Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Tanisha Townsend, and Akos Forzcek,  and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #15.

We have the pleasure to welcome David Duband, Domaine David Duband, Burgundy, France.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Clos de la Roche, Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers, Nuits-Saint- Georges 1er Cru Les Procès, Gevrey-Chambertin, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits ...

Domaine David Duband, located in Chevannes in the heart of Hautes- Côtes de Nuits, produces fine and elegant wines from 23 prestigious appellations from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin.

24 hectares of vines are cultivated by the Domaine according to the organic ethics required by the Ecocert label.

David Duband likes lively, racy and elegant wines expressing the subtleties and the incredible diversity of the Burgundy wine-growing climates. Since 2008, he has chosen to vinify his great Burgundy wines from whole harvests. The noble bitterness of the stalk bringing finesse and elegance to the Pinot Noir.

The wines of Domaine Duband are present on 16 of the 25 French gastronomic tables with three stars by the Michelin Guide. Among which the Restaurant Georges V, Le Bristol, Le Doyen in Paris, Le Flocon de Sel in Mégève, Lameloise in Chagny, Louis XV in Monaco ...

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [29:28] Tanisha Townsend explains why Champagne has become the festive drink par excellence, unusual champagne/food pairing and in The Wine Minute what NOT to offer a wine lover for the holidays.

Have A Drink With Me [41:31] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with David Duband about Burgundy, his choice for organic, the future challenges, and more.

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by the guest). It can be found here:

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe/follow to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Tanisha Townsend, and Ray Isle,  and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #14.

We have the pleasure to welcome George Sandeman, House of Sandeman and Ex Ampulla, Porto, Portugal

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

George Sandeman is the 7th generation of the Sandeman family, who began making and trading in Porto and Sherry in 1790, George has the traditions and heritage of Porto and Sherry on both sides of his family for generations – his mother was a Valdespino, one of the foremost families in Sherry.

With this upbringing, George became close with Portuguese and Spanish wines, and in 1971 began his apprenticeship in the Douro. He worked in Oporto, Portugal, and Jerez, Spain, as well as several different wine companies in England and USA before joining The House of Sandeman in London in 1977.

When Sandeman became part of the Seagram Company in 1980, George joined Seagram Wine Company’s marketing team in New York, working on imported wine brands such as Black Tower and Partager, and Californian’ wines Sterling Vineyards and The Monterey Vineyard California.

Appointed General Manager for The House of Sandeman in 1990, and Chairman in 1991, following the retirement of his father David Sandeman, George then assumed responsibility for the global strategy of the brand Sandeman.

In 2002, following the acquisition of The House of Sandeman by Sogrape, George joined the company’s Board.

In 2021 George broke out into a new venture, aptly named EX AMPULLA, Latin for “out of the bottle”. Building on experience in general management, brand strategy & marketing, public relations and public affairs, George supports new projects with practical solutions using hands-on, real-world experience, lateral thinking and imagination.

George has received the OIV Merit Award for his contribution to the wine sector and is a guest lecturer at the Porto Business School and the Lisbon Catolica Business School.

Currently Chancellor of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto, George maintains a very strong link to Port Wine and to Sandeman.

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [26:54] Tanisha Townsend explains the different types of Port Wine.

Have A Drink With Me [36:05] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with George Sandeman about the House of Sandeman Legacy, why Port should be rediscovered by consumers, and the future.

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by the team). It can be found here:

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe/follow to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Tanisha Townsend, and Akos Forczek,  and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #13.

We have the pleasure to welcome Simon Pavitt, the COO of the London Technology Club and Wingman. London, UK

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Simon is a ‘Wingman’, founder of the boutique advisory that manages remarkable people’s ‘Capstones’ (passion projects). He is the Chief Operating Officer of the London Technology Club, an exclusive network of 70+ private investors, VCs, family offices, and institutional partners such as UBS, Barclays, and LGT Vestra. The club’s own fund, The Pledge, of which Simon is an investor, allocates over $30m per year to scale-up/late-stage tech companies. As a leading practitioner of commercial and communications strategy within tech, sports, and entertainment, he has just short of 25 years of experience in fast-paced, dynamic business environments.

Simon was previously the Marketing Director of a Formula One team where he applied his challenger mindset to push industry boundaries in the industry for over 10 years. With the London Technology Club, Simon combines technology with members' passions, publishing reports that look at the impact of tech has on the future of the likes of Art, F1, nutrition, longevity, space, and philanthropy.

