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The Cellar Door Podcast

Tom Massey•thecellardoorpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Society & Culture
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Food
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Join lawyer/wine explorer, Tom Massey, in the Cellar Door to hear the stories of the people and wineries in the wonderful world of wine. Tom is joined by winery owners, wine makers and other wine personalities to hear and share their stories, the stories of the wineries and the stories of the wines. It's a podcast about where it all came from and where it's all going. 

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Episodes

Something Completely Different: A Mystery Box Tasting with Marc Malouf

Send us Fan Mail To borrow from Monty Python: now for something completely different. This episode steps away from the usual B2B conversations and industry stories, and into something I don’t usually focus on… wine tasting. When a mystery box of wine appeared on my doorstep, filled with a collection of genuinely exotic and intriguing bottles, I did what anyone would do: I tracked down the sender. That trail led me to none other than the talented, guitar-shredding, wine-slinging Marc Malouf of iH...

Mar 28, 2026•47 min•Season 6Ep. 11

The Spirit of the Hunter Valley: Garth Eather of Meerea Park on History, Wine and Hard Markets

Send us Fan Mail The Hunter Valley occupies a special place in the story of Australian wine. It is, in many ways, the spiritual birthplace of the industry - a region where generations of families have wrestled with the climate, the soil, and the vagaries of the market to produce wines of remarkable character. My guest today, Garth Eather, represents one of those families. Garth is the co-founder of Meerea Park Wines, a winery he established with his brother Reese in 1991. But the Eather family s...

Mar 14, 2026•1 hr 28 min•Season 6Ep. 9

Chuck Hayward reflects on 40 Years of Australian Wine in the US Trenches

Send us Fan Mail Australian wine once rode a remarkable wave of success in the United States — built on strong personalities, passionate importers, and wines that connected with everyday drinkers. Today, the picture is more complicated. In this episode, I sit down with Chuuuuck Hayward, a 40-year veteran of the American wine trade to unpack what’s really happening on the ground in the US. We revisit, the rise of Australian wine in the US, the role boutique importers played in building the catego...

Mar 07, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 8

Ireland, Melbourne, and MasterChef: The Journey of Phil Conway

Send us Fan Mail Phil Conway embraced adventure and the unknown when he moved from Ireland to Melbourne in Australia. Phil describes a love of food from an early age, a love and passion that placed him on an inevitable collision course with wine. These passions took him across the globe while also launching him onto the set of Australia’s masterchef. Phil describes his passion for food and wine as extensions of himself rather than descriptions of what he does or his occupation. Food and wine are...

Feb 28, 2026•54 min•Season 6Ep. 7

Green Shoots for Australian Wine: In Conversation with Will Taylor

Will Taylor of Finlaysons Law offers an in-depth look at the Australian wine industry's struggles and potential for recovery. He highlights successful strategies from 2025, emphasizes the need for government support in boosting exports and transitioning unproductive land, and calls for industry-wide innovation in marketing. The discussion also touches on critical issues like mental health and the importance of structural reforms for industry bodies.

Feb 21, 2026•39 min•Season 6Ep. 6

Energy, Drive and Spunk - capturing Cyndal Petty

Send us Fan Mail Cyndal Petty has spunk. She describes her drive and oodles of energy from an early age, her parents placing her in the gymnastics arena and her early success in it until injury caused her to pivot. But the foundations of drive and dedication had set hard, and when Cyndal found herself as an apprentice chef at age 15 years old, it was only a matter of time before she set her eyes on a new goal and shot out in pursuit. Her goal: to learn and absorb everything she could about wine....

Feb 14, 2026•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 5

Elegance, Obscurity, and 2% Exports: Daniel Sangermani's mission to showcase Swiss wine

Send us Fan Mail Daniel Sangermani has embraced the challenge of bringing the prized wines of Switzerland to the sun kissed shores of Australia. Switzerland exports less than 2% of its total production but consumes the 4th most wine per person of any country in the world. Many, if not most people, particularly in Australia, have little familiarity with Switzerland's deep and historic wine culture, its six wine regions, and its approximately 320 grape varieties that they use to craft some of the ...

