The Connected Table Live

American-born Alexander Lobrano has spent much of his life in Paris writing about its restaurants for major media outlets. He discusses the Paris dining scene and his memoir, “My Place at the Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris.” Emmy Award-winning television producer, David Page originated and produced 11 seasons of the hit series “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” (Food Network). He discusses...

Dinner at The Barn at Blackberry Farm® in Walland, TN is a sensory experience drawn from seasonal products, many grown on-site. Executive Chef Cassidee Dabney discusses Blackberry Farm’s signature Foothills Cuisine® and some of the special people who make visiting unique such as John Coykendall, Master Gardener and heirloom seed saver; Jim Sanford, trainer of the Lagotto Romagnolo “truffle dogs;”...

French Impressionist Artist Edgar Degas lived at his maternal family's home in New Orleans on tree-lined Esplanade Avenue from 1872 to 1873 and produced more than two dozen paintings, drawings and letters. Now part of the French Ministry of Culture's network of Maisons des Illustres (Houses of the Illustrious), Degas House serves as a museum to the artist, a bed and breakfast inn and a wedding ven...

Raleigh, North Carolina is a hot dining destination for the culinary curious. An example is Cheetie Kumar's Garland, whose Indian-Asian seasonally inspired menu hits all the high notes of textures, colors and flavors, drawing upon Kumar's youth living in India and also in the Bronx when her family moved to the U.S. A self-taught chef, Kumar was first drawn to Raleigh through the music scene. She i...

Gianfranco Sorrentino is Managing Partner of top-rated restaurants in New York City serving exquisite southern Italian cuisine. Each has historic significance. Il Gattopardo is located in the Rockefeller family's Beaux Art townhouse. The Leopard at Des Artistes is located at Hotel des Artistes, a former artists’ coop, home to playwright, Noel Coward; dancer, Isadora Duncan and artist, Norman Rockw...

Founded in Rioja in 1970 by Enrique Forner, Spain’s Marqués de Cáceres has become a global leader in wine. Since joining her father in 1983, Cristina Forner has overseen the expansion of the company brand to include wines from Rías Baixas, Rueda, and the Penedès. CEO since 2007, Forner continues to build on the legacy of Marqués de Cáceres with the family’s most recent acquisition, in 2019, of Bod...

Are you a fan of pecan pie, pecan cookies or butter pecan ice cream? Meet Alex and Staci Willson, members of family-run Sunnyland Farms, a grower and manufacturer of pecans and pecan products located in Albany, the capital of Georgia pecan production. Family-run since 1948, Sunnyland Farms has 1760 acres with 600,000 pecan trees. Alex and Staci share how this meaty nut is cultivated, pecan history...

Virginia is home to over 300 wineries and eight designated AVAs, making it an ideal destination for wine aficionados looking for a road trip combining beautiful scenery with great wine and food. Frank Morgan, Host of Virginia Wine Chat, discusses Virginia’s different appellations and a few standout grapes, including Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. We taste sel...

Ehlers Estate is a picturesque 42-acre vineyard in Saint Helena, CA dating to the 1800s with a rich history. Run by the Leducq Foundation, a trust established in 1996 by French Entrepreneur, Jean Leducq and his wife Sylviane, Ehlers Estate was modeled after a traditional Bordeaux chateau. The vineyards, all planted to Bordeaux varietals, are certified organic. Winemaker and General Manager Laura D...

A leading woman of wine in Spain and the world, Cristina Forner continues the legacy of Marqués de Cáceres in Rioja founded by her father, Enrique Forner, in 1970. She joined Marqués de Cáceres in 1983 and was named CEO in 2007. Forner has overseen the company's impressive global expansion, extended brand production into Rueda, Rías Baixas and Penedès and in 2019 acquired Bodegas Finca La Capilla...

Bella Union Winery in Rutherford, Napa Valley was founded in 2012 by the partners of Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel. The winery is located on a 25-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard that runs along Bella Oaks Lane, known as the Bella Union Roadway in the late 1800s. Brooke Bobyak has worked with Far Niente since 2018 and was appointed Bella Union winemaker in 2021. She discusses Bella Union’s signat...

Elizabeth Williams is President of the National Food & Beverage Foundation and Founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans, which houses food and beverage exhibits from every southern state, the Museum of the American Cocktail and an extensive library of cookbooks, culinary ephemera and more. Born and raised in New Orleans, Williams was always fascinated by the crossroads of food...