Simon, an oenophile himself has written two wine reports in the past two years. Wine is never far from Simon- the London Technology Club office is based above 67 Pall Mall, he advises both winemakers and UHNW wine lovers on their wine passion projects, his father lives close to Bolgheri, Tuscany where he regularly visits and writes about wine Capstones for the likes of the Mayfair Times, Monaco Life and Club Oenologique…

Simon holds a degree in Psychology from Nottingham University and has studied at Harvard Business School. A keen sportsman, he has represented Team GB racing in the Sprint Duathlon World Championships where he finished 26th in his age group. He is soon to publish his first book ‘Capstones: The blueprint for remarkable passion projects that bring joy, meaning, and fulfilment to life'.

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [28:55] Tanisha Townsend makes us discover Mont Ventoux wines, and opens our eyes to the influence of Jazz music in the winemaking process 

Have A Drink With Me [38:55] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with Simon Pavitt about technology and fine wine, how technology can bring good changes in the industry, his love for Italy and much more.

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by the team). It can be found here:

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe/follow to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Tanisha Townsend, and Akos Forczek, and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #12.

We have the pleasure to welcome Beth Novak Milliken, President and CEO of Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, Napa Valley, USA.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

In 1987, Beth Novak Milliken joined her mother, Mary Novak at Spottswoode, becoming the first second-generation family member to become actively involved in guiding Spottswoode Estate Vineyard &Winery. In the more than three decades since, Beth has played a key role in establishing Spottswoode Estate Vineyard as one of the world’s great winegrowing sites, and Spottswoode as one of Napa Valley’s most iconic and respected wineries. She has also quietly built a reputation as a leader in the Napa Valley community, advocating on behalf of the wine industry and the social and environmental causes she holds dear.

In addition, Beth has been a strong and effective voice for the Napa Valley wine community. Reflecting the high regard she is held in by her peers, in 1998 Beth was elected the youngest president ever of the Napa Valley Vintners, the first woman to hold the position. Believers in leading by example, Beth and Mary worked with four women winemakers in a row at Spottswoode, before promoting current winemaker Aron Weinkauf to that position. Beth also spearheaded the restoration of Spring Creek, which defines the southern boundary of the estate vineyard. In 2010, Beth and Mary were honorary chairs of Auction Napa Valley, a hugely successful event that raised more than $8,500,000 for Napa Valley nonprofits, and in 2007, Spottswoode joined 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of Spottswoode’s gross revenues each year to nonprofits that support a healthier world.

Above all else, Beth sees herself as a steward of her family’s winegrowing estate, carrying on the legacy begun by Mary, who passed away in 2016.“Our family has a four-decade relationship with this land that now spans three generations. I grew up here, along with my four siblings, and now the third generation is enjoying the property. When you own a family winery like ours, the cellar is like a photo album: each vintage of our Spottswoode Estate Cabernet is a picture of a year in our family’s life, and a testament for our love of this place. This is why it has always been so important to us that our wines reflect who we are, and what we believe in, both in terms of the way we farm our vineyard and in the beautiful, balanced style of our wines.”

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [25:21] Tanisha Townsend gives you insight on the crossover between wine and spirits, and in the Wine Minute talks about Wine based cocktails

Have A Drink With Me [34:31] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with Beth Novak Milliken on the intricacies of Family Businesses, the legacy she is continuing, the care for the environment, and the challenges ahead.

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by the guest). It can be found here:

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe/follow to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

For this episode of One on One, it’s a great pleasure to welcome Nicole Rolet, the Principal of Chêne Bleu, a sustainable winery in the Rhône Valley, France.

The format is a relaxed conversation where we take our time to explore and discover the life of our Special Guest.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

Links to Nicole Rolet’s Chêne Bleu:

These are the topics covered in the conversation:

[0:00:15] Introduction

You can follow us on our different Social Media Platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atablefortwo.live/

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Tanisha Townsend, Akos Forczek, and Ray Isle and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #11.

To celebrate the Season 1, you will get to know The Wine Dream Team in more detail. Have fun on the way!

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [29:29] Tanisha Townsend gives you a list of wine to acquire a $500 wine list that would taste like $10,000!

Have A Drink With Me [38:39] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with each of the members of the Wine Dream Team. There are some very great insights, and the Pivot Questionnaire is a real epic moment!

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by the team). It can be found here:

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe/follow to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Tanisha Townsend, and Akos Forczek, and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #10.

We have the pleasure to welcome István Szepsy Jr from Szepsy Winery in Tokaj, Hungary.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

It all started in the 17th century with Máté Szepsy Laczkó. He was a priest, vine grower and winemaker. Educated abroad, he started to work for the lord of Tokaj, called György Rákóczi the First. Incidently, the Rákoczi family was important for the King and the Tokaj wine was important to the financing of war.

György Rákóczi’s wife, Zsuzsanna Lórántffy, controlled the wine business and asked Máté Szepsy Laczkó to define the Aszú wine making rules. That was in 1631. Aszú winemaking started a century earlier but there were no rules yet. Because of his work, Szepsy István Jr great-great-great-….-great grandfather got a Nobility title.

