, he moved from the capital to Mezzolombardo, drafted an endless list of things that didn’t work (still being updated), and got to work. His first mission: produce Feral’s first real batch for sale. The goal was to release it for Christmas 2022, just in time for gifts.

But we’d forgotten one small detail: microbiology. 
And soon, all our plans would be turned upside down. 

See you next time,
— La Madda