Our stay in Bordeaux wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Left Bank. This relatively small region is hailed as the most famous, and successful, wine region in the world. We go there to find out why, taste the wines, eat the food, and meet the people. Contrary to the popular image of this elite area, the winemakers we met there were gracious, humble, and generous. Just like everywhere else in France.

Bordeaux is a huge region of immense diversity. In this episode we eschew the giant, famous estates of the Left Bank and explore the often overlooked Right Bank, near St. Emilion, where rolling countryside, ancient villages, and quaint farmhouses dot the landscape. Here we stay with the Holzberg family, discover “pineau”, the Nardou Bar and Grill, and see firsthand what life at a small estate in Bordeaux is like. If you’re wondering, it’s pretty nice.

We visit the legendary wine region of Burgundy to try and better understand the notion of “terroir.” It’s pinot noir, chardonnay, fine Burgundian cuisine and lots of good times as we explore this diverse and hugely entertaining region.

What’s it like to be a busy consulting winemaker in the south of France? We take a road trip with Eduoard Labeye on a typical work week to find out. Along the way we learn about the various wine regions found along the Mediterranean, get some insight into why the French blend their wines, and enjoy some great local cuisine. As always, there’s lots of laughs - and wine - with Eduoard at the helm. Our whirlwind journey begins with a visit to the Cave de Saint Pantaleon cooperative in the southern Cotes du Rhone.

We’ve been on the road for almost a month, and so enjoy some R&R and a home-cooked meal at Eduoard’s home. There we meet his wife Catherine, and artist, and his two sons, Guillame and Gauthier.

Next stop is at Domaine Boudinaud in the Cote du Rhone, where we watch as Eduoard, together with Thierry and Veronique Boudinaud finalize this years blends. After that we continue west, along the Mediterranean to the vast and diverse Languedoc region, the largest contiguous wine region in the world. Languedoc wines are becoming increasingly popular as they are excellent value. After a quick tasting at the Cave de Pepiuex we enjoy an amazing wild mushroom and grilled duck feast at a local household.

Our final day in the Languedoc we join Eduoard and his largest client, Fat Bastard, as they finalize their blends.

The Wine Travelers visit the oldest wine making site in southern France at the Chateau St. Cosme in the village of Gigondas, on the northern edge of Provence. Here we meet the lively winemaker Louis Barroul and learn what makes the southern Rhone so different than the north.

We speak about the mistral and view the ancient Roman presses hewn from limestone deep in the cellars of Chateau St. Cosme.

After tasting 120 yr. old grenache we head out for a gorgeous Provencal lunch at the local bistro.

We wrap up our sunny, enjoyable visit to Provence with a trip to some very old grenache vineyards.

The Wine: Rouchebourbe, Domaine Alain Paret
The Story: Crazy Vineyards, Crazy Wine
Our next stop is in St. Joseph, in the northern Rhone, where we visit the Domaine of Alain Paret to explore the steep syrah vineyards of this well-known region. We also meet fellow Wine Traveler and frequent host Eduoard Labeye, the colorful and energetic consulting winemaker for Alain Paret. Prepare for an outrageous look into the world of Rhone wine and winemakers.

Alain owns some of the steepest vineyards in the Rhone region, and he calls them the “Crazy Vineyards.” He takes us on a four-wheel drive adventure through some of them. This is definitely not your usual vineyard tour.

After our vineyard tour we retire to our hotel, The Hotel Bellevue, for an absolutely incredible 3-star meal by Alain’s cousin, Jean Paret.

Our journey to the Northern Rhone wraps with a visit to a charming little farm where the owners make fresh goat cheese.

The Wine: Gagliasso “Rocce del Annunziata.”
The story: The Italian Harvest

We stop in the Piedmont wine region of Northern Italy for an unforgettable harvest experience. Our hosts are the Gagliasso Family, who make an excellent Barolo that we found in New York’s famous Felidia restaurant. We join them for the nebbiolo harvest, a trip to the Alba truffle market, and an traditional harvest feast, complete with multiple courses, wine pairings, and lots of song.

