Roadside Terroir

Climate change is threatening the world's great vineyards and the beautiful wines they produce. But can farming vines and drinking wine actually reverse these effects? Regenerative farming is a ray of hope for the agricultural industry that promises a way to feed the masses without bringing down the house in the process. And the key to saving the world is right beneath our feet: soil. Our final ep...

Welcome back to Roadside Terroir Season 3: Farming for Terroir This mini-episode takes you behind-the-scenes for an extended look at our conversation with the organic farming guru of the Northern Rhône, Jean Gonon of Domaine Pierre Gonon. In this clip, Jean discusses each of the parcels he works with and how the terroirs contribute to his (absolutely stunning) final wines. This is just a portion o...

Cow horns filled with crystals buried under a full moon. Potions brewed of chamomile, stinging nettle and fermented cow dung. Energizing vortexes and humans developing the characteristics of the animals that fertilize their foods. Are these instructions from a magical book of spells, or a practical guide to viticulture?  Happy Halloween and welcome back to Roadside Terroir - Season 3 - Farming for...

Can you really taste a place? Is minerality a myth? How did these concepts influence the creation of the famous crus of Burgundy?   This episode takes a brief departure from our Season 3 deep dive into the Terroir of Farming to explore one of the most important skills we can develop as wine tasters – how to taste terroir. This episode takes place deep in the heart of Los Angeles at our friend Abe...

Many of us consider organic farming to be just the starting point in the search for responsibly farmed wines. But what does it take to farm a vineyard organically, and how common are organically certified grapes? Is it easier to be organic in some terroirs than in others? And where did this whole organic movement come from in the first place? Today we'll take a look at organic practices by tracing...

Seiichi Saito of Domaine Petit-Roy isn't organic, and yet he spent several years spraying his vines with with skim milk instead of sulfur. He studied desertification at university, but still tills his soils. Seiichi's farming defies the soundbites and stereotypes that many believe good farming should be, and yet his wisdom and insight couldn't be more obvious. This episode takes you into Seiichi's...

Are farming methods practical choices, or philosophical ideals? And which is more important when you're choosing a bottle of wine for your Tuesday night dinner table? In Episode 3: Farming Philosophies - Part 1, we get to the heart of what producers and professionals care about most when it comes to farming-- certifications, or intentions? The episode starts out with a deep philosophical inquiry w...

Season 3 Episode 2: Verticals Join us for an inside look at one of the most celebrated tastings of the year: The Verticals Tasting at La Paulee.  In this episode we go behind the scenes to talk to some of the most inspiring Burgundian producers to see how terroir, tradition, and taste evolve over time --  and how this is all expressed in the glass. We'll geek about SO2 and trellising systems while...

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...

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...

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 R...

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 at...

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 exp...

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 discu...

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 per...

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 l...

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,...

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...

Episode 3 continues our exploration of pinot noir in the Côte de Beaune by diving into one of the biggest rivalries of the Côte d'Or: Pommard and Volnay. We scour the vineyards, the rocks, and the history books in order to understand why these two neighbors produce such drastically different wines. After an intense discussion of some of our favorite sites, we veer off the beaten path of the Routes...

Our second episode takes us out onto the RN74 on a hunt for both rocks and answers. We're joined by our local geologist-hero, Françoise Vannier as we hike up the Hill of Corton, and down into the Valley of Savigny-les-Beaune and Pernand-Vergelesses. Our goal is to discover the truth behind the legends that intersect the worlds of soils, wines, and kings, but end up discovering much more. Guests fe...

Established in 2005, Domaine des Croix organically farms 7.75 hectares /19.15 acres in the Côte de Beaune. We first introduced David in Part II of Episode 1 where he memorably told us about almost dying on his tractor on the steep, tilted slopes of Beaune Bressandes.  In this bonus episode, we continue back to the cellar with David and taste through his Beaune wines. He describes the wines and ter...

Part 2 of our first episode of Season 2 picks up right where we left off, as we head into the vineyards of Beaune with the vignerons who know it best. This episode explores the connections between the land and the people that make Beaune so unique by looking into the role of the négociant over time, the history of Biodynamic Farming in the Côte d'Or, and the connections, or perhaps dis-connections...

Season 2: Burgundy's Côte d'Or starts out on the train from Paris to Beaune. On our ride, we describe the formation of the Paris Basin and the rocks that make up the slopes of Burgundy as we cruise through the French countryside. We dive into the history of the region, from Roman times to the Dukes of Burgundy to the French Revolution in order to understand where the reputation of Burgundy's wines...

Season 2: Burgundy's Côte d'Or is coming soon! Are you ready for a sneak-peek? We've spent over 6 months exploring this historic region from every angle, and we can't wait to share it with you. Can you pick out any classic Burgundian sounds or voices in this teaser? Let us know @roadsideterroir   Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details on our team and how to support this upcomin...

Our final episode of Season 1 contemplates the future of this emerging region as we explore the eastern edges of Santa Barbara County, specifically the Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon American Viticultural Areas. The episode concludes with our final thoughts on the region, and a small reunion of the guests from throughout the season.    This episode is sponsored by Sei Querce Wines and listen...