Read Between the Wines Podcast

Pierre Ferland

Read Between the Wines Podcast is not really a podcast, it's a repository of stories from the wine world. It is focused on the narratives behind the winemakers rather than wine scoring.

Founded and hosted by Vino-enthusiast Pierre Ferland, it offers a different and refreshing concept in wine exploration. Each episode offers a unique perspective on vineyard's tales, much like each vintage brings its own profile and personality to a blend. Some conversations will delve into winemaking techniques, while others will explore initiatives to preserve biodiversity and find solutions to combat climate change.

From a consumer perspective, we are intrigued by how wine scoring has dominated the industry, leaving many enthusiasts perplexed by its intricacies yet still relying on a solitary number for their selections. We understand and respect the fact that a generous score can help move a few bottles and we won't hold it against any wineries, but from a vintner and a winemaker perspective, we pose a pivotal question: what legacy do you wish to imprint upon your clientele? A numerical rating, or the compelling tale of your craft? Think about it. What score would you give to the "Mona Lisa" or "The Starry Night" from Van Gogh? About "Composition 8" from Kandinsky or "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo. It's very subjective indeed and so is Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia and Riesling from Germany.

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21 episodes
Updated Today

Episodes21

Newest first

Today · 58 min
E100 - Pascal Marchand · Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, France
In 2001, a bottle of Clos des Épeneaux 1996 landed on our podcast host's table and changed the course of his wine life forever. It didn't simply introduce him to Burgundy; it changed the way he understood wine, place, patience, and beauty. The man who made it had no idea. While that bottle was beginning its journey around the world, Pascal Marchand was in Burgundy, celebrating the birth of his second son. That bottle and the story behind it, is where Episode 100 of Read Between the Wines begins. Pascal arrived in Burgundy in 1983 as a young merchant marine from Montreal with no vineyard, no family name, and no wine pedigree. Two years later, at just 22 years old, he became only the second non-Frenchman ever appointed to lead a Burgundian estate, taking the reins at Domaine Comte Armand and its legendary Clos des Épeneaux. Over the next fifteen vintages, he helped shape one of Burgundy's most iconic wines. One of them changed our host's life. In this special centennial episode, Pascal and host Pierre Ferland travel through four decades of Burgundy: the generation of young vignerons who reshaped the region together, the lessons he learned from Henri Jayer, why he embraced biodynamics long before it became fashionable, and why terroir still matters more than technique. In their intimate conversation, they explore the personalities of Chambertin and Mazis-Chambertin, the quiet brilliance of Burgundy's centuries-old classification system, the realities of climate change, and the challenge of preserving identity in a world where harvests arrive a month earlier than they once did. But this conversation reaches far beyond Burgundy. They talk about prestige and speculation, about whether great wine is becoming a luxury asset instead of something meant to be shared, and about what happens when younger generations drink differently than those before them. Pascal's answers are thoughtful, deeply human, and ultimately hopeful. His reflections on pleasure, generosity, and the role wine plays in our lives may be the most important part of the entire conversation. Episode 100 was always going to be personal. For our podcast host, it was always going to be Burgundy. Featuring: Pascal Marchand, Maison Marchand-Tawse, Clos des Épeneaux, Domaine Comte Armand, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambertin Grand Cru, Mazis-Chambertin, Pinot Noir, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Moray Tawse.
Thursday · 59 min
E99 - Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute · Tuscany, Italy
Sixty years before "drink less, but better" became an industry mantra, one man in Tuscany was already living it. His grandson has spent his whole career proving him right. In this episode, Pierre sits down with Giovanni Folonari, of Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute, the family behind four distinct Tuscan estates built on a single conviction: that quality can't be rented, it has to be owned. The conversation moves through Nozzole, the Chianti Classico estate where clay soil and history run deep; Tenute del Cabreo, the Supertuscan project that dared to plant Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and even Pinot Noir on Sangiovese ground; Campo al Mare, the family's late but decisive bet on Bolgheri; and Tenuta La Fuga, the smallest estate in the portfolio and home to a Brunello Riserva named for two sisters. Along the way, Giovanni talks candidly about the family decision to walk away from an easier, more recognisable business, what it actually takes to grow Pinot Noir outside Burgundy, and why hospitality became part of the estate's identity long before the rest of the wine world caught on. Want more? A bonus episode, going deeper into the family's history, the technical side of the cellar, and a side of Giovanni that has nothing to do with wine at all, is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: Chianti Classico, Supertuscan, Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Sangiovese, family winery, Italian fine wine, terroir, wine and hospitality.