Back then, Tokaj was the wine of the Queens, Kings, and Tsars.

The wine making perpetuated in the family until the Soviet Union occupation of Hungary post WWII. Private enterprises were banned, and all work was directed to the cooperatives. They were producing mass and cheap wines.

At the fall of Berlin Wall and the Communist Block in 1989, Istvan Szepsy Sr reestablished the Szepsy wine brand. He wanted to rediscover the excellence and taste of the Szepsy Tokaj from the Pre-Soviet era and yesteryears.

As he retired 5 years ago, Istvan Szepsy Sr focuses solely on the grape production. Graduating as a wine maker in 2004, István Szepsy Jr, the 18th generation in the family, is now managing the winery with his sister Gabriella and her husband, perpetuating the legacy.

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [27:30] Tanisha Townsend enhances our knowledge of the different Sweet Wine types and producing regions.

Have A Drink With Me [38:45] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with István Szepsy Jr on the history of the Szepsy family, the resurgence of Tokaj and the bright future of the region.

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by our guest). It can found here:

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Akos Forczek, Tanisha Townsend and Ray Isle, and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #9.

We have the pleasure to welcome Elena Adell, Chief Winemaker, and Elena Suàrez, Winemaker, of Campo Viejo in La Rioja.

ELENA ADELL, CHIEF WINEMAKER

Elena Adell was born in Logroño and has been involved in winemaking since 1985. She started working with Campo Viejo in 1998.

The granddaughter of a grower, she studied Agricultural Science at university, specialising in Viticulture and Oenology. In her own words, "Being a Rioja born Agricultural Scientist, I would inevitably end up with vines and wines".

She has always worked in Rioja but, simultaneously, has also worked in other Spanish D.O.’s like Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribera del Duero, Navarra, Jumilla, and Valdepeñas. An expert in Rioja, Elena has extensive experience working with the Tempranillo.

"This fabulous winery provides me with the ideal platform to continue reinforcing the values that have made Campo Viejo a reference in the world of wine."

ELENA SUÁREZ, WINEMAKER

Elena Suárez was born in Logroño and has long held a passion for winemaking. This passion led Suárez to obtain a degree in Superior Laboratory Technology, before completing a degree in Oenology at the University of La Rioja in 2017.

In 2017 whilst completing her studies, Suárez joined the Bodegas Campo Viejo team, supporting the Oenology team during the harvest season before joining the team permanently in 2019.

Elena is the reflection of a new winemaking generation in the face of the expert opinion of Elena Adell. Like her wines, she is full of energy, curiosity, and openness.

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [27:31] Tanisha Townsend talks about Southern Italian wines and food, and in the "Wine Minute" about wine ageing in La Rioja.

Have A Drink With Me [36:25] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with Elena Adell and Elena Suàrez on La Rioja, Campo Viejo, their winemaking philosophy, the passage of generations, sustainability and much more.

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by our guest). It can found here:

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Akos Forczek, and Tanisha Townsend,  and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #8.

We have the pleasure to welcome Eric Asimov, Chief Wine Critic of The New York Times.

Eric Asimov is the chief wine critic of The New York Times and the author of How to Love Wine: A Memoir and Manifesto, published by William Morrow, and Wine With Food: Pairing Notes and Recipes From The New York Times, written with recipes by Florence Fabricant and published by Rizzoli. His weekly column appears in the Food section of The Times. Naturally, he is on Twitter and Instagram, @EricAsimov. A collection of his columns is included in The New York Times Book of Wine, published by Sterling Epicure.

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [25:48] Tanisha Townsend talks about Southern Italian wines, and in the "Wine Minute" about Rosé.

Have A Drink With Me [35:21] Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with Eric Asimov on wine, his love of wine, Bob Dylan and much more.

There is an accompanying playlist with the show (selected by our guest). It can found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rosTtsJw7cxwQVS600oJQ?si=93349c5da7ad4447

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms:

Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Akos Forczek, and Tanisha Townsend, and the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #6.

We have the pleasure to welcome Philippe de Lur Saluces, Co-Manager of the Château de Fargues.

Philippe de Lur Saluces is the 16th generation of Lur Saluces taking care, with the 15th – his father, Alexandre de Lur Saluces – of 2 estates (Fargues and Uza in the Landes) which arrived by the same marriage in 1472.

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [26:00] Tanisha Townsend explains Food pairing with Sauternes with some very surprising pairings.

Have A Drink With Me [35:47] Antoine Abou-Samra interviews Philippe de Lur Saluce. In their discussion, they talk about Chateau de Fargues, heritage, tradition, Sauternes, Botrytis and much more.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast.

You can also follow us on our different platforms: