One of the most authentic voices about great restaurants and natural wine comes from somewhere you may least expect; Hobart, Tasmania. This is where for many years Sue Dyson and Roger McShane have been based, travelling and writing about the best places to eat and drink not only on the Apple Isle, but also across Australia and France, for their website Food Tourist. It is also from here that they import some of the most delicious natural wine produced in France for their Living Wines business. W...
May 30, 2016•1 hr 6 min
Lance Redgwell learned an appreciation for quality produce from his grandmother, who grew many of her own vegetables that she used in her kitchen. Once an adult he discovered wine and liked how it made him think, and decided to embark on a wine career. His policy was to learn by doing, and over his career he has gained experienced in a number of elements of the industry and in many locations. After much searching he decided to create his own wine in the Martinborough region of New Zealand, and t...
May 23, 2016•42 min
Ben Haines wasn't sure what he wanted to do as a career, but his father sensed that the wine industry would be a great option. After studies and experience in viticulture, he discovered that quality doesn't stop once the grapes are harvested, it continues all the way through to bottling. Postgraduate studies in winemaking lead him on a career path that would include vintage experiences overseas, and eventually led he was appointed chief winemaker at famed Grampians estate, Mount Langi Ghiran. Be...
May 19, 2016•43 min
Simon Killeen comes with quite the pedigree, being a seventh-generation Rutherglen-born winemaker. Growing up in vineyards and cellars very quickly made an impact, he barely entertained any other career apart from wine. After many years of experience in vineyards and wineries around the world, he made the bold decision to start his own project; Simão & Co. It was his intention to champion the Greater North-East of Victoria, purchasing grapes from growers in multiple regions. He joined me on ...
May 03, 2016•50 min
Neill Robb's father was a pioneer viticulturist and consultant, working in such important wine regions as the Hunter Valley and Pyrenees. It was in the latter region that Neill ended up following his father into the wine industry, eventually purchasing an estate with his wife Sally in 1973. Here they established one of the most important estates in this still neglected Victorian wine (and tourism) region, and this year marks the 40th year of the Sally's Paddock wines being available both in Aust...
Apr 27, 2016•46 min
Jane Faulkner is one of Australia's most loved and respected wine journalists, with several decades of experience and countless tasting notes under her belt. She is also one of the most travelled wine writers, and is considered one of the foremost experts on Italian wine and alternative varieties in Australia. This is in part due to her role as chair of the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. She (finally) joined me on this episode of The Vincast to talk about her background, her insight...
Apr 11, 2016•51 min
Iain Riggs is one of the most respected winemakers in Australia, with decades of experience making wine from regions across the country, as well as a wine show judge. He has been at the helm of Brokenwood Wines in the historic Hunter Valley for some time, elevating them to one of the top producers of semillon and shiraz in Australia. Having worked closely with the likes of Len Evans and his incredible tutorial, Iain took the reigns of this illustrious institution when Len passed away. Iain joine...
Apr 04, 2016•50 min
Jules van Costello got in touch via Twitter to let me know he was enjoying the podcast, and also to introduce me to his Kickstarter campaign for a new book called Aotearoa Nouveau, all about exciting developments in the New Zealand wine industry. Jules has a background in hospitality and writing, and has already run a succesful campaign for a book about New Zealand beer called Brewed. We chatted about how he got into the industry, and why he feels this books is so important.
Mar 28, 2016•53 min
For those who weren't aware, China is now the sixth largest wine-producing country in the world, more than Australia in fact. While many may cynically assume that all the wine made in China is of a poor quality, there are some outstanding examples that also reflect their unique terroir. One such example is Grace Vineyard, found in the Shanxi province. Judy Chan, the owner and operator, was recently in Australia and she introduced a number of Australian wine lovers to her wines who were delighted...
Mar 14, 2016•45 min
Walter Speller embraced wine in post-Cold War Berlin, particularly from Italy and Australia. After relocating to London, he was asked by Jancis Robinson if he would be interested in writing for her website, mostly as she admired him speaking his mind at a wine event. Since then he has become the main Italian correspondent, splitting his time between the UK and Padova. He has continued his interest in Australian wines, his opinion of Italian-variety-based wines in particular improving all the tim...
