Wine Stories

For this final episode of the 2nd season, I tell you the story of the Ahr valley disaster in July 2021. A tragic sequence of events with dramatic consequences but that will also trigger a great surge of solidarity. Image: @meyernaekel / Instagram

A special episode today with a selection of short stories. Funny, goofy, awkward stories of mistakes, mishaps or weird accidents… #podcast #histoiresdevins #winestories #shortstories #cortoncharlemagne #cross #flood #spill #accident

Today, I tell you the story of Tokaj, the mythical Hungarian wine that Louis XIV deemed “the king of wines and the wines of kings”. An episode where we talk about the House of Habsburg, the Lord of the Rings and the fall of the Iron Curtain. Image: Götz Pincészet

An incredible theft in a Michelin-starred restaurant, a wine bottle with an exceptional history and an unusual duo of thieves: here is the story of the Atrio robbery where we will talk about Game of Thrones, beauty pageants and gourmet cuisine. Image: José Polo & Toño Perez

From William the Conqueror and Eleanor of Aquitaine to the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the birth of Champagne, come with me on a journey exploring the intricate love story between England and wine. And who knows, maybe by the end of this episode, I will have managed to convince you to try an English wine… Picture: Samuel Atkins, The Frigate Watercolour ca. 1787-1808, Victoria & Albert Mus...

In the spring of 1951, the quiet village of Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy is being disturbed by an unexpected racket and a young vigneron works hard to restore an ancient vineyard abandoned since the phylloxera outbreak. On this fallow land where cows used to graze, he will recreate a plot destined to become of the most iconic vineyards in the world: the Cros Parantoux. Photo: Christian Bon

Egon Müller, a name that only keen wine lovers will know but what a reputation! This German winery established in the Saar valley not far from the city of Trier makes some of the world’s greatest white wines declining all shades of Riesling from the prestigious Scharzhofberg vineyard. From the French Revolution to the Paris’ universal exhibition in 1900 and record-breaking prices, come with me to...

This is the story of an amazing treasure hunt across the world searching for the most formidable and elusive wine cellar in history. Get on board for an incredible adventure full of red herrings, spider webs, century-old bottles and large calibre guns… Photo: John Baker

If you are a fine wine lover or if you have inherited the family collection, you may have already come across one of the Etablissement Nicolas’ lists. For nearly 50 years, this family wine merchant founded 200 years ago has edited almost every year a Christmas leaflet featuring some of the finest and oldest wines in its collection. But more than a mere sales catalogue, Nicolas’ list was a unique o...

Welcome to this new season of Wine Stories! For this first episode, I tell you the story of a milestone event in the world of wine. Paris, 1976. A young English wine merchant has invited a group of renowned French experts for a blind tasting of California wines. But what was supposed to be a tasting like any other will become be a turning point in the recent wine history. Come with me for a fascin...

For this 15th and last episode of the year, let me take you to one of Asia’s most fascinating cities, Hong Kong, where this mind-boggling case occurred in 2010 in the salons of the very high-profile Country Club. A story in which we talk about opium, fine wines and unexpected criminals. I hope that you will enjoy this story and stay tuned for more content in 2024 and a new season of Wine Stories!

For this 14th episode of the first season, we go back in time to the origins of a reference document for Bordeaux fine wines: the 1855 classification. Made at Napoleon III’s request, this hierarchy was supposed to be only a one-time picture of Bordeaux finest vineyards. Yet, nearly 170 years it is still the reference for Medoc & Sauternes. So how is it that this list became a major part of Bor...

In this new episode, I take you to Piedmont in an area that has had to endure a lot of hardship before meeting success and becoming one of the world’s most amazing wine regions: the Langhe. Get onboard to discover the great wines of Barolo and Barbaresco in an episode where we talk about Napoleon, chainsaws and contemporary art. Photo: Cantina Caputo

In 1985, Hardy Rodenstock presents to the world bottles of Château Lafite and Château d’Yquem 1787 and 1784 supposedly found in an underground Parisian cellar. If some of the most prominent wine merchants and collectors trust him, others have doubts about these bottles challenging the Thomas Jefferson narrative and they will start investigating to get to the bottom of the case. Here is the 2nd cha...

