The Chronicle
Latest dispatches
100 results across all types
podcast· 53:39· S10E103E103 - Brancaia · Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
In 1980, a Swiss couple on a Christmas visit to Tuscany noticed one hillside in Chianti sitting in full sun while the whole valley around it disappeared into fog. They bought that hill the following year. They liked the light, nothing more. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Barbara Widmer, Winemaker and CEO of Brancaia, in Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy, to ask what it means to inherit a vision and decide what to protect and what to tear up. Barbara was studying architecture in Zurich when the 1994 harvest pulled her back to her parents' estate. She went on to study oenology, and her thesis on a newly acquired coastal property in Maremma started a one label strategy now stretched across three estates with distinct characters: Castellina, Radda in Chianti and Maremma. Where other Tuscan families split their holdings into separate brands, Brancaia chose the opposite path. We talk about Il Blu, the wine so far outside Chianti Classico's own ru
podcast· 52:06· S10E102E102 - Coravin · Greg Lambrecht, Founder & Chairman
What does it take to fix a problem an entire industry had quietly decided was unfixable? Greg Lambrecht, inventor, founder, and chairman of Coravin, joins Pierre Ferland for a conversation that starts in a wine shop at sixteen and ends up rewriting how the world drinks by the glass. An MIT-trained engineer who spent his career designing chemotherapy needles and spinal implants, Lambrecht looked at the oldest rule in wine — open it, and the clock starts — and treated it like a design flaw instead of a tradition. We go deep into the early prototypes tested on friends, including a neurosurgeon who tried to pay him in wine, the decision to step back as CEO once he realized he was a medical device guy, not a consumer products guy, and the eight years it took to crack Coravin Sparkling after a Guardian critic's one blunt question wrecked his London launch. We talk about walking into hostile Bordeaux chateaux where producers threatened to break his needle, the retailer who changed everything
podcast· 1h 01m· S10E101E101 - Familia Torres · Penèdes, Catalonia, Spain
Why does a 155-year-old empire keep reinventing itself — when coasting was always an option? Mireia Torres Maczassek, Director of Knowledge and Innovation at Familia Torres, joins Pierre Ferland for a conversation recorded live in Montreal at a Primum Familiae Vini gathering — and it is exactly as good as that setting sounds. Fifth generation of one of the most recognised wine dynasties on the planet, chemical engineer turned oenologist, director of both Torres Priorat and Bodegas Jean Leon, and the scientist quietly running one of the most ambitious research programmes in the history of wine. We go deep into the 40-year project to recover pre-phylloxera Catalan grape varieties — found in forests, climbing trees, surviving near creek beds — and what it means to give a lost vine a name. We talk about the Torres & Earth climate programme, regenerative viticulture at scale across more than 1,100 organic hectares, and the very honest question of whether doing enough and feeling like you ar
podcast· 58:55· S9E100E100 - Pascal Marchand · Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, France
In 2001, a bottle of Clos des Épeneaux 1996 landed on our podcast host's table and changed the course of his wine life forever. It didn't simply introduce him to Burgundy; it changed the way he understood wine, place, patience, and beauty. The man who made it had no idea. While that bottle was beginning its journey around the world, Pascal Marchand was in Burgundy, celebrating the birth of his second son. That bottle and the story behind it, is where Episode 100 of Read Between the Wines begins. Pascal arrived in Burgundy in 1983 as a young merchant marine from Montreal with no vineyard, no family name, and no wine pedigree. Two years later, at just 22 years old, he became only the second non-Frenchman ever appointed to lead a Burgundian estate, taking the reins at Domaine Comte Armand and its legendary Clos des Épeneaux. Over the next fifteen vintages, he helped shape one of Burgundy's most iconic wines. One of them changed our host's life. In this special centennial episode, Pascal a
podcast· 59:55· S9E99E99 - Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute · Tuscany, Italy
Sixty years before "drink less, but better" became an industry mantra, one man in Tuscany was already living it. His grandson has spent his whole career proving him right. In this episode, Pierre sits down with Giovanni Folonari, of Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute, the family behind four distinct Tuscan estates built on a single conviction: that quality can't be rented, it has to be owned. The conversation moves through Nozzole, the Chianti Classico estate where clay soil and history run deep; Tenute del Cabreo, the Supertuscan project that dared to plant Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and even Pinot Noir on Sangiovese ground; Campo al Mare, the family's late but decisive bet on Bolgheri; and Tenuta La Fuga, the smallest estate in the portfolio and home to a Brunello Riserva named for two sisters. Along the way, Giovanni talks candidly about the family decision to walk away from an easier, more recognisable business, what it actually takes to grow Pinot Noir outside Burgundy, and why
