Episode 40: Season 2, Episode 12: Eli Gauthier of Cantina Giuliano, Tuscany, Italy

What happens when French wine culture, the hills of Tuscany, Jewish tradition, and a little bit of chutzpah all meet in one bottle?Rabbi Yisroel Bernath sits down with Eli Gauthier, winemaker and the driving force behind Cantina Giuliano, the unique kosher winery, restaurant, and hospitality experience in the heart of Tuscany. Eli shares the remarkable journey that led him into winemaking and the dream of creating something deeply Italian, authentically Jewish, and unmistakably his own. Cantina Giuliano grew from a small family project into a destination where kosher is not simply a certification, it is part of the soul of the experience.The conversation moves far beyond wine. Rabbi Bernath and Eli talk about passion, faith, Jewish identity, food, hospitality, building something from nothing, and what it means to bring holiness into the physical pleasures of life. Because Judaism has never really asked us to escape the world. Sometimes it asks us to make a blessing, raise a glass, and elevate it.There is also a poignant backdrop to this episode.This conversation was recorded at Noam Restaurant in Montreal, shortly before the restaurant was firebombed. Listening to it now gives the conversation an added meaning. Sitting in a Jewish restaurant, talking openly and joyfully about wine, food, faith, tradition, and creating Jewish life.Perhaps that itself is the answer to darkness.We build. We gather. We make Kiddush. We raise a glass. And we keep choosing life.L’chaim.Support the showEmail your questions and comments to [email protected]