The Gagliasso winery is located near the small village of La Morra. The most celebrated wine here is called Barolo, named after the nearby village of Barolo. It is made from the Nebbiolo grape, the same grape that is used in Barbaresco wines. Nebbiolo wines are powerful, elegant, and can be aged for many years. This region of the Piedmont is collectively called the “Langhe”, and the chalky soils found here produce what are considered the finest Barolos in Piedmont. The region is also famous for the white truffle, which is a type of fungus that grows under ground in the presence of certain tree species, notably oak, poplar, and beech. While we wait for the rains to subside, we take a visit to the famous white truffle market held in the nearby city of Alba.

Finally, the rains stop and the final day of harvest can commence. We are picking the final block in the Rocce del Annunziata vineyard. The hard work begins, of course, with a huge lunch.

With the harvest now completely over, it’s time to celebrate with the harvest feast. Sadly, this tradition is dying out in Europe with the modernization of the wine industry. But in the Barolo region, where small family vineyards dominate, it is still very much alive, and very special.

We finish our trip in Tuscany. It’s early November, and the olive harvest is in full swing. Tuscan olives are better known for oil, rather than eating. Here we witness the time-honored method of harvesting outside of San Gimignano, an ancient medieval city famous for its stone towers.

Next, we move on to Florence, where we enjoy all things Antinori, starting with a trip to the Tignanello Estate, home of the first Super Tuscan. After we enjoy an amazing lunch at the Osteria di Passignano.

Afterwards we enjoy a very special visit to an olive press.

Finally, we end our journey with an amazing Tuscan meal at the Cantinetta Antinori, in Florence.

Priorat wines have achieved a cult following recently with the more adventurous of wine enthusiasts. This tiny region, located in the Catalan region of eastern Spain, is an ancient and once thriving wine center, but it has suffered greatly in the last century under phylloxera and war. By the mid 1900’s, commercial production was all but dead. In 1988, however, a small group of Spanish and international winemakers rediscovered the potential locked in these lean, slate soils, and now the Priorat is experiencing a remarkable renaissance. But still, it is a place beautifully frozen in time, where ancient stone villages survive almost entirely on agriculture, where the local breakfast spot is packed every morning of the harvest, and where tourism is virtually unknown. Our friend Eduoard Labeye, a consulting winemaker and broker, takes us to this magical region and introduces us to a small group of his friends stubbornly dedicated to low yields and traditional methods, and who are making extraordinary wines. He calls them not wine makers, but wine dreamers. Join us for part one of our Priorat episode, as we travel to this remote and ruggedly beautiful region to discover one of the great wine stories of our time.
In Priorat we meet up with well-known South African wine maker Eben Saadie, of Saadie Family fame.

Eben splits his time up between South Africa and Spain, like many other winemakers who have discovered the region and now call it a second home. His partner, Dominik Huber, is a restauranteur from Munich who fell in love with this area and decided to stay. These guys were great hosts. Together with our friend Eduoard (from Crazy Wine and Travels with Eduoard episodes) they took us on a rowdy drive up to their flagship vineyard where you can see most of the region. It feels like Utah here - stunning red rock canyon, sparse Mediterranean vegetation mixed with pine forest, and dramatic rock walls. As is usually the case, the drive up was, well, exciting. But when you get there, and see how steep the terrain is, how rocky the soil, and how little water is available, you start to realize why these wines can fetch high prices. Granted, there is some irrationality involved with the sticker price on some of the more sought-after brands (we’re talking upwards of $300/bottle), but nonetheless, this is extreme farming. And if you’ve ever had a good Priorat, you know that these wines can be very special: deep, muscular, silky, and profound.
Our tour of the Priorat continues. We travel to Gratallops, located in the foothills of the Priorat. Here the climate is drier and hotter, and the wines reflect this. We meet with Daphne Glorian-Solomon, founder and winemaker of Clos Erasmus, one of the more celebrated Priorat wines. After that it’s another crazy tour to one of the highest vineyards in the region. We finish in Porrera, an ancient village almost too beautiful for words. So sit back and watch, my friend.

We conclude our episode, as always, with a local meal and local wine.