podcast· 58:54· S9E98E98 - Il Borro · Tuscany, Italy
In 1985, Ferruccio Ferragamo went looking for game in the hills between Florence and Arezzo. He came home having found a thousand-year-old medieval village instead. Years later, his son Salvatore rode a bicycle into those same hills and saw something his father hadn't: a valley whose soil told an entirely different story in every direction, sandstone in one corner, clay rich with sea fossils in another, the memory of an ocean that vanished millions of years before anyone planted a vine. This is the story of Il Borro — a family better known for shoes than soil, who spent three decades turning a ruin into one of Tuscany's most decorated organic estates, and who are now writing a second chapter in Montalcino. Salvatore Ferragamo, Vice President of Il Borro, sits down with Pierre Ferland to talk about the Valdarno di Sopra, an appellation the estate helped bring back from obscurity, the single vineyard behind Alessandro dal Borro, named for a Medici military commander built on an unusually
podcast· 44:59· S97E9E97 - Château Léoville Poyferré · Bordeaux, France
Sara Lecompte Cuvelier swore she would never work in wine. Then in 2018, she became Managing Director of one of the five Second Grand Cru Classé estates in Saint-Julien. Her sister Anne had already been there for thirteen years, building something from nothing. That is the story of Château Léoville Poyferré — and neither of them planned any of it. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Sara and Anne Cuvelier at Château Léoville Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France, for the first of a two-part conversation. The Cuvelier family has been in wine since 1804, beginning as négociants near Lille in the north of France, acquiring Léoville Poyferré in 1920, and extending the family story all the way to the foot of the Andes in Mendoza with Cuvelier Los Andes in 2003. The conversation covers what it means to inherit something you did not build. The demi-wolf on the label that belonged to the Lawton family and was kept without question. The family motto bor
podcast· 59:39· S9E96E96 - Tenuta Sette Ponti · Tuscany, Italy
In 1935, a viceroy ordered a vineyard planted in the hills between Florence and Arezzo. Not to make wine. To mark a military conquest. Ninety years later, that same vineyard is producing one of the most celebrated Sangiovese in all of Tuscany. This is the story of Tenuta Sette Ponti — an estate that began as a hunting retreat, became a family obsession, and is now home to Oreno, a wine that has gone toe to toe with the great Bordeaux blends of France. Blind. And won. Alberto Moretti Cuseri, third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family and Export Director of the estate, sits down with Pierre Ferland to talk about the Valdarno di Sopra, one of Italy's oldest wine zones, certified fully organic and still largely unknown outside serious wine circles. The conversation covers the Vigna dell'Impero and its 90-year-old vines, the portfolio from Crognolo to Oreno, a pure Merlot called Sette, and a Trebbiano that makes a quiet argument for one of Italy's most underrated white grapes. And at the
podcast· 54:48· S9E95E95 - Domaine Evremond · Kent, England
In 2015, a Champagne house gathered the UK wine press at a Westminster Abbey tomb — before a single vine had been planted. That is how Domaine Évremond announced itself to the world. And it tells you everything about what kind of project this is. In this episode, Pierre sits down with India McGrath, daughter of co-founder Patrick McGrath MW and the person now carrying the Domaine Évremond story forward. Together they explore the founding friendship between Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and Patrick McGrath, the 18-month search for the perfect site in Kent, and what it actually means to build a Champagne-calibre operation from scratch on English soil. We talk about why chalk in Kent makes Pinot Noir behave differently than it does in Champagne. About defending wine as culture — not just product — in a world where that conversation has never been more urgent. About the patience required to launch a company in 2015 and sell your first bottle in 2025. And about why a 17th-century Frenchman bur
podcast· 57:50· S9E94E94 - Château Latour-Martillac · Bordeaux, France
