The Wines & Winemakers of Languedoc & Roussillon w/ Ioana Bucur (Part 2)

Ep 139

Would you believe me if I said one of the most soulful and historic wine regions in France is also the one most people barely know anything about?

This conversation, with Ioana from Princess & Bear Wine, goes deeper into the French regions of Languedoc and Roussillon through the perspective of someone who’s actually walked the vineyards, met the winemakers, and watched small family estates bring these wines to life. You’ll hear how high elevation sites, biodynamic farming, volcanic soils, and centuries of tradition all come together to create wines that are expressive, textured, and full of character.

From tiny domaines run by women to unexpected whites, reds, and sparkling wines, this episode shines a light on producers you won’t normally find at stores and the bottles that define this part of Southern France. You’ll also get three standout recommendations if you’re just starting to explore the region.

If you're curious about organic French wine, lesser known varietals, or even planning a future wine trip, you’ll want to listen in as we explore a region that deserves far more attention.

If you missed part 1 of my conversation with Ioana go back to episode 138 to listen in!

Use code BONJOUR and receive 10% off your online purchase at www.theprincessandthebear.com.

If you are in Seattle mention that you are a Cork & Fizz podcast listener and receive a complimentary tasting when you visit The Princess and Bear tasting room in January and February 2026. To make a reservation for the tasting room call, email at info@theprincessandthebear.com or you can make one on the website.

Thank you to the following brands for sponsoring this podcast:

• Bon Chocolats: Go to www.bonchocolats.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ10 for 10% off your order!

Connect with Ioana:

Website: https://www.theprincessandthebear.com/

Episode Highlights:

• Small, family run wineries shaping Languedoc and Roussillon
  
  
• Women winemakers and biodynamic farming practices
  
  
• How elevation and unique soils influence flavor
  
  
• Cigar shaped barrels and what they do to white wines
  
  
• Key differences between Languedoc and Roussillon
  
  
• 3 must try wines to start exploring the region
  
  
• Behind the scenes of the annual club trip
  
  
• Visiting tiny domaines and exclusive cellar experiences
  
  
• Why the region still feels raw, genuine, and soulful
  
  
• The long term vision for sharing these wines in the U.S.

