The Connected Table Live

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...

Dirty sodas, freezer martinis, alcohol-free drinks, functional beverages, pistachios, kataifi, conchas, Turkish ice cream, stuffed croissants, Asian snacks and desserts, Yemeni coffee and Dubai chocolate bars. These are examples of foods and beverages we will be eating and drinking in 2025 according to the annual Trends Report jointly published by integrated marketing agencies, Carbonate Group and...

Southern cooking in the U.S.A. is diverse and culturally rich from state to state and community to community. Cook's Country Editors, Toni Tipton-Martin, an award-winning food journalist and author, and Morgan Bolling, recipe developer, producer and cast member, Cook's Country TV discuss the intersection of southern foodways and women's empowerment and their book, "When Southern Women Cook: Histor...

Sparkling wines produced in the traditional method (methode champenoise) are made around world. Champagne remains the benchmark and a protected designation. But elsewhere in France one can find crémants made in the same method with second fermentation taking place in the bottle. Italy has Franciacorta DOCG, and Spain has Cava D.O. Melanie and David discuss sparkling wines from England, Argentina,...

Amid the steep vineyards of the Côte-Rôtie in the Northern Rhône Valley you will see signs bearing the name E. Guigal, a storied family producer founded in 1946 by Étienne Guigal. His son, Marcel, and grandson, Philippe Guigal have continued his legacy, overseeing production of E. Guigal wines in several Rhône Valley appellation including Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermi...

Felicity Carter is the founder of the Drinks Insider podcast, research and content consultancy, as well as Editorial Director of Areni Global, a fine wine think tank based in London. Previously, she was founding Executive Editor of The Drop at Pix, editorial consultant for Liv-ex, and Editor in Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International. Carter is a versatile wine writer who tackles intricat...

Umbria is a verdant landlocked region of hilltop villages including Montefalco, Orvieto, the monastery town of Assisi and Spoleto, home to a renowned performing arts festival. The local cuisine features grilled meats, porchetta and pasta with black truffles paired with red wines made from Sagrantino di Montefalco and Sangiovese Grosso. Livia Colantonio, co-proprietor of Castello delle Regine winer...

Samantha Weiss and Kelly Jacques own AYU Bakehouse, a popular corner bakery in New Orleans' Marigny neighborhood. AYU is an Indonesian term for joy and a nod to Kelly's family heritage. Customers line up for AYU's flakey croissants, pillowy pastries and specialties such as muffaletta breadsticks laced with olives and salami, “shroom boom,” a mushroom-filled crusty pastry, chocolate babka knots and...

Silver Oak Cellars was founded by two people on a handshake in 1972. Ray Twomey Duncan was a visionary Colorado entrepreneur who saw potential investing in California farmland to grow grapes. Justin Meyer was a winemaker and Christian Brothers member. They built a legendary wine focused solely on Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Napa. Ray's son, David Duncan, CEO since 2002, continues...

Stewards of the land in Sicily since the 1600s (17 generations), the Planeta family's influence on the evolution of Sicilian wines is significant. Alessio Planeta, CEO, discusses his family’s history in Sicily, their role in focusing Sicily from bulk wine production to commercial bottling and the rediscovery and renaissance of Sicilian wines in the 21st century. Planeta has wine estates in five re...

Valeria Agosta is a family owner of Palmento Costanzo in Contrade Santo Spiritu in Sicily's Etna North region. Palmento Costanzo is a modern winery built into an 18th century stone palmento, an historic Etna winemaking structure. Valeria’s winemaker daughter, Serena, produces sublime Etna DOC wines from native Carricante bianco and Nerello Mascalese rosso sourced from specific contrade (production...

In 2000 Andrea Franchetti, purchased abandoned vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, an area marked by steep vineyards and vast lava fields. Franchetti focused on quality over quantity. He planted not only indigenous red Nerello Mascalese but also Chardonnay for his Passobianco and Petit Verdot and Cesanese d'Affile for his iconic Vini Franchetti red blend. Benjamin Franchetti took over...