Feb 07, 2026•1 hr 39 min•Season 6Ep. 4

Looking under the hood of the Nuriootpa High Vines and Wines Program with Milly Hoffmann and Richard Mattner

Send us Fan Mail I was lucky enough to spend the New Year in South Australia, dividing my time between the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley. while I was in the Barossa, I took the opportunity to call into Nuriootpa High School to record a third - and final - chapter on a school project that is as innovative as it is interesting. I’m joined once again by Milly Hoffmann, and this time by a special guest: her wine mentor, Richard Mattner - who also happens to be Head Winemaker at Pepperjack Wi...

Jan 31, 2026•41 min

Gordon Little of Little Peacock Wine Imports - Reflections on the 2025 US market and looking ahead

Send us Fan Mail I last spoke to Gordon Little of Little Peacock Wine imports as the final episode to the 2024 season. When asked how the 2024 year had been, I distinctly remember him describing it as “weird”. Gordon and I have stayed in touch, with occasional correspondence, and we thought it might be both fun and interesting to reconvene at the start of 2026 to get his hot takes on the 2025 season and projections (if at all possible) for 2026. As expected, his comments on the US market are int...

Jan 24, 2026•39 min•Season 6Ep. 2

Pinot on the Edge: Liam Van Pelt and the Magic of Ashton Hills

Send us Fan Mail Today on The Cellar Door Podcast, I’m joined by Liam Van Pelt, winemaker at the legendary Ashton Hills. I first met Liam at the cellar door, where he, his sister, and the world’s coolest dog poured a lineup that completely reset my expectations: sparkling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and a tour through one of the highest, coldest, wettest pockets of the Hills. In this episode, we dig into what makes that site so distinctive, why Piccadilly Valley fruit carries such a signatur...

Dec 06, 2025•54 min

Inside the Halliday Wine Companion with Katrina Butler

Send us Fan Mail Today on The Cellar Door Podcast, I’m joined by someone whose work shapes how Australia understands its own wine: Katrina Butler, Head of Tasting at the Halliday Wine Companion . Katrina arrives at a busy moment, preparing the next edition of the Companion, fresh off the latest awards season, and deep in the yearly cycle of tasting thousands of wines from across the country. In this episode, she lifts the lid on how the Companion is actually put together: blind tastings, regiona...

Nov 22, 2025•1 hr 1 min

David LeMire MW: Six Lessons for Smarter Wine Marketing

Send us Fan Mail It’s been a while between drinks - but David LeMire MW has been busy flying the flag for Australian wine around the world and returns to The Cellar Door Podcast after a whirlwind year that’s seen him travelling through Portugal’s Douro and Dão regions, opening a new award-winning tasting room at Tolpuddle Vineyard, and collecting yet another round of trophies for Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle Chardonnay. In this episode, we dig into David’s recent article inspired by marketing guru...

Nov 15, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 61

The Hidden Gem of Geographe - with Pippa Nielsen

Send us Fan Mail We are about to head to Western Australia - but not to Margaret River. We’re going a little further north to discover one of the state’s best-kept secrets: the Geographe wine region. My guest is Pippa Nielsen, co-owner of Vineyard 28, a producer that’s made its mark by championing Italian varieties like Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Fiano. Pippa shares how this coastal-meets-hillside region is carving out its own identity - balancing tradition, innovation, and a deep sense of communit...

Nov 08, 2025•40 min•Season 5Ep. 60

Jack Burston is Breaking Boundaries in Coonawarra

Send us Fan Mail We are going deep into the heart of Coonawarra, but through a lens few could have imagined: blockchain, NFTs, and quality Coonawarra wine. My guest is Jack Burston: former Goldman Sachs banker turned unlikely vineyard owner and innovator who’s shaking up the Australian wine scene with a project that fuses old-world craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Jack’s journey began on what locals teasingly call the “wrong side of the railway line,” where his label *Over the Line* w...

Nov 01, 2025•1 hr 9 min

The Scholar and the Storyteller: Ed Cavanagh on the History of the Cellar Door

Send us Fan Mail Ed Cavanagh’s wine writing stands apart. He somehow fuses the flair of a journalist with the depth and precision of a scholar — a rare combination, but then again, few writers in the wine world have a background quite like his. Many of you will know Ed from his work across the Limestone Coast wine industry, or from his time in cellar doors throughout South and Western Australia. But his story stretches much further — from the world of law and academia, including a Cambridge Fell...

