The Connected Table Live

Located in the northwest border of Montefalco, Tenuta Di Saragano produces classic DOCG Montefalco Sagrantino, DOC Montefalco Rosso, DOC Trebbiano Spoletino and Sagrantino Passito wines (and more). This expansive winery has been under the ownership of the Pongelli-Benedettone family since the 15th century. The family started bottling wines in 1921; the cellar still has some 1921 bottles. Guglielmo...

Montefalco DOC is a leading wine region of Umbria, known as "the green heart of Italy." The Sagrantino Wine Road offers many wineries to discover by car. The walkable hilltop village of Montefalco is an ideal base for exploring. Melanie & David recommend restaurants in Montefalco and wineries to visit. They discuss the appellation's signature wines and what distinguishes each, including Montef...

Founded in 1731, Bouchard Père & Fils is one of the oldest and most diverse wine estates in Burgundy with 130 hectares of vineyards in prestige appellations of both the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuit, mostly Premiers and Grands Crus. Its 15th century château in Beaune houses the largest private collection of old burgundies, including a Meursault Charmes 1846. Technical Director Frédéric Weber...

Cathy Van Zyl MW became the first Master of Wine on the African continent in 2005 and serves as the Associate Editor of “Platter’s South African Wine Guide.” She has served as a member of the Institute of Masters of Wine education committee for 10 years. In 2019, she was named Institute of Cape Wine Masters' Personality of the Year for her passionate promotion of South African wine. Cathy discusse...

The Connected Table Hosts Melanie Young & David Ransom share the stories of leaders and personalities in wine, food, spirits and hospitality. In this 10th anniversary season episode, they turn the table and share their own stories on their journey from youth to adulthood, their families, careers in wine and food and becoming writers and podcast hosts. They each share impressions of places they...

Villa I Collazzi is located in Chianti Colli Fiorentini, outside Florence, Italy. The villa dates to the 1500s and was designed Michaelangelo Buonarroti. In 1933, the property was purchased by Carlo and Giulio Marchi, members of a textile printing dynasty, who are also related to the Frescobaldi family. Villa Collazzi's wines are mainly IGT blends, with some single varietal and Chianti Classico. A...

Caterina Dei continues the legacy of her grandfather, Alibrandi Dei, who planted his first vineyard, Bossona, in Montepulciano in 1964. Cantine Dei is now a leading producer of DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in Tuscany. Cantine Dei is a stunning winery built from travertine marble, conceived by Caterina’s late father, Glauco Dei. Honoring his memory. Caterina created Madonna Della Querce, a sin...

Ambre Delorme and her mother, Madeleine, are co-owners of Domaine de la Mordorée in AOC Tavel (Southern Rhône). Domaine de la Mordorée was established in 1986 by Ambre’s grandfather, Francis, and father, Christophe with 12 acres. Domaine de la Mordorée now has 143 acres of vineyards throughout the Rhône, including Lirac, Tavel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Condrieu, and Côtes-du-Rhône. Domaine de la Mordo...

Michael Pinkus (The Grape Guy) is a multi-award-winning Canadian wine writer and educator and host/ co-creator of the podcast, "Two Guys Talking Wine." Founder of Michael Pinkus Wine Review, his YouTube videos, filled with wisdom and wit on the subject of wine, draw fans from around the world. The Ontario resident discusses Canadian wines, shares impressions of Anteprime Toscana 2023, thoughts on...

Since the 1920s, Tenuta di Capezzana has been under the ownership of the Contini Bonacossi family, whose long history in producing wine and olive oil can only be matched by their illustrious career as fine art brokers and collectors in Spain before coming to Italy. Beatrice Contini Bonacossi discusses the estate’s location and history dating to 804 A.D. in Carmignano, a small appellation northwest...

Sylvie Bigar's life as a food writer has taken her far and wide to research the origins of many native dishes. One dish has captivated her above all: cassoulet, France's ancestral bean and meat stew. In her book, "Cassoulet Confessions," she shares her journey to Occitania (Languedoc) to learn from a cassoulet master and embed herself in cassoulet culinary culture. Along the way she uncovers a sim...

Acclaimed photographer, Silvia Imparato, enjoyed drinking fine wines with friends in Rome. But she returned to her family’s country home near Salerno to make wines herself, enlisting the help of acclaimed wine consultant, Ricardo Cotarella. In 1991 Silvia introduced her first vintage of Montevetrano to rave reviews. Accolades continued with each new vintage. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot a...

Vouvray is a white wine made with Chenin Blanc grapes in the Central Loire Valley district of Touraine. Vouvray’s range of expressive styles runs from dry to off dry to sweet, sparkling and still. Alexandre Monmousseau is a fifth-generation vigneron who founded Alexandre M in 2020 after many years working in the business. His focus is small production, hand-crafted cuvées. These include a sparklin...