Transcript

0:09

Interested in learning about wine but not sure where to start? You're in the right place. Welcome to the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast. I'm your host, Hayley Bowlman and I'm so glad you're here. I'm a wine enthusiast turned wine educator and founder of the Seattle based wine tasting business, Corporate Cork and Fizz. It is my goal to build your confidence in wine by making it approachable and lots of fun. You can expect to learn everything from how to describe your favorite wine to what to pair with dinner tonight and so much more. Whether you're a casual wine sipper or a total cork dork like myself, this podcast is for you. So grab yourself a glass and let's dive in foreign. Hello and welcome back to the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast. Today you'll be listening to part two of my interview with Iwana. She's the French wine Scholar and the new owner of Princess and the Bear Wines in Seattle. If you haven't heard part one, I highly recommend Pause this episode and go listen to episode 138 first. I will be here for you when you get back. As a reminder, Awana is the new co owner of the Princess and the Bear in Seattle, a wine bar in south park focused on wines from Southern France. Ioana has been part of the Princess and the Bear since the very beginning back in 2019, and through the years she has worn many, many hats. Before working at Princess and Bear, Ioana studied geography, English and hospitality and over the years earned many certifications in wine sales and marketing and of course became a French wine Scholar in 2018. She's always been very passionate about travel, hospitality and discovering different cultures, which is what eventually led her to this amazing wine journey in the south of France that she's going to share with us. In this episode. We'll talk more about the wines she thinks best represents Salangadoc and Roussillon region, some of her favorite wineries in the region and the people behind them. An opportunity for you to join her in the south of France on a wine lover's dream trip and so much more. So let's get into it. Okay, so we've been talking about kind of the styles of wine and you have mentioned some wineries, but I want to dig a little deeper because I feel like one of the big things about the Princess and the Bear is how much you love to highlight small family owned wineries, right? And like we said, many of them women owned or women run just on pure accident of looking for Great wines. So I'd love to give you a chance just to highlight some of those wineries on the podcast. You know, maybe choose two to three of them and tell us a little bit more about them, about the stories behind the winery and why you feature them at the Princess and the Bear. I will start with one of my favorite regions in Languedoc. And I cannot have favorite winemakers. I just love them all. I love them all, and I respect them so much. I visited most of them in my trips to Languedoc, and every time I go, I discover something new about their domain, themselves, their wines, and more and more stories to tell about in the tasting room when our customers visit us. So an intriguing region in Languedoc for me is Terras de Larzac. Terrace de l' Arzac has these two amazing winemakers that we import from. One is Pascal Riviere. She owns Domain La Jas Castell. Her domain is high up in the mountains, like 17. 1700ft elevation is where her vines are. It's a tiny domain, like 12 hectares the most. She has seven different plots, and each plot is planted with a different grape varietal. And the way she vinifies her wines are every plot will be separately vinified. And at the end, she will decide the blends. Ah, interesting. So is every year a different blend can be. Especially the wines that she keeps in the aop. In the Appellation de Regime Protege, she will keep the same blends but for IGP and Vin du France. No, not necessarily. Not necessarily. So that is very interesting that she vindifies every plot separately. That will keep the wine close to what the terroir has to give. All her wines are powerful, are intense, are true to what the grape the grape gives. And she makes whites, rose, and mostly reds. Two of her reds, actually, two or three months ago, had very high recommendations from a wine critic here in the States from Jeb Dunnock. Oh, okay. All right. We carry both of the ones. Nice. So that's absolutely amazing to hear that. Just a quick reminder, you are not on my mailing list yet. What are you waiting for? I would love for you to join. When you do, you'll get a free shopping guide that has 15 of my favorite wines under$15. Head to corkandfizz.com, scroll down to the bottom, and there'll be a little section where you can join the mailing list. I send out a weekly newsletter filled with wine tips, recommendations, spread, special offers, and so much more. Now, let's get back to the show. So, okay, that was Pascal Riviere from Castel. And then from the same region, which I absolutely adore and love, is Domaine la Reserve d'. Eau. Again, organic biodynamic. Very high up in the mountains. Again, lady winemaker Marie Chauffrey that works together with her husband and her family. We carry three of her labels. And my favorite label from her is Roussanne Marsanne. I just love those grapes so much. I think people need to try those more. They're white grapes that you don't hear of very much, and when they're done right, they just create such beautiful wines. Yeah. She also has an amazing Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc blend that's vinified in cigar shaped neutral French oak. Interesting. What does the has she shared? Like, why that shape? Why that shape? Well, apparently in that shape, the flavors of the oak are imparted less and it's mostly the oxygenation that the. That the wine needs to soften more and more. Interesting. Okay. It's more for. It's a texture thing. It's a texture thing. And it's a larger barrel than a regular 325 liter one, so more space for the wine to stain. Interesting. Oh, that's so fascinating. I know there are some great reds in Languedoc and Roussillon, and I definitely recommend them, but I am so drawn to the whites of how unique and just different and special