E44 - Versado Winery

Donald Ziraldo is recognized as the most important figure in Canadian wine history. Some call him the godfather of Canadian wine. Recently, he launched a new project - making Prosecco in his family’s native village of Fagagna in the iconic Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. This episode tells the story of this amazing project.

Xavier Vignon is one of the most respected winemakers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of the most prestigious appellations in Côte du Rhône. During this interview, Xavier opens up about the unique terroir of Rhone, about climate change and sustainability, a subject that he's extremely passionate about, and why he fell in love with this region and helped to revive it since then. 

Steve De Long is the co-founder and president of De Long Maps & Charts. Steve De Long grew up in Oregon – a renowned wine region known for the Willamette Valley and their Pinot Noir. Working with his wife Deborah who trained as a textile designer, they combined their love of wine and design to create products that help people appreciate wine and learn about wine. They founded De Long Maps & Charts in 2004 after creating their first product: the grape variety table - the wine world's equivalent of the Periodic Table of the Elements. During this episode the fascinating world of cartography is explored and explained in detail by our guest where he explains that wine maps are actually an essential tool for wine lovers because wine is always about a place.

Wine

An interview with winemaker Ann Sperling and Peter Gamble, owner of Versado Winery. Versado is a small historic Malbec planting in the heart of Mendoza, Argentina. This interview will bring you to the Andes and will let you discover one of the gem of the region.

An interview with Adam Pearce, winemaker at Two Sisters Vineyards located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Two Sisters Vineyards founded by sisters Melissa & Angela is a gorgeous Estate of beautifully textured, world-class wines with extended barrel aging capability. 

Interview with winemaker at Windrush Estate Winery in the Hockley Valley region, Ontario, Jonathan Doyle. Windrush is a small winery that embraced cool climate wine varietals. Jonathan is considered one of the great Ontario winemakers; he won the Silver medal for a Riesling in the 2013 Ontario Wine Awards. A great interview that goes deep in the rabbit hole of winemaking.

An interview with a living legend, the King of Chenin Blanc: Ken Forrester from Ken Forrester Vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa where he shares stories of his beloved land, Nelson Mandela and more.

An interview with New York City acclaimed and best-selling author Vanessa Price where she talks about her book Big Macs and Burgundy - the new reference about wine pairings with every day foods and snacks. 

A short episode update about some of our favourite wineries:  Creekside released their special Pandemic Package and Queenston Mile Vineyard special Drink and Drag Virtual Wine Tasting Event.