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 episode of Season 3: Farming for Terroir peels back the layers of regenerative farming, soil health, and the future of our planet as we know it. No big deal.<...

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 of our conversation with Jean. The full, extended interview is available only to Roadside Insiders, and substack subscribers. 

As of today (!) we will begin hosting all Roadside Insider Bo...

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 Terroir.

This episode explores the witchy world of biodynamics in order to discover whether this mystical method has a real influence on the vines and the wines themselves, or if it's all just...

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 Schoener's intimate 12 Seats symposium series, and we are guided by our longtime supporter, mentor, and friend, Paul Wasserman. Paul begins by blinding the gro...

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 the history of farming back to its roots.

Join us as we take a tour of the 100 year old vines of Domaine Pierre Gonon with the...

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 cellar during harvest of 2022 for an in-depth discussion about all of the fascinating farming details that contribute to making this topic such a complicated one. 

This is a very special episode for Roadside Terroir a...

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 with Abe Schoener of the Scholium Project and the Los Angeles River Wine Company, before digging into the reality of these concepts with the lovable and brilliant Chiara Pepe of Emidio Pepe--all with the added...

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 tasting vintages that date back to the 90s with the people who know them best.

We're so excited to have you along fo...

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 farm for terroir.

In Episode 1: Why Farming Matters we:

*  Meet Cyril Courvoisier, a rising star of Cornas, regeneratively farming its steep slopes aga...

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 don't miss out!

Want to support the show? Become a Roadside Insider to help keep the show on the road and all of...

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 Roadside Insider.

See you soon.

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 attempt to identify the characteristics of its taste. Next, we visit some unassuming vineyards with exceptional farmers in order to explore the relevance of terroir in a farmer's wo...

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 exploring the classic rocks of the Côte de Nuits, we consider how world wars and human industry have shaped the landscape and the reputations of these unique villages. 

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 discussing the history of the Cistercian monks in the famed Clos de Vougeot, and attempt to discover the truth behind these legends as we walk through one grand cru after another. The episode concludes a...

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 perspective to consider the individual vines, working together as a living, changing entity before tasting some of the most precious wines on the planet. This exploration opened our minds to a deeper meaning of terroir and the...

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 locations, identify the characteristics of the most famous vineyards, and see if we can taste these differences in the wines themselves. 

Featuring our guests Camille...

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, then explore the minerality of the Chassagne limestone with Anne Morey, and taste through premier crus with Dominique Lafon.

We are guided through the vines of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet by G...

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 the end of harvest we stop in at Domaine Bruno Clair in order to get a vintage perspective from the Côte de Nuits. 

This unique episode is meant to capture the sounds and feelings of a tru...

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 des Grands Crus, back into the western hills, making our way through Monthelie and Auxey Duresses as we head to St. Romain to consider Burgundian terroir from a di...

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 featured in this episode include: Michael Sager (Sager and Wilde), Paul Wasserman (Becky Wasserman & Co.), Rajat Parr (Phelan Farm), François  de Nicolay (Domaine Chandon de Briailles), Chisa Biz...

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 terroirs we have just seen and discusses the winemaking philosophies behind each site.

For access to all extended interviews and other bonus content sign up to be a Roadside Te...

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, between wine quality and reputation.

Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Win...

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 originated. Once we arrive in Beaune, we tour the city, and stop for lunch at a favorite local spot before walking the ancient underground cellars beneath the ci...

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 upcoming season. 

Thank you to our Season 2 Sponsors: La Paulée, Acker Wines, and Becky Wasserman & Co.

Don't forget to hit subscribe so you can be t...

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 listeners link you! Visit our website roadsideterroir.com to explore bonus content and learn how to support the show. 

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The third episode of our Santa Barbara season dives into the heart of Santa Barbara County. We start in Santa Maria, home of the oldest vines in the county, and head south on Highway 101. We stop in Los Alamos to explore this small-town culinary mecca, and then continue on to Ballard Canyon—the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. This episode focuses on the people and the history of the valley, and how they frame the geology, terroir, and wines.

This episode is brought to you by All American Drilling Incorporated, and listeners like you. Visit our we...

This episode explores the range of factors that contribute to the unique expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Santa Barbara County's Santa Rita Hills AVA. We are guided by a diverse group of winemakers, journalists, sommeliers, and friends from Point Conception to all corners of the appellation. We discuss everything from diatomite, to earth's axial tilt, to the progression of winemaking styles in order to identify the components of balance in this extreme part of the world.

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The first episode of our Santa Barbara season takes us through the ancient vines of Los Angeles County, up the rugged coastline of Highway 1, and into the busy Funk Zone of downtown Santa Barbara. Along the way we discuss the tectonic history of Southern California and its influence on the terroir of Santa Barbara County. We sit down with winemakers and friends from LA to SB to discuss wine, geology, seafood, and surf breaks--all in search of an answer to the question: What is Santa Barbara's terroir?

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Take a sneak peek of the first-ever episode of Roadside Terroir. Our first season takes place in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. The first episode will introduce the area as a wine growing region and describe the coastal geology along the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. 

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