Oct 18, 2025•55 min

The Future of Riesling Is in Good Hands: Keeda Zilm and Vickery Wines

Send us Fan Mail This weekend I got a text from John Hesketh, letting me know that Keeda Zilm had done it again. Keeda, and her Vickery Riesling, struck again at the Adelaide Wine Show, walking away with a back of accolades. Everyone seems to be in agreement that Keeda Zilm is the capable custodian of something very special. Named in honour of the late, great John Vickery, often described as the Max Schubert of Australian white wine , the Vickery label has become synonymous with exceptional dry,...

Oct 11, 2025•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 54

On the road with Joe!

Send us Fan Mail Joe Fattorini shares some secrets on how to maximize your entertainment value as a presenter during a wine tasting! Support the show

Oct 07, 2025•15 min•Season 5Ep. 53

US Markets and Bhutan's Bold Vintage

Send us Fan Mail Ladies and gentlemen, he’s back — Michael Juergens: Orange County finance consultant, wine industry pioneer, and one of our most colourful guests. Michaels back to share an update on the current state of the US wine economy and the progress with the Bhutan Wine Co., with updates on their very first auction and fresh insights that highlight just how exciting this project has become. As always, it’s a rollercoaster of a conversation with Michael, and I’m thrilled to have him back ...

Oct 04, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 52

Brendan Carter on challenging Australian wine culture

Send us Fan Mail I first came across Unico Zelo almost a decade ago, in a wine shop in Kansas City. The owners poured me a skin-contact white from South Australia, a wine I’d never seen before. I was immediately struck by its vibrant label, its unusual blend, and its perfectly fitting name: Esoterico . That was my first introduction to Brendan Carter and his work at Unico Zelo. Since then, I’ve watched in awe as the brand has expanded, pivoted, adapted, and expanded again - a cycle that has beco...

Sep 27, 2025•1 hr 51 min•Season 5Ep. 51

On the road with Joe!

Send us Fan Mail Joe Fattorini shares some secrets on how to maximize your entertainment value as a presenter during a wine tasting! Support the show

Sep 24, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 50

The Craft of a Cellar Master with Patrick White

Send us Fan Mail Patrick White is the lead Somm and Cellar Master at the Adelaide Club. With a resume like his, it's no wonder he has the trust of both the Club and the wider industry. An Adelaide local, Patrick has been a somm since 2001, working his way across the country, from top end restaurants in Sydney to the Penfolds Maggill Restaurant and the Mt Lofty House Estate in the Adelaide Hills where he was nominated for both wine list and somm of the year. Patrick also was a participant in the ...

Sep 20, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 49

A Problem of Scale: Technology, Intimacy, and the Future of Wine Sales with Adam Coward

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is Adam Coward, someone who’s worn a lot of hats across his career, from tourism in the Top End, to retail and fast-moving consumer goods, and now, to helping wineries unlock growth through Vin Creative and Uno Vino. Adam’s journey is fascinating because he’s not from a wine background originally, yet he’s bringing in ideas and lessons from other industries that could reshape how wineries think about sales, marketing, and customer experience. We talk about the toug...

Sep 13, 2025•55 min•Season 5Ep. 48

Nuriootpa High School built a bridge to the Great State of Texas!

Send us Fan Mail Milly Hoffmann, or Miss Hoffmann to the students at Nuriootpa High School, has been working tirelessly with her class on a remarkable mission: raising the funds to travel to their sister city, Grapevine in Texas, USA. At its heart, this connection is about more than a trip; it’s about cultural exchange, shared experiences, and building relationships that last. Milly also plays a leading role in the school’s Vines and Wines Program, a certificate-based course designed to create r...

Sep 06, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 47

User Experience, Wine, and the Philly Sandwich: A Conversation with Mike Madaio

Send us Fan Mail Mike Madaio loves history, sandwiches, and above all, wine—and the industry that brings it to life. A respected wine writer, his long-form pieces have featured in Wine Enthusiast and on his own blog, Life at Table . While Mike has a deep appreciation for traditional forms of media and communication, he is equally attuned to the modern world of user experience (UX)—a factor that can make or break a business. Mike believes UX is one of the most overlooked elements of the wine indu...

Aug 30, 2025•44 min•Season 5Ep. 47
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