Château Latour-Martillac has been a Grand Cru Classé de Graves since 1953. The Kressmann family has been here since 1930. And somewhere in their vineyard, there is a parcel of vines planted in 1884 that should not still exist — but does, and has become one of the most compelling white wines in all of Bordeaux. In this episode, Pierre sits down with Edouard Kressmann, Technical Director and fifth generation of the Kressmann family, and Wilfrid Groizard, Deputy General Manager — at one of only six estates in the Graves classification to hold that status for both red and white wine. We talk about two completely different soils separated by just a few metres of earth that produce two completely different wines under one label. About the Grapecap 1884 parcel — a living conservatory of varieties that have no business being in Bordeaux — and the moment Edouard decided it was a cuvée, not a museum piece. About what it actually means to make white wine in a region the world still associates alm
podcast· 49:47· S9E93E93 - Fattoria Pomona · Chianti Classico, Italy
She was a veterinarian. Then one phone call from her mother changed everything. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Monica Raspi, owner of Fattoria Pomona — a small, family-run organic winery in Chianti Classico, Tuscany, on the border of Castellina in Chianti and Vagliagli. Six hectares. Organic since 2009. Minimal intervention in the cellar. And a point of view that is entirely her own. We talk about the exact moment Monica sold her veterinary clinic and got on a tractor. About learning winemaking by instinct rather than textbook. About the difference between a small Tuscan producer and a large one — and why that difference matters more than ever right now. We get into indigenous yeasts, large Slavonian oak, cover crops, and why she has never once wanted to make a wine that tastes like everyone else's. And we ask what it actually takes to make a Chianti Classico that tastes like somewhere, not something. Featuring: Fattoria Pomona, Chianti Classico, Tusca
podcast· 50:48· S9E92E92 - Esterhazy Wein · Austria
Austria has been making world-class wine for centuries. The world is just now catching up. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, host Pierre Ferland sits down with Wolfgang Hewarth, Winery Director at Esterházy Wein in Burgenland, Austria — one of Central Europe's most historic estates, with winemaking records going back to 1612 and a cellar master hired from Burgundy in 1758. The name alone carries three centuries of imperial history. What Wolfgang is building on top of it is something else entirely. We talk about what it means to arrive as an outsider and take the long view. We dig into the Leithaberg DAC — one of Austria's most distinctive appellations — and why limestone, mica schist, and a cool Pannonian microclimate produce wines built on tension and precision rather than weight. We get into acidity as a philosophy, not a technical detail. We explore what it takes to use oak purely for ageing, never for flavour. And we ask the question that sits underneath everything Wolfgan
podcast· 53:37· S9E91E91 - Tedeschi Wines · Valpolicella, Italy
What does it take to keep a family name alive for nearly four centuries in the same valley, on the same hills, with the same grapes — and still have something new to say? Welcome to Tedeschi Wines, one of the oldest family estates in Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy — with roots stretching back to the 17th century and a philosophy that has never confused age with complacency. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Riccardo Tedeschi — the winemaker who inherited not just a name, but a restlessness. His father used to say a bad vintage is when you have no new idea. Together, we explore one of Italy's most quietly compelling wine stories. We talk terroir, elegance, and why Valpolicella is so much more than Amarone. We unpack the white wine nobody saw coming, the single vineyards competing with the best of Chianti, and the house philosophy that puts finesse and freshness at the centre of a region famous for power. We talk about a family that owns its land, builds its o
podcast· 59:05· S9E90E90 - Château Haut-Bailly · Bordeaux, France
What if the most elegant wine in Bordeaux doesn't announce itself at all — it simply holds the entire room? Welcome to Château Haut-Bailly, a Pessac-Léognan estate in Bordeaux, France, with vines over 120 years old, three perfect 100-point scores from three different critics, and a philosophy that has never chased power — only finesse. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Véronique Sanders, the woman who has led this iconic château for over two decades with the quiet confidence the wine itself is known for. Together, we explore one of Bordeaux's most storied and beloved estates. We talk terroir, elegance, and why Pessac-Léognan is the true soul of Bordeaux. We unpack the legendary 2016 vintage, the language of silky tannins, and what it really means to make a wine with nothing too much and nothing missing. We discuss a region in full renaissance — and why the world is finally paying attention. Want more? A bonus episode with Véronique — covering climate chan
podcast· 58:37· S9E89E89 - Parés Baltà · Penedès, Spain