July 24 · 58 min
E98 - Il Borro · Tuscany, Italy
In 1985, Ferruccio Ferragamo went looking for game in the hills between Florence and Arezzo. He came home having found a thousand-year-old medieval village instead. Years later, his son Salvatore rode a bicycle into those same hills and saw something his father hadn't: a valley whose soil told an entirely different story in every direction, sandstone in one corner, clay rich with sea fossils in another, the memory of an ocean that vanished millions of years before anyone planted a vine. This is the story of Il Borro — a family better known for shoes than soil, who spent three decades turning a ruin into one of Tuscany's most decorated organic estates, and who are now writing a second chapter in Montalcino. Salvatore Ferragamo, Vice President of Il Borro, sits down with Pierre Ferland to talk about the Valdarno di Sopra, an appellation the estate helped bring back from obscurity, the single vineyard behind Alessandro dal Borro, named for a Medici military commander built on an unusually large scale, the horses that plough Nitrito instead of tractors, and Petruna, a return to ancient amphora winemaking that strips Sangiovese back to something almost nothing else in Tuscany attempts. And at the very end, Salvatore says something about Pinino, the family's newer estate in Montalcino, that he didn't have to admit. But did anyway. The bonus episode, where Salvatore goes into the years before certification, the business case behind the vineyard's solar fields, and what actually earns a second bottle of wine, is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: Il Borro, Valdarno di Sopra DOC, Tuscany, Italy, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinino, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino.
July 21 · 44 min
E97 - Château Léoville Poyferré · Bordeaux, France
Sara Lecompte Cuvelier swore she would never work in wine. Then in 2018, she became Managing Director of one of the five Second Grand Cru Classé estates in Saint-Julien. Her sister Anne had already been there for thirteen years, building something from nothing. That is the story of Château Léoville Poyferré — and neither of them planned any of it. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Sara and Anne Cuvelier at Château Léoville Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France, for the first of a two-part conversation. The Cuvelier family has been in wine since 1804, beginning as négociants near Lille in the north of France, acquiring Léoville Poyferré in 1920, and extending the family story all the way to the foot of the Andes in Mendoza with Cuvelier Los Andes in 2003. The conversation covers what it means to inherit something you did not build. The demi-wolf on the label that belonged to the Lawton family and was kept without question. The family motto borrowed from Le Petit Prince: the essential is invisible to the eye. Anne building wine tourism at a classified growth estate before Bordeaux believed that was possible. Sara arriving with a background in human resources and discovering it was exactly what the job required. And the word Sara says you need to remember about this estate. Not prestige. Not history. Precision. Part two, where Sara and Anne go deep into the vineyard, the wines, and what Bordeaux still needs to say out loud, is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, Médoc, Bordeaux, France, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Second Grand Cru Classé.
July 10 · 59 min
E96 - Tenuta Sette Ponti · Tuscany, Italy
In 1935, a viceroy ordered a vineyard planted in the hills between Florence and Arezzo. Not to make wine. To mark a military conquest. Ninety years later, that same vineyard is producing one of the most celebrated Sangiovese in all of Tuscany. This is the story of Tenuta Sette Ponti — an estate that began as a hunting retreat, became a family obsession, and is now home to Oreno, a wine that has gone toe to toe with the great Bordeaux blends of France. Blind. And won. Alberto Moretti Cuseri, third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family and Export Director of the estate, sits down with Pierre Ferland to talk about the Valdarno di Sopra, one of Italy's oldest wine zones, certified fully organic and still largely unknown outside serious wine circles. The conversation covers the Vigna dell'Impero and its 90-year-old vines, the portfolio from Crognolo to Oreno, a pure Merlot called Sette, and a Trebbiano that makes a quiet argument for one of Italy's most underrated white grapes. And at the very end, Alberto says something about wine and identity that lands differently than anything else in this conversation. Featuring: Tenuta Sette Ponti, Valdarno di Sopra, Oreno, Crognolo, Vigna dell'Impero, Tuscany wine, Super Tuscan, Sangiovese, Italian wine podcast, Alberto Moretti Cuseri
July 6 · 54 min
E95 - Domaine Evremond · Kent, England
In 2015, a Champagne house gathered the UK wine press at a Westminster Abbey tomb — before a single vine had been planted. That is how Domaine Évremond announced itself to the world. And it tells you everything about what kind of project this is. In this episode, Pierre sits down with India McGrath, daughter of co-founder Patrick McGrath MW and the person now carrying the Domaine Évremond story forward. Together they explore the founding friendship between Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and Patrick McGrath, the 18-month search for the perfect site in Kent, and what it actually means to build a Champagne-calibre operation from scratch on English soil. We talk about why chalk in Kent makes Pinot Noir behave differently than it does in Champagne. About defending wine as culture — not just product — in a world where that conversation has never been more urgent. About the patience required to launch a company in 2015 and sell your first bottle in 2025. And about why a 17th-century Frenchman buried in Poets' Corner is the soul of a very English sparkling wine. A bonus episode — going deeper into the commercial story, the edition system, the cellar door, and what Paris and Berlin still think of English wine — is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: English sparkling wine. Kent. Domaine Évremond. Champagne Taittinger. Classic Cuvée. Chilham. Pinot Noir. Wine GB. Anglo-French friendship. Terroir-driven sparkling wine.
