The Connected Table Live

Located in Umbria near Lazio, Orvieto has a history in winemaking dating to the Etruscans. In the 13th century Orvieto was a refuge for five Popes and the wines were favored among the papal court. Sales of Orvieto wines partially financed the building of the Orvieto Cathedral. Orvieto DOC, est. 1971, produces blended white wines, mainly Grechetto and Procanico (Trebbiano Toscana). Orvietano Rosso...

Greco di Tufo is an iconic Italian white wine produced in Campania with an historic provenance. Scipione di Marzo first brought cuttings of local Greco vines from his hometown of Nola to replant in Tufo in 1647. Cantine di Marzo was officially registered with the Chamber of Commerce of Avellino as a Farm in 1833, making it the oldest winery in Campania and among the oldest in Southern Italy. Ferra...

Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara is a family-run winery with a luxury inn and restaurant called La Locanda di Logi located near San Gimignano, a town known for its 14 medieval towers. Patriarch Mario Logi acquired the former 11th century monastery and surrounding land in 1983 to plant vines. Here you can taste Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Tuscany’s only DOCG white wine, as well as Tuscan IGT reds from...

In Lombardia, Italy, Villa Franciacorta produces estate grown vintage Franciacorta DOCG sparkling wines and is home to Villa Gradoni Charme & Nature, a renovated 16th century farmhouse and agriturismo. Villa Franciacorta’s evolution is thanks to Alessandro Bianchi, who in 1960 acquired land in the area and made a commitment to restore and renew the region with a focus on the production of spar...

Growing up on the island of St. Lucia, Nina Compton loved to cook with her grandmother. Her path to becoming a celebrated chef and owner of Compère Lapin in New Orleans took her to Jamaica, New York and Miami. Becoming a finalist on BRAVO’s Top Chef New Orleans brought national exposure, many fans and drew her to New Orleans. She opened Compère Lapin in 2015. Compton shares her story in her autobi...

Sicily has been making wine for centuries, historically for local consumption or for selling to other wine regions in bulk to enhance their wines. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, “modern” Sicilian wine production evolved, creating terroir-driven wines with elegance and finesse that the world has embraced. The Connected Table Hosts Melanie Young and David Ransom discuss the wines of Cera...

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...

The Kautz family settled in California in 1926 from Germany to farm, eventually expanding into grape growing in the Lodi and Sierra Foothills appellations. Their Ironstone Vineyards located in Calaveras County is considered “the Queen of the Sierras” for its volcanic soils, optimum growing conditions and many grape varieties cultivated from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Cabernet Franc and Zinf...

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...

How does a culinary legend celebrate turning 90 years young? Jacques Pépin, daughter, Claudine Pépin and son-in-law, Dr. Rollie Wesen, executive director of the Jacques Pépin Foundation, discuss family, cooking together, the Foundation's mission and 90/90 birthday celebration featuring 90 fundraising dinners around the USA hosted by chefs. Funds raised support community-based kitchens offering cul...

Founded in 1925, Pasqua Vigneto E Cantine celebrates a century of winemaking expertise. The family-run Veronese wine company is led by its second and third generation, Umberto Pasqua, and his sons, Riccardo Pasqua, CEO, and Alessandro Pasqua, President of Pasqua USA. Its new “Pasqua House of the Unconventional” manifesto underscores the company’s commitment to quality and innovation as well as its...

Maestà della Formica (Majesty of the Ant) is named for a mountain pass in the Apuan Alpes near the winery which is an hour and a half from Lucca in the northwest corner of Tuscany. Founded in 2013 by Andrea Elmi and Marco Raffaelli, Maestà della Formica has 3.2 ha. of biodynamically farmed vineyards. Small parcels of grapes- international and indigenous- are mixed together to create unique field b...

Located in Carmignano near Florence, Tenuta di Capezzana has produced wine and olive oil since 804 A.D. Its villa, a wedding gift to a Medici daughter, is surrounded by olive groves, cyprus trees and rows of vineyards. Since the 1920s, Tenuta di Capezzana has been under the ownership of the Contini Bonacossi family, renowned art dealers from Spain who settled in Italy. Beatrice Contini Bonacossi d...