In 2013, James Sinegal, co-founder/former CEO of Costco, and son, David, a Costco wine buyer, established Sinegal Estate in St. Helena to produce iconic Bordeaux blend Napa Valley Cabernet wine. In 2020, they launched DETAILS by Sinegal Estate, sourcing grapes in Sonoma Valley and using a 1,403-step production process. David Sinegal explains DETAILS’ brand mission to make a Cabernet Sauvignon blen...

Magnolia Bakery in NYC's West Village drew legions of fans after a spotlight episode in the hit TV series "Sex in the City." Magnolia Bakery's Chief Baking Officer, Bobbie Lloyd, oversees recipe development and management of this beloved bakery which, under her stewardship has expanded to multiple locations. In her cookbook, "The Magnolia Bakery Handbook" (Harper Design) she provides 150 recipes a...

For the first time in its history, Commander’s Palace in New Orleans has a woman chef leading the kitchen. Chef Megan “Meg” Bickford has called Commander’s Palace her culinary home since 2008 and was named Executive Chef in 2020. She discusses the restaurant’s Haute Creole menu, whose ingredients are 90% locally sourced. Lally Brennan, family co-proprietor of Commander's Palace with cousin, Tí Ade...

Be the Change is a virtual job fair for the wine, spirits & beer industry that supports diversity, inclusion and equality in hiring and helps streamline the job search process. Launched in December 2020 with a second fair April 22, 2021, Be the Change has formed a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to provide job opportunities for its graduates. Rania Zayyat, Cofounder of Be The C...

Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Delia Viader is founder of family-run Viader Vineyards & Winery, located on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley. Established in 1986, Viader produces critically acclaimed small lot Bordeaux blends. Viader’s first bottled vintage was 1989 with 1200 cases. Its 1997 vintage was named #2 in The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines. The following year, Viader’s 1998 red b...

“Vinum Falernum,” the ancient wines of Campania, were considered grand cru wines of their era, produced from indigenous Aglianico, Piedirosso, Falanghina and Greco di Tufo varieties. Salvatore Avallone, Co-CEO of Villa Matilde Avallone (with sister, Maria Ida), discusses the significance of Falernum wines and his father’s research on the subject to start Villa Matilde, located at Falerno del Massi...

Who doesn't dream of moving to France to immerse in its food and drink culture? Susan Herrmann Loomis moved to France to study cooking. She landed a job working with Patricia Wells and now runs a French cooking school. She is author of 14 cookbooks, including the recent, Plat Du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy. Forest Collins moved to France to study the language. She runs 52 Martinis, a cocktail a...

Virginia winemakers Rachel Stinson-Vrooman and husband Nathan Vrooman oversee production at their family wineries. Rachel and father, Scott Stinson, oversee Stinson Vineyards in Crozet (Monticello AVA). They make small lot wines using vinifera grapes in an old 3-car garage-turned winery. Nathan Vrooman oversees winemaking at his family's Ankida Ridge in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Amherst County). A...

New Orleans is known for its po’boys and muffuletta sandwiches made with signature breads, many of which are baked by 125- year-old Leidenheimer Baking Co. George Leidenheimer emigrated to New Orleans from Germany and founded his namesake bakery in 1896. Fourth generation family members Robert J. Whann, IV, ("Sandy") and sister, Katherine Whann, now oversee Leidenheimer Baking Co. and its time-hon...

In a city of great meals, Katie's in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood is that casual restaurant on the corner you return to often for consistently good food and generous portions. Opened in 1984 and named after the founder's grandmother, the Craig family took over Katie's in 1994. Executive Chef/Owner Scot Craig discusses his creative spin on the menu from po'boys and pizzas to heaping platters...

New Zealand native Natalie Christensen is Chief Winemaker at Yealands in the Marlborough appellation of the South Island. Before attaining her oenology degree, Christensen earned a Master's in music and is an accomplished double bass player. She discusses Yealands' location, wines, and sustainability. New Orleans native Adam Yellin is executive chef/co-owner of Local Catch Bar & Grill in Santa Ros...

Michael Twitty explores the links between food, cultural identity and ancestry in his award-winning book, The Cooking Gene, which documents his own genealogical search from the USA to Africa. A scholar on both Judaic and Afro-American culture and heritage, Twitty writes the food blog, Afroculinaria. After two decades working in hospitality and experiencing marginalization, Lia Jones founded Divers...

At age 30, André Hueston Mack was named Best Young Sommelier by a prestigious culinary group, the first African American to achieve this honor. His career path led him to Napa to become sommelier at Chef Thomas Keller's French Laundry and to New York as head sommelier for Per Se restaurant. In 2007, Mack started Maison Noir Wines in Oregon, focusing on terroir driven wines with eye-grabbing labels...