June 25 · 57 min
E94 - Château Latour-Martillac · Bordeaux, France
Château Latour-Martillac has been a Grand Cru Classé de Graves since 1953. The Kressmann family has been here since 1930. And somewhere in their vineyard, there is a parcel of vines planted in 1884 that should not still exist — but does, and has become one of the most compelling white wines in all of Bordeaux. In this episode, Pierre sits down with Edouard Kressmann, Technical Director and fifth generation of the Kressmann family, and Wilfrid Groizard, Deputy General Manager — at one of only six estates in the Graves classification to hold that status for both red and white wine. We talk about two completely different soils separated by just a few metres of earth that produce two completely different wines under one label. About the Grapecap 1884 parcel — a living conservatory of varieties that have no business being in Bordeaux — and the moment Edouard decided it was a cuvée, not a museum piece. About what it actually means to make white wine in a region the world still associates almost entirely with red. And about whether Bordeaux, in 2025, needs more restraint or more courage. Want more? A bonus episode — covering the winemaking room, the full portfolio, the Graves classification, and one last question that stops Edouard cold — is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: Pessac-Léognan. Graves. Bordeaux white wine. Sémillon. Sauvignon Blanc. Grand Cru Classé. Château Latour-Martillac. Edouard Kressmann. Wilfrid Groizard. Terroir-driven wine. Family estate. French wine. Bordeaux wine.
June 18 · 49 min
E93 - Fattoria Pomona · Chianti Classico, Italy
She was a veterinarian. Then one phone call from her mother changed everything. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Monica Raspi, owner of Fattoria Pomona — a small, family-run organic winery in Chianti Classico, Tuscany, on the border of Castellina in Chianti and Vagliagli. Six hectares. Organic since 2009. Minimal intervention in the cellar. And a point of view that is entirely her own. We talk about the exact moment Monica sold her veterinary clinic and got on a tractor. About learning winemaking by instinct rather than textbook. About the difference between a small Tuscan producer and a large one — and why that difference matters more than ever right now. We get into indigenous yeasts, large Slavonian oak, cover crops, and why she has never once wanted to make a wine that tastes like everyone else's. And we ask what it actually takes to make a Chianti Classico that tastes like somewhere, not something. Featuring: Fattoria Pomona, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy. Full transcript, and more information are available at readbetweenthewines.com
June 11 · 50 min
E92 - Esterhazy Wein · Austria
Austria has been making world-class wine for centuries. The world is just now catching up. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, host Pierre Ferland sits down with Wolfgang Hewarth, Winery Director at Esterházy Wein in Burgenland, Austria — one of Central Europe's most historic estates, with winemaking records going back to 1612 and a cellar master hired from Burgundy in 1758. The name alone carries three centuries of imperial history. What Wolfgang is building on top of it is something else entirely. We talk about what it means to arrive as an outsider and take the long view. We dig into the Leithaberg DAC — one of Austria's most distinctive appellations — and why limestone, mica schist, and a cool Pannonian microclimate produce wines built on tension and precision rather than weight. We get into acidity as a philosophy, not a technical detail. We explore what it takes to use oak purely for ageing, never for flavour. And we ask the question that sits underneath everything Wolfgang does: how do you carry 300 years of history without letting it slow you down? A bonus episode with Wolfgang is available exclusively on readbetweenthewines.com — deeper into the portfolio, the label story, climate challenges, and what it actually takes to protect freshness when the weather stops cooperating. Featuring: Esterházy Wein, Burgenland, Austria, Leithaberg DAC, Blaufränkisch. For more information about our Podcast, visit us on the web: https://readbetweenthewines.com
June 6 · 53 min
E91 - Tedeschi Wines · Valpolicella, Italy