Mary Taylor worked in different areas of the wine industry before establishing her import company, Mary Taylor Wines. She sources wines from classic European regions that deliver authenticity and a sense of place for wine-curious consumers who seek accessibly priced bottles. Mary Taylor’s White Label wines spotlight a wine’s geographical origin, typicity and vigneron on the bottle. Hers is a succe...

The Moretti Cuseri family achieved success producing luxury goods in Italy. Hand-crafted luxury is also their approach to making wines at their five wine estates in Tuscany and Sicily. Export director and third generation, Alberto Moretti Cuseri, discusses each estate and wines starting with flagship Sette Ponti in Valdarno di Sopra DOC near Arezzo, which his grandfather acquired in 1951 and where...

Poderi Boscarelli (meaning “little forest”) is in Tuscany’s picturesque winemaking area of Montepulciano. In 1962 Egidio Corradi, a Genovese businessman, purchased the farms to grow grapes and make family wines. His daughter, Paola de Ferrari Corradi expanded and established the winery with her late husband. Paola’s sons, Luca and Nicolò now work with her. Boscarelli produces acclaimed Vino Nobile...

Known as the "Villa of 100 Chimneys," Tenuta di Artimino, built in 1596, served as the hunting lodge for Count Ferdinando de’ Medici. Acquired in the 1980s by Olympic bicyclist, Giuseppe Olmo, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. Italy's smallest DOCG Carmignano in Tuscany produces elegant red wines blended with Sangiovese (50% min.) and Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (20% max...

A Master of Wine for more than 25 years, Peter McCombie is a native New Zealander now living in London. After studying politics in college and traveling the world, McCombie worked in restaurants in Auckland and London and caught the wine bug. He worked in sales for several years before striking out on his own. McCombie is a sought-after consultant for restaurant wine lists, a frequent wine competi...

Dave McIntyre served as the wine critic for the Washington Post for 16 years where he covered timely industry topics including emerging regions and climate change and reviewed hundreds of wines. Now retired from both the newspaper and a separate career in public affairs, he continues his in-depth wine reporting on his Substack, Dave McIntyre’s WineLine, and as a columnist for The SOMM Journal. A D...

Rob McMillan, EVP & Founder, Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division, is a leading wine-business analyst in the U.S.A. and author of Silicon Valley Bank’s highly regarded annual State of the Wine Industry Report. His views are sought after and trusted by winery owners, journalists, entrepreneurs and investors. He has been named several times as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the U.S. w...

Saffron Nola is the vision of husband and wife, Arvinder Vilkhu and Pardeep Vilkhu, blending Indian and New Orleans heritages and flavors into dishes that have attained high praise. Arvinder grew up in India to a family of engineers but chose a career in hospitality and moved to New Orleans in 1984.The Vilkhus cooked for friends, eventually establishing Saffron Nola Catering. They opened Saffron N...

Gradis'Ciutta is a family-run winery in DOC Collio, a hilly region in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia known for producing exceptional terroir-driven white wines. Originally called Monsvini (Mountain of Wine), the farm dates to 1780. The Princic family started Gradis'Ciutta with five hectares in 1945 after World War II and now own close to 100. As a young boy, Robert Princic worked in the vineyards with his...

In his long career, Bordeaux-based oenologist, Michel Rolland, has consulted for over 150 wine estates in 14 countries, earning him the moniker, "The Flying Winemaker" He has overseen more than 50 vintages. At least 400 wine estates utilize the services of his laboratories located in France and Mendoza. Rolland discusses his work and his wineries in Argentina and South Africa. The Connected Table...

Bartholomew Broadbent, is CEO of Broadbent Selections, a fine wine importer, and owner/founder of Broadbent, whose proprietary label includes fine Port, Madeira, wines from Portugal and California. He is an authority on Port and Madeira and frequent speaker on wine. Broadbent Selections imports many fine wines including Lebanon’s Chateau Musar, South Africa’s Sadie Family Wines and Australia’s Tyr...

Author, Educator, TV Show Host Nathalie Dupree authored 15 books on southern cooking and entertaining including "Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking." Recipient of Four James Beard Awards and numerous honors Dupree's work as an educator inspired legions of cooks. Richard Grausman founded Careers in the Culinary Arts (C-CAP) which has provided essential skills-training and career opportunities to...