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 [...]

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. Edoard is simply one of the most beloved winemakers in France, but he also consults for some pretty big names (who will remain unmentioned) in [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]