What does it take to keep a family name alive for nearly four centuries in the same valley, on the same hills, with the same grapes — and still have something new to say? Welcome to Tedeschi Wines, one of the oldest family estates in Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy — with roots stretching back to the 17th century and a philosophy that has never confused age with complacency. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Riccardo Tedeschi — the winemaker who inherited not just a name, but a restlessness. His father used to say a bad vintage is when you have no new idea. Together, we explore one of Italy's most quietly compelling wine stories. We talk terroir, elegance, and why Valpolicella is so much more than Amarone. We unpack the white wine nobody saw coming, the single vineyards competing with the best of Chianti, and the house philosophy that puts finesse and freshness at the centre of a region famous for power. We talk about a family that owns its land, builds its own walls, and refuses to stop asking questions. Want more? A bonus episode with Riccardo — covering blending philosophy, climate change, and the uncomfortable truth about the distance between a wine people admire and a wine people actually pour — is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: Tedeschi Wines, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy, Amarone, Corvina. For more information about our Podcast, visit us on the web: https://readbetweenthewines.com
May 27 · 59 min
E90 - Château Haut-Bailly · Bordeaux, France
What if the most elegant wine in Bordeaux doesn't announce itself at all — it simply holds the entire room? Welcome to Château Haut-Bailly, a Pessac-Léognan estate in Bordeaux, France, with vines over 120 years old, three perfect 100-point scores from three different critics, and a philosophy that has never chased power — only finesse. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Véronique Sanders, the woman who has led this iconic château for over two decades with the quiet confidence the wine itself is known for. Together, we explore one of Bordeaux's most storied and beloved estates. We talk terroir, elegance, and why Pessac-Léognan is the true soul of Bordeaux. We unpack the legendary 2016 vintage, the language of silky tannins, and what it really means to make a wine with nothing too much and nothing missing. We discuss a region in full renaissance — and why the world is finally paying attention. Want more? A bonus episode with Véronique — covering climate change, biodiversity, and a robot named Bacchus — is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, Classified Growth.
May 4 · 58 min
E89 - Parés Baltà · Penedès, Spain
What if the most exciting white grape in the world has been hiding in plain sight, just south of Barcelona? Meet Xarel·lo — mineral, textural, age-worthy, and criminally underrated. And meet Joan Cusiné, co-owner of Parés Baltà, a biodynamic estate in the Penedès, Catalonia, Spain, with roots going back to 1790, where wine is never complicated and never a punishment. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Joan to explore one of Catalonia's most compelling wineries. We talk terroir, altitude, and why the Mediterranean makes all the difference. We dig into biodynamic farming, minimal intervention winemaking, and the radical idea that great wine starts in the soil, not the cellar. We unpack the three pillars of the Parés Baltà range, from everyday drinking to rare single-vineyard Microcuvées. And we make the case, loudly, that premium Cava deserves a seat at the world's best tables. Want more? A bonus episode with Joan is available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Deeper questions, more specific territory. The cellar door conversation. Featuring: Parés Baltà, Penedès, Catalonia, Spain, Xarel·lo, Cava.
March 26 · 58 min
E88 - Poderi Cellario · Langhe, Piedmont, Italy
Some wineries take themselves too seriously. Poderi Cellario forgot to — and somehow makes some of the most honest wine in Piemonte because of it. Playful labels. Litre bottles. Crown caps, not corks. If you judged this estate by its look, you'd walk right past it. That would be a mistake. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, we head to the western edge of the Langhe, Italy, to meet Simone Cellario of Poderi Cellario — third generation, biodynamic-leaning, and allergic to pretension. We talk Dolcetto, and why calling it "simple" is the laziest insult in wine. We dig into Grignolino and Nascetta — two grapes most people couldn't pronounce, let alone place — and what it actually takes to bring the forgotten back without turning it into a museum piece. And then we get into the part nobody wants to talk about: money. Because making honest wine is the easy part. Making it pay the bills, season after season, without selling out the soul of it — that's the real work. This is a conversation about tradition versus change, identity versus survival, and wine that isn't trying to be perfect. Just real. The conversation doesn't stop there. A bonus episode — deeper into sustainability, farming philosophy, and the decisions nobody sees before the wine reaches your glass — is waiting exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com. Featuring: Poderi Cellario, Langhe, Piemonte, Italy, Dolcetto, Grignolino, Nascetta, Biodynamic farming.
March 6 · 53 min
E87 - Felicity Carter · In Defense of Wine
Wine is being put on trial. And almost nobody is asking who's actually building the case. For most of human history, wine wasn't a question. It was just there — at the table, in the ritual, in the gathering. Now it's a headline, a health warning, a culture war. Something shifted. Few people can tell you exactly what, or why, or who benefits from the shift. Felicity Carter can. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, host Pierre Ferland sits down with Felicity Carter — award-winning journalist, founder of Drinks Insider, and one of the most respected investigative voices covering alcohol policy and the global drinks industry. Felicity has spent decades tracing how the conversation around alcohol actually gets built: not just science, but media incentives, advocacy networks, funding trails, and the political machinery behind a "consensus" that looks a lot more manufactured up close than it does from a distance. This isn't a defense of wine. It's an investigation into how a 9,000-year-old part of human culture became a public health flashpoint — and what gets lost in translation along the way. A thoughtful, provocative, occasionally uncomfortable conversation about science, spin, and what wine actually means to the people who still gather around it. Featuring: Felicity Carter, Drinks Insider, alcohol policy, wine journalism, wine culture.
February 28 · 1 hr 15 min
E86 - Castello di Gabbiano · Chianti Classico, Italy
Sangiovese does not just reveal terroir. It reveals the winemaker. In Episode 86 of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Federico Cerelli, head winemaker at Castello di Gabbiano, one of Chianti Classico's most historic estates in Tuscany, Italy, to unpack what freshness, drinkability, and "modern classicism" really mean in Tuscany today. From Federico's first move at Gabbiano in 2011 — taste the past, then rebuild the future — to a masterclass on three distinct vineyard zones, you'll hear how soil, wind, and microclimate shape Sangiovese into radically different personalities, from bold and structured to mineral and quietly elegant. They dive into oak without the theatre: fewer barriques, more large casks, and a rare local oak experiment that rewinds history without becoming nostalgic. Add climate chaos, the Chianti vs. Chianti Classico misconception, and the "drink less, drink better" shift, and you have an episode built for wine lovers who want truth, not gloss. Featuring: Castello di Gabbiano, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, Sangiovese.
February 23 · 1 hr 2 min
E85 - VIK Wine, Chile
In Episode 85 of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Cristián Vallejo, the winemaker who helped build Viña VIK in Chile under owner Alexander Vik — starting from absolute zero. No vineyards. No cellar. Just 4,500 hectares of wild land in the Millahue Valley and an ambition that practically screamed, "We are not here to make normal wine." This is a deep dive into terroir precision and controlled madness: micro valleys, hundreds of parcels, high-density planting, and a pivotal moment Vallejo calls the vineyard's personality. We explore circular winemaking, wild yeast, amphora ageing, and why VIK keeps nearly 90 percent of the estate untouched. Then, in our bonus coverage — available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com — the conversation goes even deeper into the Stone VIK project, where amphoras age in a forest aligned with solstice, full moons, geology, vibration, and time. Stonehenge meets Grand Cru wine. We also uncover the very human moment Cristián Vallejo learned VIK had scored 100 points — standing alone in the Atlanta airport. If you like your wine talk equal parts craft, culture, and a touch of spirituality, this episode is for you. Featuring: Viña VIK, Millahue Valley, Chile, biodynamic, amphora ageing.
February 11 · 1 hr 15 min
E84 - San Leonardo Winery, Italy
Can a wine be both unmistakably Bordeaux and unmistakably not Bordeaux at the same time? In Episode 84 of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of San Leonardo Family Estate, one of Trentino's most iconic names, in the shadow of the Dolomites, Italy. It's a lively, story-driven conversation that moves from history to terroir, and from bottle ageing to the future of wine itself. Critics call San Leonardo "Bordeaux with Alpine poise" — and once you understand why, the contradiction starts to make perfect sense. A narrow valley. Fewer hours of direct sunlight. The Ora wind rolling in off Lake Garda. Together, they shape a freshness, a restraint, an elegance that no amount of classic Bordeaux winemaking alone could produce. We unpack the estate's philosophy, the origins of their flagship San Leonardo wine, and the underrated star of the cellar: Carménère, often mistaken for Cabernet Franc and wildly different here than in Chile. We also dive into the craft side: concrete vats, restrained oak, extraction choices, and what makes Terre such a joy to drink. Then, in our bonus episode — available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com — we go deeper into sustainability, Equalitas, biodiversity, pergola versus Guyot, climate change planning, and yes, the famous San Leonardo garden. Featuring: San Leonardo, Trentino, Italy, Carménère, sustainable viticulture.