A Tour de France wine road trip? Mais Oui! Melanie and David continue sharing their experiences and impressions traveling with wine importer Kysela Pére & Fils to leading wine regions of France to meet producers and learn about their wines. Regions and producers discussed in the second of this two-Part series: Southern Rhône Valley, Provence-Bandol, Cassis, Roussillon, Bordeaux, Loire Valley....

Have you ever dreamed of visiting France's great wine regions to meet producers, taste their wines, and enjoy local food? Melanie and David share their experience traveling with importer, Kysela Pére & Fils, throughout France for a behind-the-scenes look at how wines are selected for U.S. market. Part One of this series spotlights: Champagne, Alsace, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Bugey, Northern Rhône...

Among Italy's most acclaimed wine regions, DOCG Chianti Classico has many well-known producers. Some have centuries-old estates. An example is Villa Calcinaia in Greve-in-Chianti which dates to 1524. It is owned by the Capponi family who started bottling their wines in the 1950s. Conte Sebastiano Capponi and his brother, Niccolò, took over estate management in 1992. Sebastiano discusses the family...

Valeria Agosta is owner of family-run Palmento Costanzo in Sicily’s Etna DOC and located in the northern Contrada Santo Spirito in the heart of the Parco Naturelle dell'Etna. Unique to this area are centuries-old pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines. The winery is built into a restored 18th century stone "palmento," a traditional stone winemaking structure, also unique to this region. Wines are made usi...

A fourth- generation vintner, Giampaolo Tabarrini shares his passion for Umbria and its wines, notably Sagrantino di Montefalco, a voluptuous red wine produced excusively in this region of Umbria, and Trebbiano Spoletino,- also indigenous- producing an aromatic white wine. Expressive and full of energy, Tabarrini hosted Melanie and David at his expansive new family run winery and is considered one...

How do bats and bees impact biodiversity in the vineyards? “Bees are important pollinators; bats and other insects provide natural pest control,” says Marie-Catherine Dufour, Technical Director, Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB). She shares new research on how bats and bees are natural allies for improving biodiversity in the vineyards and discusses Bordeaux’s impressive drive to accomplish new benchma...

In Umbria, Italy, Chiara Lungarotti, chairman of Lungarotti Winery, discusses her family estates in Montefalco, known for its DOCG Sagrantino di Montefalco red wine and Torgiano, which produces single estate Sangiovese reds. She reminisces about her late father, Giorgio Lungarotti, who was a pioneer of modern oenology and agronomy in Umbria. Today, Chiara oversees the family business with her moth...

The Perrin and Lurton families have deep roots in AOC Pessac-Léognan, “the gateway to Bordeaux.” Marc Perrin’s grandfather, Anthony Perrin, helped create the AOC in 1987. Marc oversees 13th century Château Carbonnieux, one of Bordeaux’s oldest and largest estates. André Lurton dedicated his life to making wine for 70 years and established four family-owned estates in Pessac-Léognan, including Chât...

Many producers in AOC Graves are family run, some for centuries and newer producers who appreciate its signature “Gravas de Bordeaux” gravelly soils, ideal for making exceptional white and red wines. Caroline and Xavier Perromat represent the ninth-generation family at Château de Cérons, a 17th century estate. Pierre-Edouard Chatin and his winemaker wife, Amélie, acquired 17th century Château de R...

Eduardo Chadwick is descendent of two important Chilean wine families. The Errázuriz family settled in Chile from Spain in 1735; the Chadwicks arrived from England in 1820. Since 1983, Eduardo has overseen the family estates: Viña Errázuriz (est. 1870, Aconcagua Valley) Viñedo Chadwick (est. 1945, Maipo Alta Valley), and Viña Seña (est. 1995, Aconcagua Valley). He reflects on his father, Alfonso C...

As Chair of the Hospitality Practice at Fox Rothschild LLP, and Labor Counsel to the New York City Hospitality Alliance, Carolyn Richmond is a sought-after expert on labor and workplace issues. Richmond has worked with many high- profile restaurateurs, bar owners and hotels in New York. She discusses how #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, the demand for better wages and benefits and the pandemic have chan...

Di Palo Fine Foods on the corner of Mott and Grand Street in New York City's Little Italy has been a beloved destination for fine Italian food products for more than a century. An immigrant from Basilicata, Savino Di Palo opened his "latteria" in 1910. Di Palo's now sells over 300 Italian cheeses alone. Savino's great grandson, Luigi (Lou) Di Palo, sources products from artisan producers throughou...