This is the first of two episodes telling an absolutely legendary story in the world of wine. In 1985, a collector finds behind the wall of an underground cellar in Paris a formidable treasure that will create an unprecedented turmoil amongst fine wines merchants and collectors around the world. Dive into this incredible story between Paris, London and New York where we come across Malcolm Forbes,...

2nd part of this podcast about Loire valley wines where we talk about 3-Michelin star chefs, Wimbledon and noble rot. We will start by sampling the tender rosés from Anjou before tasting Chinon’s structure, the refined Sancerre reds and the juicy Gamays of the Côte Roannaise. And as a conclusion we will discover some of the world’s finest sweet wines! Enjoy! Picture credit: Generationvignerons.com...

Of all the wine regions in France, the Loire is undeniably the most stretched out and the most original in its diversity. From the Côtes du Forez to Sancerre, from Berry to Nantes via Touraine and Anjou, the Loire Valley is one of the most diverse in terms of terroirs and grapes varieties as well as style of wines. In this first episode, we will taste bubbles and dry white wines talking about Balz...

In times of war, all the goods are being requisitioned or stolen and wine is no exception. However, the two stories I will tell you today go way beyond simple tales of plundering by brutal and drunken soldiers in the cellars of the invaded country, there are testimonies to the terrible conflicts that have torn apart Europe in the XXth century. From the naval battles of the Great War and the comman...

For 300 years, Russia has had a very special relation with Champagne. Praised by the tsars to the point of ordering tailor-made cuvees and launching sparkling wine production in Russia, social and political symbol in the Staline’s Soviet Union and diplomatic leverage for Vladimir Putin in 2021, Champagne has a special place in Russia. From the creation of Roederer Cristal to the soviet gulags and...

The Canary islands and the Azores have long been considered to be the last remains of the lost continent of Atlantis. But beyond the myth and the postcard, these volcanic archipelagos hide a well-kept secret: they are home to some of the world’s most fascinating vineyards able to produce exceptional wines. Today, I invite you to a journey across the Atlantic to discover the wines of the Azores and...

In January 2010, Aubert de Villaine, co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti receives in his personal mailbox, a letter from a blackmailer who threatens the domaine and demands a 1M€ ransom. He intends to poison the vines of the mythical Burgundy grand cru. Today, I tell you an incredible story of blackmail and extorsion with a tragic ending. Who tried to poison Romanée-Conti ?

The gnarled and twisted aspect of an old vine has an aura, something almost mystic that echoes of history, traditions and romanticism as much as it promises a nectar. But what makes the quality of these ancient vineyards. Discussing viticulture, wine tasting and travels around the world, I invite you to discover the world’s oldest vineyards in a podcast talking about Louis XIV, smugglers and Jimi...

What’s the common point between the popes in Avignon, Alexandre Dumas, the creation of AOCs and UFOs? Chateauneuf-du-Pape: 3,200 hectares, 320 producers, 13 grape varieties and 4 main terroirs. Follow me in Provence to discover what makes this unique village, a figurehead of French wine. Bonne écoute! Crédit photo : Syndicat des Vignerons de Châteauneuf-du-Pape

In March 2012, Rudy Kurniawan was arrested in his home by the FBI and sentenced a year later to 10 years in prison and nearly $50M in punishment and retribution for mail fraud and wire fraud. While the investigation did uncover the counterfeiter’s workshop, many unanswered questions remain about the character, the money or potential accomplices in this incredible case. Discover the secrets of the...

In the early 2000s in California, a 25-year-old Indonesian starts to make a name for himself as a fine wine buyer and collector. Within a few years, he becomes a fascinating character in the world of wine thanks to his tasting skills and his extraordinary cellar filled with crazy bottles. But this picture of a of passionate and ambitious young wine collector hides a disturbing secret… Today, the f...