What if the most exciting white grape in the world has been hiding in plain sight, just south of Barcelona? Meet Xarel·lo — mineral, textural, age-worthy, and criminally underrated. And meet Joan Cusiné, co-owner of Parés Baltà, a biodynamic estate in the Penedès, Catalonia, Spain, with roots going back to 1790, where wine is never complicated and never a punishment. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Joan to explore one of Catalonia's most compelling wineries. We talk terroir, altitude, and why the Mediterranean makes all the difference. We dig into biodynamic farming, minimal intervention winemaking, and the radical idea that great wine starts in the soil, not the cellar. We unpack the three pillars of the Parés Baltà range, from everyday drinking to rare single-vineyard Microcuvées. And we make the case, loudly, that premium Cava deserves a seat at the world's best tables. Want more? A bonus episode with Joan is available exclusively at readbetweenthewi
podcast· 58:35· S9E88E88 - Poderi Cellario · Langhe, Piedmont, Italy
What happens when wine stops trying to impress… and starts trying to live? In this episode, we head to the western edge of the Langhe in Piemonte to meet Simone Cellario of Poderi Cellario — a third-generation winery that doesn't quite fit the script. At first glance, everything feels easy. Playful labels. Litre bottles. Crown caps. Wines that don't take themselves too seriously. But look closer… and you realise this is serious work. We talk about Dolcetto — not as a "simple" wine, but as the cultural heartbeat of the region. A grape that speaks more about people than prestige. We explore forgotten and misunderstood varieties like Grignolino and Nascetta, and what it takes to bring them back into the conversation without turning them into museum pieces. We also get into something less romantic — the economics of wine. Because making honest wine is one thing. Making it sustainable, financially and socially, is another. This is a conversation about balance. Between tradition and change.
podcast· 53:50· S9E87E87 - Felicity Carter · In Defense of Wine
In this episode of Read Between the Wines, we explore a question that rarely gets asked: why has the conversation around wine and alcohol changed so dramatically in recent years? For centuries, wine was simply part of life — part of the table, part of culture, part of how people gathered and shared moments together. Today, however, headlines increasingly frame alcohol through a very different lens. To understand what's happening, host Pierre Ferland sits down with award-winning journalist and Drinks Insider founder Felicity Carter, one of the most respected investigative voices covering alcohol policy and the global drinks industry. Drawing on decades of reporting, Felicity explains how alcohol debates are shaped not only by science, but also by media narratives, cultural shifts, advocacy networks, and political incentives. But beyond policy and statistics lies a deeper question: what role does wine play in human connection, pleasure, and everyday life? A thoughtful and provocative con
podcast· 1h 15m· S9E86E86 - Castello di Gabbiano · Chianti Classico, Italy
Sangiovese does not just reveal terroir. It reveals the winemaker. In Episode 86 of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Federico Cerelli, head winemaker at Castello di Gabbiano, one of Chianti Classico's most historic estates, to unpack what freshness, drinkability, and "modern classicism" really mean in Tuscany today. From Federico's first move at Gabbiano in 2011 (taste the past, then rebuild the future) to a masterclass on three distinct vineyard zones, you will hear how soil, wind, and microclimate shape Sangiovese into radically different personalities, from bold and structured to mineral and quietly elegant. They dive into oak without the theatre: fewer barriques, more large casks, and a rare local oak experiment that rewinds history without becoming nostalgic. Add climate chaos, the Chianti vs Chianti Classico misconception, and the "drink less, drink better" shift, and you have an episode built for wine lovers who want truth, not gloss. Chianti Classico. Tusca
podcast· 1h 02m· S9E85E85 - VIK Wine, Chile
In Episode 85, Pierre Ferland sits down with Cristián Vallejo, the winemaker who helped build Viña VIK in Chile under the leadership of owner Alexander Vik, starting from absolute zero. No vineyards. No cellar. Just 4,500 hectares of wild land in the Millahue Valley and an ambition that practically screamed, "We are not here to make normal wine." This is a deep dive into terroir precision and controlled madness: micro valleys, hundreds of parcels, high density planting, and a pivotal moment Vallejo calls the vineyard's personality. We explore circular winemaking, wild yeast, amphora ageing, and why VIK keeps nearly 90 percent of the estate untouched. Then, in our bonus coverage available exclusively on our website, the conversation becomes even more compelling as we dive into the unique Stone VIK project, where amphoras are aged in a forest, aligned with solstice, full moons, geology, vibration, and time. It is essentially Stonehenge meets Grand Cru wine. We also uncover the very human
podcast· 1h 15m· S9E84E84 - San Leonardo Winery, Italy