that they are. And now I'll tell you about some special reds. My favorite special reds. I told you, I love them all. But you need to have some favorites, right? Yeah, just, you know, just a couple. They change up. It's fine. Minervois. Minervois is a region in Languedoc that is well known for reds. And in Minervois, especially the region, the sub region, La Liviniere. And in Minervois, the special soils, the schist soils, the metamorphic schist soils will give the reds a lot of complexity and the minerality and the freshness that is pretty rare in reds, but important. Domain Clos du Gravias. This is a domain in Nervoie, high up in Minervois. The winemaker here is John Bozanowski, and he is a winemaker who lived in the United States for quite a while in Kentucky. Wow. You wouldn't really think of that, would you? Yes, yes. He married Nicole. His wife is from France and from the region. And together they make organic biodynamic wines from a super tiny domain that they have in Minervois. My favorite wine from Them is a Cabernet Sauvignon. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very unlikely for a long dock to have amazing cabs, but here it is, John Bozanowski making this cab at high altitude from a very, very small plot and old vines of cabin. There is another red that I love from him very much. It's called Cot Obscure, and it has the crescent moon on the label. His everything about biodynamic agriculture and holistic phases of moon. In his cellar and his vineyards, Kotubscur is a blend of cab and Carignan. Oh, okay. Interesting combo. Very. Absolutely amazing. I feel like that Carignan probably brings in a lot of fun, spice, and, you know, different flavors to bring out something different from a cabernet. Carignan is the grape of Languedoc. Is considered the grape of Languedoc. It's actually Carol's favorite grape, varietal. She calls it the cowgirl's grape. The cowgirl's grape. The cowgirl's grape, yes. The suede, the leather nose that the grape brings, especially in the old vines, the spices, the smokiness is very, very attractive. We had a Carignan event in the tasting room last. Last week on Saturday, where we celebrated this amazing, amazing grape. Oh, that's so fun. I love it. Okay, before we get into. I have a question about specific wines for those looking to kind of purchase and where to start. But before we get to that, I realized we've been saying, you know, Languedoc, Roussillon, these two regions, but then we kind of shorten it to Languedoc are these two separate regions. And I know this is kind of recent that some changes have happened as well. So is it Languedoc, Roussillon, the full name of the region, or are they now two separate regions? And you can expect two different things from them? You can expect two different things from them, but they are considered a single region. That's why they are called Languedoc and Roussillon. Administratively, they are all together, but they were separated back in the days. Okay. And Princess and Bear carries wines from both. From both? Yes. From Long Doc and Roussillon. Yes. Actually, our club members visited Roussillon this year. That's. But that's probably something that we'll talk about a little later. Yes. Yeah, we will get to the. Definitely get to the trip. We have to talk about that. But Languedoc and Roussillon, they are a region considered administratively the same, but the features and the characteristics of the Wines that come from these regions are very different. Okay. So it's good to know, like, if you're trying a wine from Languedoc Grussion, which essentially kind of like, which side it came from or which part. Which side it came from. Of course. Of course. Yes. The. The southern part is the Rusion, the part that is bordering Spain. Okay. And the foothills of the Pyrenees. That's the Roussillon and everything else up to. Up to Rhone Valley to the north and Provence to the east is Languedoc. And together they are Languedoc and Roussillon. Okay. All right. I just want to kind of clarify that a little bit. Cause I feel like even for me, that's been confusing on how. How they think about those. Okay. The next question is probably maybe the hardest of the. The bunch of. But I want to think for folks who are listening and they. They want to try these wines. They haven't tried. They really haven't tried much wine from Languedoc. They want to, you know, go on your website and purchase or come to the tasting room and try some. If I made you narrow it down to, let's say, three wines, and this is the hard part. Three wines that you feel like would best introduce folks to the region of Languedoc Roussillon. Which three wines would you recommend? I will give you a blanquet de limu. Okay. All right. Sparkling blanquette de limu. I will give you a picpole de pinet. And I will give you a blend from Saint Chinnian. Interesting. Tell me about Saint Chenin. Is that a region within Languedoc? It's a region, but yes. And it's actually the region where Carol and Steve live is the region that have representative blends of langdok, A lot of fruit with a lot of spices and a lot of grig. Garig is the vegetation that is surrounding the area. And Sin Shenan is probably the region that has most of the grig. And it's hard not to experience the earth herbal Greek in a Saint Shenian blend. Nice. And this is a red blend that we're talking about. Yes, yes. It would be a Syrah Grenache, probably a little bit of Carignan. Okay. I love it. I feel like those wouldn't be what I would automatically think of, so I'm glad I asked you. So we're saying a sparkling. So the limou and then a peak pool, which we talked about earlier, which is that light, bright, acidic white, and then a nice fruity, but also Herbal spicy red blend from Saint Chenillon, Right? Oh, I love it. Okay. All right. So we kind of hinted at this earlier, but you guys don't only introduce people to Languedoc and Roussillon through your wines, but also through a trip that you take every year with club members. Can you tell us more about this trip? I love producing this podcast for you every week, but here's the truth. It's not free. That's why I'm so grateful for sponsors like the following brands supporting me so that I can share everything I love about wine with