ABOUT THIS EPISODE
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.