February 3 · 1 hr 9 min
E83 - Dr. Laura Catena · In Defense of Wine
A doctor walks into the wine debate — and brings the data with her. In Episode 83 of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland sits down with Dr. Laura Catena — physician, fourth-generation vintner, and the voice behind In Defense of Wine. She's spent years watching headlines flatten decades of research into a single, terrifying sentence. This episode is her rebuttal. We go straight at it: the World Health Organization's messaging, the role Movendi International plays in pushing a zero-nuance narrative, and what the actual science says about moderate drinking — the J-curve, why age and drinking pattern matter more than headlines admit. We unpack The Lancet's Global Burden of Disease debate, NASEM versus ICCPUD, and the critical difference between absolute and relative risk, including the breast cancer data everyone cites and almost no one explains correctly. And we make the case for something the studies can't measure: a glass of wine, a table, people you love, and the simple fact that a molecule was never the whole story. If you care about wine culture, public health, and data that doesn't get oversimplified for a headline, this is essential listening. Featuring: Laura Catena, In Defense of Wine, wine and health, moderate drinking research. For more information about our Podcast, visit us on the web: https://readbetweenthewines.com
Dec 15, 2025 · 59 min
E82 - Drea's Wine · Andrea Kaiser, Canada
In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre sits down with Andrea Kaiser, winemaker and daughter of the late Karl J. Kaiser, co-founder of Inniskillin and one of the two pioneers who built modern Canadian winemaking with vinifera grapes. Andrea grew up among the vines in Niagara, Canada, watching her father measure sugars with a refractometer, tasting early batches, and debating acidity, sweetness, and oak at the family table. But it wasn't until Inniskillin's 50th anniversary and her father's celebration of life that she truly understood the scale of his impact — and decided to continue the legacy in her own way with Drea's Wine Co. Pierre and Andrea explore her path from the family's restaurant to Reif Estate Winery, and finally to launching her own small-batch label focused on Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Dornfelder. She explains why Niagara-on-the-Lake's microclimate — the lake, the Niagara River, the escarpment — allows her to grow varieties that surprise many cool-climate drinkers. The conversation also touches on palate evolution, Canadian wine identity, single-vineyard philosophy, and what it felt like to pour her first Sauvignon Blanc for international critics including Jancis Robinson and Tony Aspler. A warm, insightful episode honouring a Canadian wine legacy — and the next chapter written by Drea herself. In our bonus episode, available exclusively at readbetweenthewines.com, the conversation goes further still. Featuring: Drea's Wine Co, Inniskillin, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc.
Dec 9, 2025 · 58 min
E81 - Stone Eagle Winery, Canada
Four years ago, Stone Eagle was a cult label. Today it's a winery, an estate, a restaurant, and a statement. In this episode of Read Between the Wines, Pierre Ferland catches up with Adam Pearce — the winemaker behind Stone Eagle Winery and the celebrated wines of Two Sisters in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. Four years after their first conversation during the pandemic, Adam returns with a full update: estate vineyards on Highway 55, a focused portfolio built around age-worthy reds, and The Nest restaurant sitting right in the middle of it all. Together, Pierre and Adam dig into what it actually takes to build wines that reward patience in a small market that often wants instant gratification. They go deep on Cabernet Franc, the Eagle Eye Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, the Blanc de Franc sparkling, and why balance, structure, and time remain the real luxuries in Canadian wine. Adam also speaks candidly about climate change, extreme vintages, replanting difficult vineyards, and the constant tension between consumer demand and winemaker curiosity. And then the conversation goes somewhere bigger: the war on wine, the rise of low and no alcohol products, and why responsible enjoyment — food, place, and human connection — still sits at the heart of what wine actually is. Featuring: Stone Eagle Winery, Two Sisters Vineyards, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay.