TURIN — Perhaps it all comes down to the land. The land that slopes gently through the vineyards of the Langhe region in Piedmont, Western Italy, and the land beneath the grass of a football pitch. But also the land his ancestors left behind, his Sicilian great-grandparents, who found a new home across the Atlantic.
This is, ultimately, the story of many families – even though, for Kyle Krause's family, the new land came to represent an empire over time, started with a fruit and vegetable stall run by his great-grandfather Gentile, who left Alia, in the province of Palermo, in pursuit of fortune and dreams on the far side of the ocean, almost at the end of the world.
President of Parma
Kyle Krause, born in Hampton, Iowa, in 1963, has a blond quiff reminiscent of Robert Redford and is a multimillionaire businessman. Since 2020, he has been president of Parma, a football club competing in Italy’s top division, Serie A.
But he also owns two prestigious Piedmontese wine producers: Enrico Serafino, in Barolo, and Vietti, in Castiglione Falletto. He is also the owner of Casa di Langa, a sustainable five-star resort nestled among the vineyards.
His is a life steeped in grapes and stories waiting to be pressed. And the resulting vintage has a distinctly old-fashioned finish.
His Sicilian ancestors’ adventure
"My family’s decision to invest in Italy was driven more by emotion and culture than by business, although fortunately business is going very well. We were looking for something that would reconnect us with our roots, with the adventure of our Sicilian ancestors, who relied on nothing but their own hard work, physical strength and iron determination.
"My maternal great-grandmother, Rosa, settled in Des Moines, Iowa. My parents were livestock farmers, and I, too, started out working the land. In a way, everything has come full circle."
The land, his roots and, of course, his American heritage.
Krause sits on the boards of several cultural and civic institutions, including the National Gallery of Art and the Des Moines Art Center, as well as other organisations involved in urban development and the promotion of the arts.
He has previously held positions with numerous educational, philanthropic and community organisations.
Together with his wife Sharon, who is now almost an honorary Italian, Krause supports cultural and social initiatives in the Des Moines area and the arts through philanthropy and art collecting.
The couple have also established the Krause Essay Prize at the University of Iowa and contribute to programmes and foundations dedicated to cultural and community development.
A passion for fine wine
"Let's start with wine and Piedmont, then we'll talk about football. When I decided to invest in fine wine, I asked myself which was the best wine in the world. The answer was easy: Barolo. That was the first reason behind our decision.
"I wanted to connect with this land. I tried to listen, to ask questions and to understand the people here, including their silences. Piedmontese farmers are people of few words but great substance. We didn't need long conversations to understand one another.
"I felt it wouldn't be right to impose my own methods. Instead, I tried to modernise theirs a little, investing in the most advanced machinery and the latest technology to help them do their jobs better. And it worked."
The results are evident in the accounts and turnover, which have almost tripled in a decade.
"What I feel for Piedmont is genuine love. I've even bought a house in the hills around Roddino, in the province of Cuneo, where they make the best thin tagliatelle in the world."
Investing in Italy was almost an obvious choice.
"Prices are better than in the United States or France."
Yet since Krause arrived in the Langhe, land prices have begun to rival those in Burgundy.
"Here, everything revolves around quality. To achieve the right concentration, you have to thin out the grape clusters. A vine should produce a certain amount of fruit, and no more.
"I've been fortunate that people understood what I was trying to do and came along with me. Most of my collaborators are young, although nobody forgets the experience and wisdom of the older generation. They are the true roots of the land, and not just here in the Langhe."
Alba, and the novels of Pavese and Fenoglio
Kyle Krause has seven grandchildren, including a granddaughter named Simon Alba.
"Alba is a place close to my heart. I first discovered it through the novels of Pavese and Fenoglio, who was born and lived there. But I truly came to understand it by getting to know these extraordinary, peaceful places, so full of colours and aromas. Just think of the long white truffle season in Alba, when their scent seems to fill every street."
His sky-blue Vespa
Krause's Italian life also includes a sky-blue Vespa. "I've had it for years, and I wouldn't part with it for anything in the world." If the legendary scooter immortalised in the classic film Roman Holiday remains an unmistakable symbol of Italy in the United States, so too does football.
And so the decision to buy a Serie A club was almost a natural extension of his other investments in the land. On September 19, 2020, Krause took over Parma, a club with a glorious history but one in need of a certain amount of rejuvenation.
The result is a team packed with young players, until just a few days ago managed by the youngest coach in Serie A, 31-year-old Spaniard Carlos Cuesta. The two have now parted ways.
"Not just on the pitch, but behind the desks too. Our young people are our pride and joy, and I won't pretend otherwise: I'd love one of my grandchildren to become president of the club one day, whether a grandson or a granddaughter."
Women's football
Women's football is another of Krause's passions.
"We're the only Italian club to own a dedicated training centre for our female players. Girls need to be able to start playing at the same age as boys, if they want to, and have exactly the same opportunities."
"Football is a social asset. It's part of a community's human and cultural development, not just a matter of technique and competition.
"I have tremendous faith in Italy, its institutions and its infrastructure, and I hope I can continue to contribute to its growth."
The translation of this article was reviewed by a Language Service Provider