Episode 84 takes us to San Leonardo Family Estate, one of Trentino's most iconic names, set in the shadow of the Dolomites and guided by the Guerrieri Gonzaga family. Pierre Ferland sits down with the charismatic Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga for a lively, story driven conversation that moves from history to terroir, and from bottle ageing to the future of wine itself. Why do some call San Leonardo "Bordeaux with Alpine poise"? How does a narrow valley, fewer hours of direct sunlight, and the Ora wind from Lake Garda shape freshness, lower alcohol, and elegance? We unpack the estate's philosophy, the origins of their flagship San Leonardo wine, and the underrated star of the cellar: Carménère, often mistaken for Cabernet Franc and wildly different here than in Chile. We also dive into the craft side: concrete vats, restrained oak, extraction choices, and what makes Terre such a joy to drink. Then, in the bonus episode, we go deeper into sustainability, Equalitas, biodiversity, pergola vers
podcast· 1h 09m· S9E83E83 - Dr. Laura Catena · In Defense of Wine
Is wine really as dangerous as headlines claim? In Episode 83 of Read Between the Wines, our host Pierre Ferland sits down with Dr Laura Catena, physician and fourth generation vintner behind In Defense of Wine. Together they unpack the growing war on wine, the World Health Organization messaging, and the role of Movendi International in pushing a zero nuance narrative. Dr Catena explains what the science actually says about moderate drinking, the J curve, and why age and drinking pattern matter. We dig into The Lancet Global Burden of Disease debate, NASEM versus ICCPUD, and the difference between absolute and relative risk, including breast cancer discussions. You will also hear why Mediterranean style wine with food, social connection, and context cannot be reduced to a single molecule. If you care about wine culture, public health, and honest data, this episode is for you. For fans of evidence, terroir, and real life. For more information about our Podcast, visit us on the web: htt
podcast· 59:00· S8E82E82 - Drea's Wine · Andrea Kaiser, Canada
In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Andrea Kaiser , winemaker and daughter of the late Karl J. Kaiser, co-founder of Inniskillin and one of the two pioneers who built modern Canadian winemaking with vinifera grapes. Andrea grew up among the vines in Niagara, watching her father measure sugars with a refractometer, tasting early batches, and debating acidity, sweetness and oak at the family table. But it wasn't until Inniskillin's 50th anniversary and her father's celebration of life that she truly understood the scale of his impact — and decided to continue the legacy in her own way with Drea's Wine Co . Pierre and Andrea explore her path from the family's restaurant to Reif Estate Winery, and finally to launching her own small-batch label focused on Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Dornfelder . She explains why Niagara on the Lake's micro climate — the lake, the Niagara River, the escarpment — allows her to grow varieties that surprise many cool-climat
podcast· 58:21· S8E81E81 - Stone Eagle Winery, Canada
Niagara on the Lake is raising the bar again. In this episode of Read Between the Wines , Pierre catches up with Adam Pearce , winemaker at Stone Eagle Winery and the talent behind the celebrated wines of Two Sisters in Ontario's Niagara region. Four years after their first conversation during the pandemic, Adam returns with big news. The once cult Stone Eagle label has grown into a full winery on Highway 55, with its own estate vineyards, focused portfolio and on site restaurant, The Nest. Together, Pierre and Adam explore what it really takes to build age worthy Canadian wines that reward patience, not just instant gratification. They dig into the details behind Stone Eagle's Cabernet Franc, the Eagle Eye Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, the Lush and Blanc de Franc sparkling wines, and why balance, structure and time remain the real luxuries in a small market like Canada. Adam also shares candid thoughts on climate change, extreme vintages, replanting difficult vineyards, and the constant t
podcast· 46:21· S8E80E80 - The Blue Zones · Dan Buettner
In this episode of Read Between the Wines, we welcome Dan Buettner—National Geographic explorer, Emmy Award-winning producer, and New York Times best-selling author. Dan is the visionary behind the Blue Zones, regions from Okinawa to Sardinia and Costa Rica where people regularly live into their 90s and 100s in remarkable health. We explore the secrets of longevity: plant-based diets, strong communities, daily movement, and storytelling that makes science memorable. Dan shares insights from his Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones and his new book The Blue Zones Kitchen: One Pot Meals. And yes—wine lovers will discover why moderate red wine is central to Blue Zone cultures, enjoyed daily as part of meals, joy, and connection. For more information about our Podcast, visit us on the web: https://readbetweenthewines.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenthewinesmedia Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/read-between-the