you. If you're able, show them some support back. I'll be honest, I never really believed chocolate could pair well with wine until I partnered with Bon Chocolates for a local event. Rasha, the owner, created four incredible truffles that matched perfectly with the wines we were tasting. Bon Chocolates is a European inspired chocolatier right here in the Seattle area. Making beautiful bonbons and confections with fine chocolate in all natural ingredients. They make the perfect gift. Visit their local shop in Bothel or order online at bonchocolatz.com and use code corkandfiz10 for 10% off. Yes, of course. And I'll also tell you about the clubs. Yeah. Yeah. We invite people not just to taste the wines, but to be part of the story. To discover wines that they normally don't find in stores. Bottles that represent the diversity and creativity of this incredible region. We created three different club levels. Four bottles, nine bottles and 12 bottles. We call them Amphora, Qatar, and Mediterranean. Just to keep it close to the heart of the Mediterranean. Our top tier club members, the Mediterraneans, every year in October are invited to Carol's home in the south of France. It's not just a party, it's an experience. They spend the week exploring the region, meeting the winemakers, walking through vineyards, sharing meals, celebrating the harvest season. As it's right after the harvest season, it's a chance to see firsthand where these wines come from and feel the connection between the land, the people, and the glass in your hand right there with your feet in the dirt of a long dock. Wow. I love it. And it sounds like you visit different wineries or you go into different regions with this trip, it's not always the same thing every year. Correct. So, for example, this year the group went to the southern part, the Roussillon part, and they stayed in Perpignan. Perpignan is very close to the border of Spain. It's like half an hour away from Spain only. And the foothills of the Pyrenees on the shore of the Mediterranean. A miracle. And from there they had the opportunity to go to visit different domains that we carry wine from. And every day was a different dream. Visiting these domains, having lunch there, or pair dinners with their wines, these castles and all kind of obscure things that you don't get to see and visit in other situations. I will just mention a cellar under the sea from one of our winemakers. Yes. That's. Not everyone gets to go into, but a small group exclusive like this would get to visit. Or a Vendu natural wine tasting while on, on a barge at sunset. You know, little things like that. Yeah, you know, just, just stuff like that. I, I know this stuff like that. This trip is 100% on my bucket list. It's amazing. And because you get to visit like because with Carol and Steve1 living there and then since you've visited so many times and you work with small winemakers, it's not going to be one of those trips where you're visiting, you know, kind of the commercial style wineries where they just give you the tasting and tell you what to note. You like, you dive into the life there and have these really special experiences that the wine happens to be a part of. Right. But I feel like it's more of those like stories and those, you know, the people elements that make it special. Yes. It would have been extremely nice for our listeners to have a map in front. But I will just refer to the other places that we took our club members to. So this was this year and going backwards, last year we were in Montpellier and Montpellier is close to completely the other side of Perpignan. Vrucyon is at the shore of the Mediterranean and it's very close to this domain that I mentioned, Crag ratio that have this amazing peak pool and Syrah that is very light and tasty. So we were there in that region and visiting domains around that area. Okay. Three years ago, for a couple of years in a row, we were in Carcassonne. Now Carcassonne is more in the, in the middle, more in the middle of the region. Close to Minervois. Carcassonne, it's a 14th century walled city still functioning. And club members, they have the option of actually staying wherever they want in the city itself or right outside the walled city. And we visited the domains around there, including Limoux, Minervois, Saint Chignon, Corbier. Oh yeah, it sounds fun, sounds amazing. So, yeah, definitely a big perk. It's a different special place. I love it. I love It. All right, so we're getting towards the end of the episode. Here we are. I know. Can you believe it's been nearly an hour? It's so easy talking about wine, right? There's so many things to say. Yes, yes. Well, I wanted to ask you, since, you know, as you're taking over ownership of the Princess and the Bear, have you thought about, you know, what's next for Princess and Bear wines? You know, what do you see for yourself and for princess and bear five to 10 years down the road? At one point in this podcast, you mentioned that you are asking me the hardest question. Is this the hardest one? Yes, this is the hardest one. So this is truly the hardest one. But I'll just tell you my dream. Yeah. I don't know how I'm gonna get. There, but, you know, let's put it out there. The more you say it, the more likely it's gonna happen. Good. I will, at one point in this life, be the ambassador for Languedoc and Roussillon wines. And Princess and Bear will continue to do that through the business itself. And I hope that in the next five, 10 years, a lot of people will be discovering the wines and the culture of this region through Princess and Bear. Connect with us and help us get the word out there, because the region is amazing. It has so much to offer. It still feels raw, genuine, and full of soul. And this is what we want people in the States to taste, to understand, and to see and to visit. Yes. I love it. It's. It's a hidden gem that, like, I selfishly want to stay a hidden gem because I don't want. It's true. True. But we'll try to keep it at Hidden Gem as much as possible and continue to import from very small domains. And this is something I probably didn't mention. There are so many things to say. Anyway, 70% of the domains that we import from, we have exclusivity to