Roadside Terroir

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.  Don't forget to hit subscribe!

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? Don't forget to hit subscribe!

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. Don't forget to hit subscribe!

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 website roadsideterroir.com to explore bonus content and learn how to support the show. Don’t forget to hit subscribe!

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.    Don't forget to hit subscribe!

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 the first to hear Season 2 Episode 1!

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 city... This season of Roadside Terroir is sponsored by Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulée, and Acker Wines. Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

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 Wines We would also like to thank Le Central Boutique Hôtel Beaune for helping to make this episode possible–make sure to check out this newly renovated boutique hotel located just steps away from the beautiful Hospice du Beaune next time you're in town.   Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

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 Terroir Insider at roadsideterroir.com - Interviews for S1 are available now, and S2 coming soon! Thank you to our Season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co , La Paulée, and Acker Wines. 

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 Bize (Domaine Simon Bize),  David Croix (Domaine des Croix), Aubert de Villaine (Domaine de la Romanée Conti), and a feature of our favorite Savigny restaurant Le Soleil. Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

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 different angle: through people who have made this place their home, in coffee, through barrels, and within music. Thank you to our guests: Thomas Bouley, Guillaume D'Angerville, Frédéric and Clothilde Lafarge,  Françoise Vannier, Matt McClune of St. Romain Coffee, Max Gigandet of François Frères, to Paul Wasserman, Daniel Johnnes, and Jasper Morris for their commentary, and the Auxey Morons for the tunes and the pizza.  Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!

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 true Burgundian harvest -- so you should expect it to sound a bit different, and a bit more off-the-cuff than our typical episodes. We'll be back with our full exploration of the Côte d'Or with a full episode dedicated to white burgundy next month! This episode is created by Brenna Quigley, Nick Canepa, and Jeff Alvarez. With support from Esa Eslami, Ali Massie, and our Grand Cru Patron Steve Lipin. This episode is sponsored in part by Hautes Côtes, a boutique travel and event planning company based in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. Thank you to our season 2 partners for making this season possible: Becky Wasserman & Co, La Paulee, and Acker Wines Check out our website roadsideterroir.com for more details and a full transcript of this episode, plus information about our team and how to support this season. Thank you for listening--don't forget to hit subscribe!