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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...

Tor Kenward founded TOR Wines in 2001 after a 27-year career with Beringer Estates where he established Beringer's School for American Chefs with Madeleine Kamman and the American Institute of Wine & Food with Julia Child and Robert Mondavi. Kenward's memoir, "Reflections of a Vintner," spans his 50 -career from the 1970s when Napa had less than 50 wineries to today with more than 400 wineries...

The Murúa of Bodegas Muriel is a venerable Rioja family. José Murúa founded his winery in 1926 in Elciego (Rioja Alavesa), an area known for exceptional terroir. His elegant, complex Rioja Reservas gained renowned. Bodegas Muriel, a compound of “ Murúa” and “Elciego,” is now run by 2nd and 3rd generations, Julian Murúa and son Javier Murúa Ganguitia. In the 2000s the family expanded, acquiring Con...

Want to learn the hottest trends in food, drink, dining, and hotels for 2024? Each year hospitality marketers, AF&CO and Carbonate, issue an annual trends report, and 2024 is jam-packed with a few "aha!" topics. Culinary cocktails, chilled red wines, invasive species cooking, sea ingredients like algae, kombu and uni, mortadella and meringue desserts are a few examples. Korean cuisine reigns,...

The Connected Table went to Italy to visit family-owned wineries in the Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC production areas of Veneto, Trento and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, collectively known as Triveneto. 82% of Italy's Pinot Grigio is produced here in four different styles: still, frizzante, sparkling and ramato. Learn what distinguishes Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC and discover producers to try, incl...

Founded in 1880 as California’s 29th bonded winery, Geyser Peak has been at the forefront of quality wine production. Since 2020, the Kreps family of Quintessential have been stewards of this storied brand, continuing to reach for winemaking peaks. Geyser Peak sources its grapes from some of Northern California’s best vineyards for their AVA-specific and California- appellated wines which are accl...

Narrow, winding roads lead to the hilltop vineyards of Le Ragose, a family-run estate in Valpolicella Classico (Negrar comune) in Italy’s Veneto. In 1969, Oenologist Arnaldo Galli, and his wife Marta began to research and experiment with new techniques in viticulture and winemaking. Their sons, Paolo and Marco, now run Le Ragose with Paolo’s daughter, Marta, involved. All fruit is estate grown. Wi...

"Quintessential" means “the best of its kind.” For Steve Sr. and Dennis Kreps, it meant focusing on small, family-owned wineries to establish Quintessential in 2003. Based in Napa, this family owned/operated import, marketing and sales company represents independent multi-generational winemaking families around the world. That’s currently 30 families and 41 wineries in 11 countries. The cofounders...

Philippe Pascal traded a successful corporate career in fine wines and luxury goods working in successive CEO positions for Seagram and LVMH to work full time as a vigneron in Bourgogne. He and wife, Catherine, own Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, a nine-centuries- old wine estate in the Côte Chalonnaise which they have restored. In 2020, the Pascal family and Winemaker, Guillame Marko, established...

Emidio Pepe founded his namesake winery in 1964 in Abruzzo after working with his father and grandfather. He achieved renowned for producing some of Italy's most age-worthy wines made from native Trebbiano and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo varieties. The family-run wine estate is overseen by Pepe's wife, daughters and granddaughters, including Chiara Pepe who is involved with vineyard management. She di...

Nearly 30 percent of all food produced in the U.S. goes to waste each year. Food waste is one of the top 10 contributors to carbon output in the environment. Food scientist and natural foods product developer, Emily Darchuk, studied dairy science and sought a way to upcycle whey, the liquid byproduct left after cheesemaking. Producing one pound of cheese creates nine pounds of whey. Emily repurpos...

Amanda Schuster has worn many hats: trained sommelier, retail wine and spirits buyer, writer, author, metalsmith, aspiring cosmetologist (she’s a proud beauty school dropout) and medieval history scholar. Author of New York Cocktails and Drink Like a Local- A Field Guide to New York’s Best Bars, she discusses her latest book, Signature Cocktails (Phaidon), a collection of 200 cocktails from around...

In 1993 American Alex Gambal moved his family to Beaune to learn the wine business and embrace a French lifestyle. He apprenticed with Becky Wasserman, studied oenology, and established Domaine Alex Gambal in 1997. By the time he sold his business in 2019, Gambel owned 30 acres of vineyards that included the storied Grand Cru Bâtard Montrachet. In his memoir, "Climbing the Vines in Burgundy," Gamb...