Mar 07, 2016•57 min
It was the lure of the exotic that brought Amanda Barnes - a journalist and writer from Hampshire, England - to South America. Surprisingly it wasn't until she arrived in Argentina that she discovered a passion for wine and food, and was particularly seduced by the Mendoza region. As she discovered Chile and other parts of the continent, she carved a niche in writing about food, wine and travel in Latin America. Now she is embarking on a journey of truly epic proportions, attempting to visit 42 ...
Feb 22, 2016•55 min
When the Thomson family bought the Best's vineyard and winery in the 1920s they were continuing and building on a tradition that began 150 years ago. Great Western is one of the most historic regions in Australian wine, and it is here that some of the oldest vines and winemaking history continue to this day. Viv Thomson is the fourth generation to run this historic estate, and has been involved with the family business for the better part of 50 years. On this episode of The Vincast he shared wit...
Feb 15, 2016•52 min
Most wine enthusiasts and professionals would be familiar with the name Max Allen, as for the past few decades he has been one of the foremost authorities on Australian wine. He has been a contributor to most of the countries important wine and food publications, and has himself penned a number of successful books including The Future Makers and Crush. He is such an advocate for authentic Australian wine that many may be unaware he is actually an ex-pat having emigrated here from England in the ...
Feb 08, 2016•57 min
Originally born in Ballarat, Alex discovered an interest in wine helping a childhood friend in his family winery for harvest one year. He then worked vintages in numerous regions and countries, before returning to Australia and commencing employment at Lethbridge Wines in Geelong. Here he started playing around with his own wines, quickly getting some attention for himself with the Byrne Wines brand. More recently he launched Noisy Ritual with some friends. Noisy Ritual is an urban winery that a...
Feb 01, 2016•52 min
Gilles Lapalus was "born in a barrel", as wine is in his family in the Burgundy region of France. After working for many years in different roles he took a trip to the furthest place he could think of, Australia. It was here that he was not only introduced to the "new world" of wine, but also his partner. Gaining experience in South and North America, he pursued further projects in France and Italy before he was lured back to Australia and became the winemaker at Sutton Grange just outside Melbo...
Jan 18, 2016•54 min
Daniel Fischl didn't find working in laboratories particularly appealing, and whilst completing a PhD in Plant Molecular Genetics at UC Davis (California) he was introduced to viticulture and was seduced with what lay outside. It also helped that the viticulture and winemaking students seemed to have more fun. Fast forward many years of experience consulting as a viticulturist and agricultural scientist, he and his winemaker wife Michelle started the Linnaea Vineyards project with a Napa Valley ...
Jan 11, 2016•51 min
With a PhD in plant biology Jamie Goode started one of the first wine blogs in the world. Based in London, over the years he took his part-time passion for wine writing and became one of the foremost independent communicators in the UK. His particular interest in wines from around the world that express a sense of place and a soft touch led him to co-writing the book Authentic Wine. He joined me via Skype from London to chat about his background and the current state of wine communication & ...
Jan 04, 2016•53 min
If you're a fan of '90s alternative music you can thank David Chatfield for bringing out international cult acts like Interpol, Mudhoney and Bon Iver. After 20 years in the music industry, Dave became more and more interested in wine, and decided to pursue a career as a winemaker. Thanks to his music cred he got a job at Giant Steps with Steve Flamsteed, and hasn't looked back. He joined forces with former university friend Nathan Reeves (my guest on part one of this episode), and formed Out of ...
Dec 28, 2015•49 min
Nathan Reeves, who originally hails from Western Australia, discovered an interest in wine while working in hospitality to support his music. When the band didn't pan out he began studying to become a winemaker, and gained experience in Australia and the United States (where he met his wife). Along with Dave Chatfield whom he met when they were both studying winemaking, he started Out of Step Wine Co. with a Sauvignon Blanc that very rapidly got them attention.
Dec 21, 2015•47 min
David LeMire started his career in wine similar to how I did; working in a wine shop while studying at university. He gained experience working for Oddbins in the UK, and whilst there he was introduced to the Master of Wine via his studies of the WSET. Upon returning to Australia, he spent ten years working for Negociants in sales and exports, and during this period became a Master of Wine. Since 2010 he was worked with Australia's first MW (Michael Hill-Smith) at Shaw + Smith in the Adelaide Hi...
Dec 14, 2015•48 min
Anna Martens began her wine career just outside of her home town of Adelaide, working with one of Australia's foremost authorities on winemaking, Brian Croser. After spending almost ten years at Petaluma, she wanted to spread her wine-wings. She spent some time in New Zealand studying for the Master of Wine, but soon ended up working at the prestigious Super-Tuscan estate of Ornellaia. This was where she met her eventual husband Eric Nairoo, and through his own business importing into the UK, sh...
Dec 07, 2015•52 min
After discovering a CD of Georgian polyphonic singing in a second-hand record store in Richmond Virginia, John Wurdeman was amazed many years later to randomly enjoy a private performance of the group on the CD visiting Georgia. At the time he was studying art in Moscow, but after visiting Georgia he decided he would settle there and pursue the life of an artist. After many years preserving traditional Georgian polyphonic singing whilst based in the town of Tibaani, John was offered (bullied) in...
Nov 26, 2015•56 min
Adrian Santolin grew up in the Griffith region of NSW, with both parents involved in the wine industry. He began working with wine as a teenager, and after a brief period when he contemplated a career in a completely different field, returned to Griffith to work for De Bortoli. After experience in the Hunter Valley he ended up in the Yarra Valley region of Victoria, where he eventually started his own business producing small batch wines under the Santolin Wines brand.
Nov 19, 2015•49 min
Shashi Singh moved to Australia from India when she was 21 years old, to marry her husband of over 30 years Devendra. Her family in India to this day are involved with agriculture (growing sugar cane and wheat), but before she left India she completed a Master's degree in Chemistry. After running a succesful Indian restaurant in Frankston for many years, and having visited many producers on the nearby Mornington Peninsula, Shashi and Devendra decided to purchase a vineyard in the region and carv...
Nov 12, 2015•47 min
Sardinia is one of the most unusual wine-producing regions in the world, and there are few producers more unique than Tenute Dettori. The Romania area, located in the northern part of the island, is famous for its cannonau-based red wines; robust, rustic and long-lived. Alessandro Dettori took the mantle of running the estate at a very young age when his grandfather passed away and insisted that he take over. Since then he has been on a constant quest to maintain the traditions set out by his gr...
Oct 29, 2015•50 min
Alister Purbrick, almost on a whim, became the first qualified winemaker at Tahbilk, graduating from Roseworthy College. At 24 he took over at the family winery, not only as winemaker but also as CEO, working closely with his grandfather. He completely revitalised systems in the vineyards and the cellars, and whilst improving the white wine production, retained the iconic style of red wine production. He joined me on this episode of The Vincast after a back-vintage tasting of the 1860 Vines Shir...
Oct 01, 2015•51 min
Alex Head discovered a love and fascination of wine whilst studying sciences at Sydney University. After travelling on a gastronomic journey across Europe he was hooked. Many years were spent in iconic Sydney wine retail, before a tenure at Langton's. This experience led a sea-change to the Barossa where he eventually established Head Wines. In the past almost ten years he was forged a reputation for producing some of the most exciting wines in the region, particularly those from Rhone Valley va...
Sep 24, 2015•48 min
Dan Buckle is no slouch when it comes to winemaking, gaining experience at some of the most awarded wineries in Victoria. Having worked for Yering Station & Mount Langi Ghiran he joined Domaine Chandon Australia as the Chief Winemaker several years ago, breathing new life into their sparkling and still wines. Honouring his original entry into wine as a teenager, he also produces some of his own wines from the Mornington Peninsula under the Circe brand. He joins me on this episode of the podc...
Sep 17, 2015•52 min
Patrick Sullivan is one of the most exciting young winemakers in Victoria, and the type of wines he is producing are dramatically changing the discussion about what is wine, what is Australian wine, and what is quality Australian wine. He has recently bought land in West Gippsland and will eventually become the vigneron (both growing the grapes and making the wines) he has so long wanted to be. On this episode he chats about his experiences and philosophies, and why a winemaking degree didn't re...
Sep 03, 2015•45 min
Mario Marson has worked in vineyards in Australia for many years, and has been a champion for high quality grapes making high quality wines. When he decided to plant his own vineyard, he chose to do so in the Victorian region of Heathcote, and he chose to plant some grape varieties that were close to his family heritage in Italy. His Vinea Marson wines were some of the first to show how high quality wines from alternative grapes could be achieved in Australia, and today are highly sought after b...
Aug 27, 2015•47 min
