188 From French Wine Country: The Henriot Family Revives History in Champlitte

Hello, I’m here on my break from my production break with an episode recorded in the heart of France.

If you remember the last episode, I invited you into the conversation between myself and 4 others in the kitchen of a thousand-year-old château—a space with soaring beams, stone floors, ochre cabinets, and an open fire that made it feel like home. By the time the 5 of us women gathered for that final dinner, we already felt like old friends, bound by shared explorations and lingering conversations over wine. And that brings us to today’s episode.

This conversation unfolds in a small stone house in the nearly deserted village of Champlitte, once a thriving center of the wine trade. My guests are Orane and her father, Pascal—successful vignerons committed to organic, hand-harvested, and artisanally crafted wines. As we talk, we explore the storied history of Champlitte and how this family is shaping its next chapter.

A quick note before we begin: Between the echoing stone walls, the thick French accents, and my fellow guests frequently accepting gracious pours of wine, it was necessary to heavily edit this episode. To help with clarity, I’ll introduce each new topic with a brief summary—signaled by the pop of a wine cork - that way you’ll know what to listen for in the next segment.