Melissa Muller and husband, Fabio Sireci, run Feudo Montoni, an organic farm and winery in central Sicily. Feudo Montoni's history dates to 1469. Rosario Sireci purchased the estate in the late 1800s; Fabio is the third-generation owner. Feudo Montoni produces minimal intervention cru wines from native varieties, some cultivated from ancient vines. Muller, a culinary anthropologist, is author of S...

The best inventions are those which solve everyday problems. For Greg Lambrecht, a fine wine enthusiast and founder of Coravin, it was how to preserve an open bottle of wine to enjoy later. A practicing physician and researcher, Lambrecht is a prolific inventor with more than 200 patents for breakthrough medical devices. He spent eight years devising and testing 15 wine preservation protypes and a...

Marilisa Allegrini has been called The First Lady of Amarone." As President/CEO of The Allegrini Group, Marilisa has continued her late father, Giovanni‘s, commitment to viticultural innovation and excellence, producing world-renowned Valpolicella Classico wines. She has also expanded the family footprint in Italy, founding Poggio al Tesoro in Bolgheri in 2002 and acquiring San Polo in Montalcino...

Who wants to “go on a roadie and crack open some bonzer wines in the arvo.” That’s Australian lingo for “Let’s take a road trip and open some fantastic wines in the afternoon,” says Pia Merrick, Lead White Winemaker for Australia’s Barramundi Wines. Merrick shares a few Barramundi “ridgy-didge beauts” (Aussie-speak for genuinely good wines): Weekender White blend, Trailblazer Red Blend, Barramundi...

South Tyrol (Süditrol) Alto Adige in northeast Italy is unique for its German and Austrian influences in the food, architecture and dialect and its stunning Dolomite Mountains. The best vineyards are located on the mountain slopes. Cantina Tramin's Willi Stürz and Wolfgang Klotz discuss the history and wines of this historic cooperative. Architect-turned-vintner Elena Walch renovated her husband's...

Born into a rural North Carolina farming family, Ed Mitchell started slow-cooking whole hog pit-cooked barbeque at his family's store to help support his widowed mother. It became Mitchell’s Ribs, Chicken & B-B-Q. Mitchell is one of the nation's leading whole hog BBQ pitmasters and an inductee into the Barbeque Hall of Fame.” The family's story and recipes are documented in the book, “Ed Mitch...

Elizabeth Gabay is a Master of Wine living in the South of France who is author of two definitive books on rosé wines and a frequent lecturer on the subject “Rosé: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution” (2018) is a global overview of the history and styles of rosé. “Rosés of Southern France” (2022), co-written with her son, Ben Bernheim, is a handbook highlighting the terroir, traditions and regi...

Matt Moore's book, "Butcher on the Block" (William Morrow) cuts close to the heart. His grandfather, Abraham Samuel Dennis, owned Dennis Food Store in Valdosta, Georgia, where Matt recalls Abe's butchering skills and family dishes. Matt shares stories and expert tips from local butchers in the U.S. and France. A Nashville resident. Matt is an author, cook and airplane pilot whose other books inclu...

Loredan Gasparini in the Asolo/Montello Hills outside of Venice is unique for producing a Venegazzù cru red wine in this region better known for quality Prosecco. The winery was named for Count Piero Loredan Gasparini, a descendant of Leonardo Loredan, Doge of Venice. Current owner since 1973, Giancarlo Palla with his sons continue the tradition of producing cru red wines with longer aging. Lorenz...

Sally Cowal, a former U.S. diplomat, and Robert Muse, an international lawyer, are among Virginia's many independent family vintners. They own Muse Vineyards in the Shenandoah AVA. The couple purchased their first vineyard in 2003 and later acquired the adjacent farm to plant more vines. Today, Muse Vineyards cultivates 20 varieties and produces a range of award-winning wines, from Bordeaux blends...

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...

Part of a new generation of young wine producers in Abruzzo, Francesco Cirelli purchased his first parcel of land in 2003 to start Azienda Agricola Cirelli, now 23 hectares, all organically farmed. He began as a winemaker "garagiste" with the goal of making amphora-fermented wines with minimal intervention. Agricola Cirelli is located near the Gran Sasso National Park, home to one of the highest p...