S3E1: Why Farming Matters

What does geology have to do with farming? Could historic farming practices be the key to tackling modern climate challenges? How does a place shape the way vines are cared for—and how much does any of this actually matter in the glass? Season 3 of Roadside Terroir: Farming for Terroir is here! We're diving into all these questions (& more) in our brand-new season, exploring what it means to truly farm for terroir. In Episode 1: Why Farming Matters we: *  Meet Cyril Courvoisier, a rising star of Cornas, regeneratively farming its steep slopes against all odds *  Learn how tradition and climate change collide with the fearless Michelle Smith-Chapel in Beaujolais *  And hear from Rodrigo Soto of Far Mountain in Sonoma on whether great farming really changes how wine tastes From France to California, we’re driving deep into the dirt with some of the most visionary vignerons we know. Credits: Produced & hosted by Brenna Quigley Sound & music by Jeff Alvarez Research & writing assist by Paul Knittel With special thanks to Clare Shaheen, Esa Eslami, and Michel Joly. And an extra special thanks to our Grand Cru Patrons Steven and Amy Lipin! More Info and How to Support the Show: We’re so excited to have you along for the ride! Don’t forget to hit subscribe below and check out our new YouTube channel for photos, maps, and transcripts to go along with each episode.  This season wouldn’t be possible without your support!–Check out our website roadsideterroir.com to learn more about this Season, this episode, and how to help support this season by donating, sponsoring, or becoming a Roadside Insider – where you get access to exclusive bonus material, gifts, and more! This August, 10% of all Roadside Insider memberships will go towards supporting farmworkers and immigrants in CA. If you want to support them directly check out the California Farmworkers Foundation at californiafarmworkers.org and Napa Valley Together at napavalleytogether.org.  Resources: Health effects of herbicides and its current removal strategies. Bioengineered 2023, Sep 25. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10761135/#s0004 Pesticide Atlas. Heinrich-Böll-Foundation, 2022. https://eu.boell.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/pesticideatlas2022_ii_web_20230331.pdf Chemins de Mémoire. Ministère des armées France. https://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/en/revue/reconstruction The common agricultural policy (CAP) and the Treaty. Fact Sheet. European Parliament. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/103/the-common-agricultural-policy-cap-and-the-treaty Cheers! Brenna and the Roadside Team  

Roadside Terroir Season 3: Farming for Terroir is coming August 1st! Listen in for updates about our third season of Roadside Terroir -- from where we're headed to how often you'll hear from us. Plus a preview of the inspirational voices you'll come to admire just as much as we have. Don't forget to check out our YouTube Channel for maps and images paired with each episode. Subscribe today so you don't miss out! Want to support the show? Become a Roadside Insider to help keep the show on the road and all of the perks that come along with it. See you soon! This trailer was created by Brenna Quigley, Jeff Alvarez, Clare Shaheen, and Paul Knittel. 

A sneak peek at the upcoming third season of Roadside Terroir. New Episodes Coming soon. TRANSCRIPT: New Episodes of Roadside Terroir – coming soon! Can’t wait for more? Check out our new YouTube channel and revisit past episodes paired with carefully curated images, detailed maps, and videos!  – out now! And check out our website roadsideterroir.com to learn how to support the show and become a Roadside Insider. See you soon.  

The Season 2 FINALE of Roadside Terroir focuses on the hopes, challenges, and terroirs that hint at what the future has in store for the Côte d’Or. The episode begins in the southern villages of Santenay and Maranges where we hunt for granitic terroirs and discuss the growing popularity of natural wines. We then head deep into the Hautes Côtes to find the spirit of this newly popular region and attempt to identify the characteristics of its taste. Next, we visit some unassuming vineyards with exceptional farmers in order to explore the relevance of terroir in a farmer’s world. Finally, we end up right where we began, in the center of Beaune, celebrating the history of the Ventes des Vins and the exciting future of this beloved region. Thank you to our guests: Talloulah Dubourg, Seiichi Saito, and Nicolas Faure. And thank you to all of the incredible experts who have provided their commentary and guidance in this episode and throughout the season: Paul Wasserman, Daniel Johnnes, Rajat Parr, Jasper Morris, Françoise Vannier, Aaron Ayscough, and Helen Johannesen. This episode was created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, Julia Wiggin, and our Grand Cru Patrons Steven and Amy Lipin. This episode is sponsored by The Hitching Post Wines – thank you for your generosity and for championing innovation and the love of wine in Santa Barbara County, Burgundy, and beyond Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

Our penultimate episode of Season 2 takes us from the powerful Grand Crus of Gevrey Chambertin all the way to the urban sprawl of Dijon and the northern edge of the Côte d'Or. We visit with grand producers amongst the most prestigious vines in Gevrey, and then continue to Fixin and Marsannay with some newer vignerons determined to pull their lesser-known appellations out of obscurity.    While exploring the classic rocks of the Côte de Nuits, we consider how world wars and human industry have shaped the landscape and the reputations of these unique villages.    Thank you to our guests: Jean-Marie Fourrier, Bruno, Arthur, and Eduard Clair, Amélie Berthaut, and Sylvain Pataille. And to Paul Wasserman and Helen Johannesen for their commentary and guidance.  This episode was created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, and our Grand Cru Patrons Steven and Amy Lipin. This episode is sponsored by Lone Wolf Imports–our fabulous friends in Portland, OR, dedicated to bringing exceptional Burgundies to the Pacific Northwest.  Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!  

In this episode we continue our journey through the Grand Cru Territory of the Côte de Nuits--guided by some of the biggest names in the business. We focus on the world-renowned villages of Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, and Morey-Saint-Denis. Throughout the episode we focus on the personal connections between these incredible individuals and the famous plots of land they call home. We begin by discussing the history of the Cistercian monks in the famed Clos de Vougeot, and attempt to discover the truth behind these legends as we walk through one grand cru after another. The episode concludes as we contemplate the metaphorical Cistercian influence in the wines themselves–how to find beauty in space, stillness, and simplicity. Thank you to our guests: Marie-Andrée and Marie-Christine Mugneret, Jean-Nicolas Méo, Charles Lachaux, Jeremy Seysses, Cyprien Arlaud, and Fred Mugnier. And to Paul Wasserman and  Daniel Johnnes for their commentary and expertise.  This episode was created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, and our Grand Cru Patron Steven Lipin. Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this and future seasons. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

This episode of Roadside Terroir explores the human connection to the mythical vineyards of Vosne-Romanée. We test the boundaries of this world-renowned village – physically and politically, and explore how human actions have impacted the geology of the slope, and the character of the wines. We uncover the mythology of the village, and hear from legendary voices. In the vineyards, we shift our perspective to consider the individual vines, working together as a living, changing entity before tasting some of the most precious wines on the planet. This exploration opened our minds to a deeper meaning of terroir and the magic that can be found in a bottle of wine. Thank you to our guests: Marie-Andrée Mugneret, Pascal Mugneret, Charles Lachaux, and Aubert de Villaine. And to Rajat Parr, Paul Wasserman, Daniel Johnnes, Jasper Morris, and Françoise Vannier for your commentary and expertise.  This episode was created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, and our Grand Cru Patron Steven Lipin. Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines We want to extend a special thank you to our Premier partner, Acker wines – the oldest wine shop in America, and the largest fine and rare wine auction house in the world. You can now get 15% off of your first order of $350 or more by entering the code ROADSIDE at check out. Check out their website, ackerwines.com for details. Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

In this episode we venture into the world’s most hallowed ground for Pinot Noir, and the northern half of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or – the Côte de Nuits. While exploring the people and the wines of the Cote de Nuits Villages and the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges we explore the geologic differences that set apart the Côte de Nuits from the Côte de Beaune, search for a physical boundary between the two locations, identify the characteristics of the most famous vineyards, and see if we can taste these differences in the wines themselves.  Featuring our guests Camille Thiriet, Charles Lachaux, Antoine Gouges, and Erwan Faiveley. With commentary by Paul Wasserman, Daniel Johnnes, and Françoise Vannier. This episode was created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, and our Grand Cru Patron Steven Lipin. Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines We want to extend a special thank you to our Premier partner, Acker wines – the oldest wine shop in America, and the largest fine and rare wine auction house in the world. You can now get 15% off of your first order of $350 or more by entering the code ROADSIDE at check out. Check out their website, ackerwines.com for details, and go snag some delicious white Burgundy while you can! Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

What makes the difference between good and life-changing chardonnay? This episode dives into all things white Burgundy, and continues our extended road trip through the Côte d'Or by highlighting special moments with the people who live and breath what many consider to be the greatest expression of chardonnay in the world. In Meursault we peek into a geological study of Blagny with Benjamin Leroux, then explore the minerality of the Chassagne limestone with Anne Morey, and taste through premier crus with Dominique Lafon. We are guided through the vines of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet by Guillaume Lavollée of Domaine Genot-Boulanger, before hiking through the hallowed ground of Montrachet with fellow geologist, Françoise Vannier. Finally–we explore how different styles and philosophies of farming influence the expression of terroir with Olivier Lamy of Domaine Hubert Lamy and Jonathan Purcell of Vin Noë in Saint Aubin. This episode was created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, and our Grand Cru Patron Steven Lipin. Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines We want to extend a special thank you to our Premier partner, Acker wines – the oldest wine shop in America, and the largest fine and rare wine auction house in the world. You can now get 15% off of your first order of $350 or more by entering the code ROADSIDE at check out. Check out their website, ackerwines.com for details, and go snag some delicious white Burgundy while you can! Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

This special episode documents our experience harvesting in Burgundy during Vendanges 2022. We spend our time picking grapes for our dear friends Tomoko and Guillaume of Chanterêves. Tomoko walks us through every step of their winemaking process -- from selecting in the vineyards, to fermentations, pressing, and barreling down-- allowing us to experience the metamorphosis of a great wine. Towards the end of harvest we stop in at Domaine Bruno Clair in order to get a vintage perspective from the Côte de Nuits.  This unique episode is meant to capture the sounds and feelings of a true Burgundian harvest -- so you should expect it to sound a bit different, and a bit more off-the-cuff than our typical episodes. We'll be back with our full exploration of the Côte d'Or with a full episode dedicated to white burgundy next month! This episode is created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, and our Grand Cru Patron Steve Lipin. This episode is sponsored in part by Hautes Côtes, a boutique travel and event planning company based in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!