sell their wines. And our tasting room is the largest. The place where you the. The tasting room where you can get most of the organic wines of Long Dock in the entire states. Yeah, it's a special, special place. We're very lucky here in Seattle to have it. All right, let's finish with every episode. I end with what I call a speed round. It doesn't mean that you have to, like, buzz in and answer super quick. It's more like, don't think too hard on the questions. Just whatever pops into your head first. Okay. All right. So the first question is, what is your Favorite wine at the moment. Oh, wine at the moment. Tradition from Domain Pierre Cross. That's a blend of Carignan, Syrah, Cinq, and Grenache. More. Ooh, okay. That sounds great. Okay, how about what's a Go to bottle of wine to bring to, like, a dinner party or to share with friends? Sparkling. The elegant. The elegant Sparkling. The cremente that keeps the party alive from the beginning to the end. I couldn't agree more. I love bringing bubbly to share. All right, how about an. I'm going to have you step outside of Languedoc Roussillon for this question, because I think that would be the obvious answer, but what about a favorite wine region you visited outside of Languedoc Cruzion? Hmm. You got me there. Not so many. And they can be local, too. It doesn't have to be, like, crazy out there, you know? But another wine region that you enjoyed. One region that I enjoyed very much was actually in Romania. Ooh, okay. Yeah. Very cool. What was the. What was the name of it? It's a domain in Timisoara. Okay. In the region called Banat. Okay. All right. I love it. That's a fun one. Okay. And then on the flip side, what is a wine region you would like to visit that you haven't been to? Argentina? Oh, yeah, good answer. I feel like South America, high up in the mountains in Argentina doesn't get enough attention. Okay, how about a favorite, like a Go to wine and food pairing. With this weather especially, I would go for cassoulet with a Minervoir carignan. Oh, that sounds so good, because the Carignano said is, like. It's got that smokiness, which I feel like is going to go so well with the cassoulet. So well with the. Yes. With the daco fee and everything that the castle has to offer. Oh, I love it. Okay. All right. Now, let's say you were given$1,000 to spend. You have to spend it on wine. How are you going to spend that thousand dollars? Obviously, we don't need to know, like, every bottle, but, like, what's kind of your. What's your plan of attack to. To spend that? Are we going for, like, big, fancy bottles? Are we looking for multiple of smaller wine, you know, less expensive? What's your shopping? I'm. Yes. I. My basket with a diversity of wines. I'm gonna get a Certiko. Oh, okay. I'm gonna get Barolo. I'm gonna get Madeira. Okay. Yep. I'm gonna get a few reds. Altitude reds. Argentina I'll get the sweet taco ones. Yep. Okay. Do I still have money? Sure. Let's give you one more here. Okay. And then I'm gonna get an old Georgia wine. Ooh. Okay. Great answer. I love that. That was so fun. All right, the last question. What is one wine myth that bugs you the most? Oh, I think there are two, but one of them is that Chardonnay is not good, and the other one is that sulfites give headaches. Yes, yes, yes. Doesn't matter what we do. It's hard to convince people that those are myths. Yeah. Oh, good answer. Probably the one that bugs me the most is the sulfites one. Yes. Yeah. You just have to, like, start giving people wine and not tell them that, like, it's fine. I promise. We do mention it's always very low on sulfites. Which is true. Which is true. Yeah, yeah. No, I love it. All right, well, that. That is the interview. Thank you so much for. For joining me and talking about and telling the listeners all about Languedoc and Roussillon. I'll make sure to mention later in the outro where to find you guys. You can find online or visit the tasting room if you're in the Seattle area and you can check out the show notes. We'll try to mention a bunch of the wineries and the wines that you mentioned, or just go on to the Princess and the Bear Manova. For a tasting. Yes, go to. For a tasting, and then go to the princessandhebear.com. you'll find all of those wines on the website and probably many more, because you guys change it up every year. What. What you're importing and. And bringing it. That's very true. And we change the menu every month with five wines. Ooh. Okay. I love it. All right, that is it. Thank you so much. Juana. Thanks for joining Cheers. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine podcast. You can learn more about the Princess and the Bear wines in the regions of Languedoc and Roussillon by visiting their website@theprincessandthebear.com you can shop their online store or join their wine club. If you're shopping online, be sure to use code bonjour to get 10% off your order. If you're local or planning to visit in Seattle in the next couple months, you can get a free tasting in their tasting rooms in January or February of this year, aka 2026. Just mention that you came from Cork and Fizz. And make your reservation online. Call them or send them a Message@infotheprincessandthe bear.com if you love this episode as much as I did, please take a quick second rate it and leave a review. And of course, be sure to share it with any other wine lovers in your life. And if you'd like to show additional support for the show, you can become a paid subscriber, click the link in the show notes and become a monthly supporter for $10 or less a month. This is not required. All of these episodes are available to you free, including my entire backlog. But if you wanted to show some more support, you can do that. You'll get a shout out in the next episode I record. Plus if you choose the $10 per month option, you'll get to choose a topic for a future episode. In next week's episode we'll be revisiting a popular topic for this time of year. If you are listening to these as they come out, we are talking non alcoholic wines and boy do I have some opinions on this topic that you're you're going to want to hear. Thanks again for listening and if you want to learn more about wine, come follow me Orkinfizz on Instagram Cheers.