GrapeRadio – Wine Talk Show

Louis-Fabrice Latour is the seventh generation to run the family-owned Louis Latour business, taking over as President in 1999. Born in Beaune in 1964, he is the son of Louis Latour, current Chairman of Maison Louis Latour. Louis-Fabrice is president of the association of Burgundy négociants and president of the French national wine and spirit exporters association (FEVS).

Louis Latour has been a négociant-éleveur since 1867, and today produces 105 different wines. The two sides of the business consist of Domaine Louis Latour (wines from Louis Latour’s own vineyard holdings in Burgundy) situated in the medieval village of Aloxe-Corton, and Maison Louis Latour (a portfolio of wines from sourced grapes and wines that are blended to a style) headquartered in a beautiful 17th century house on Rue des Tonneliers in the heart of Beaune.

Join us in a fascinating and openly frank session with Louis-Fabrice, covering topics such as his family legacy, the role of négociants in Burgundy, vintages in Burgundy, and the current state of Burgundy exports to the United States. Of course we had to have some appropriate libations during the conversation, and Louis-Fabrice adds an interesting running commentary about the two wines we sampled: 2004 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne and 2009 Louis Latour Marsannay.

For More Information:

Maison Louis Latour www.louislatour.com

Sponsor: Millesima, Fine Wine Merchants: www.millesima-usa.com

Click Below to Play the Show:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Show #296
(1:00:48 min 58MB)

Rusty Gaffney and Jay Selman have a casual and intimate conversation with Alexandrine Roy and Thomas Bouley, participants in the “Young Turks of Burgundy” tasting at the World of Pinot Noir. We were impressed by their charm and willingness to share their insights into the role of young vignerons in Burgundy today and their impressions of American Pinot Noir. (Please excuse our butchered French)

Sponsor: Pinpoint Tech – Your Mailing List Source: www.pinpoint-tech.com

Click Below to Play the Show:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Show #286
(29:38 min 21MB)

Allen Meadows, a.k.a. Burghound, moderated this entertaining Seminar featuring the owner and winemaker of Domaine Fourrier, Jean Marie Fourrier. Domaine Fourrier has a four generation history in Gevrey-Chambertain and was one of the first Domaines in Burgundy to export wine to the United States. The Domaine experienced a revitalization with the arrival of Jean Marie Fourrier in 1994, and the wines, as Allen Meadows noted at the Seminar, “Are built on balance, not concentration.” Jean Marie Fourrier says his wines are only crafted from vines at least 30 years old, and represent “terroir in a glass.”

Join us at this seminar from the 2010 World of Pinot Noir.

For More Information:

The Burghound – www.burghound.com

Domaine Fourrier – domainefourrier.pagesperso-orange.fr

The 2011 World of Pinot Noir – www.worldofpinotnoir.com

Sponsor: Millesima, Fine Wine Merchants: www.millesima-usa.com

Click Below to Play the Show:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Show #281
(1:20:41 min 70MB)

The name Bouchard Pere et Fils should be a familiar one to all fans of the wines from Burgundy. Tracing their wine roots back to the Eighteenth Century, the Bouchard family began as wine merchants in Beaune, purchasing their first vineyard in 1731. Over the course of time, Bouchard Père et Fils would become the largest owner of premier and grand cru vineyards in the Côte d’Or. All together, they produce eighty crus from each vintage.

Purchased by Champagne’s Henriot family in 1995, the domaine seemed to up the ante in quality, while still retaining its independence. Henriot’s further acquisition in 1998 of the William Fèvre label from Chablis created an impressive portfolio of wines, and it was a tribute to the Bouchard winemaking team that they were assigned responsibility for production of the William Fèvre wines as well.

Join us as we talk with export manager Luc Bouchard about the nine generations of his family’s history in Burgundy as both wine growers and négociants. We’ll discuss everything from Bouchard to Fèvre, from the Henriot acquisition to their many different bottlings, and from their winemaking processes to the current hot topic of premature oxidation in white Burgundies.

For more information on Domaine Bouchard: www.bouchard-pereetfils.com/

Sponsor: Millesima, Fine Wine Merchant: www.millesima-usa.com

Click Below to Play the Show:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Henri Gouges is an important figure in the history of Burgundy. Along with Marquis D’Angerville, he waged war against fraud in Burgundy in the 1920s, in the 1930s he helped delineate the crus in Burgundy for the Institut National d’Appellation d’Origine, and in 1933 challenged the negociants by bottling his wine at the Domaine and selling it directly to the public.

The Domaine Henri Gouges dates to 1919 and the third generation is now in control, specifically Henri Gouges’ two grandsons, Pierre and Christian. The Domaine’s 35-acre vineyard holdings are entirely within the commune of Nuits-St-Georges and include both Village appellation land and six Premier Crus. The average age of the vines is 35 years. One Premier Cru, the 2.5-acre Les Saint-Georges, is considered by many to be the equivalent of a Grand Cru.

Join us as we sit in on a tasting seminar at the 2009 World of Pinot Noir with noted Burgundy authority, “Burghound” Allen Meadows, and Pierre Gouges of Domaine Henri Gouges

To find out more information and to buy tickets:

World of Pinot Noir: www.worldofpinotnoir.com

Burghound: www.burghound.com

Sponsor: Millesima, Fine Wine Merchants: www.millesima-usa.com

Click Below to Play the Show:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Ray Walker departs February 8, 2009 to set up the logistics for his negociant wine business in Burgundy. Only 27 years old, Ray left behind a promising career in the financial world a few years ago to pursue a career in winemaking.

Smitten by Pinot Noir, and Burgundy in particular, Ray quite his job and moved his young family to Sonoma where he was mentored by Ed Kurtzman and others. While many of his type would have been satisfied with a winemaking career in California, Ray felt a pull to return to Pinot Noir’s Holy Land. He immersed himself in the French culture and language and made plans to develop his independent label, Domaine Ilan, in Burgundy.

Join us as we listen to his captivating story.

For More Information on Maison Ilan: www.maison-ilan.com

Sponsor- The Office of Champagne USA: www.champagne.us

Click Below to Play the Show:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.