Find out why the Connoisseur Week is Sarah Kemp and Jane Anson’s favourite week of the year. Five decades of Haut-Bailly, Ausone 61 in magnum, Haut Brion 98 and Mission 2000, learning about green harvesting with Christian Moueix at Bélair-Monange, matching vintages of Yquem with exquisite dishes, private dinner at the Musée des Beaux-Arts with Liber Pater, the world’s most expensive wine, magnums of Troplong-Mondot 1983, 2005, Clos du Clocher 1947, just some of the memories they look back on. Li...
Jun 25, 2025•33 min
Optimism is a rare commodity in the wine world today. Listen in to hear why Adrian Bridge of the Fladgate Partnership is optimistic, and what his belief has created in Porto and the Douro valley. Listen in to hear a fascinating interview on how belief helped create a vibrant tourist industry and after 333 years of Taylor’s port, the company is still innovating. Plus, why he believes you can compete on brands but not climate. In partnership with The Fladgate Partnership. Find out more at: wine-co...
Jun 11, 2025•33 min
Twenty years ago, three branches of the Rothschild family decided to create a brand new Champagne House. Why did they do it, how did they do it? Listen in to hear Philippe Sereys de Rothschild talk to Sarah Kemp about the creation of Champagne Barons de Rothschild, the challenges they faced as outsiders from Bordeaux and what the difference is between running a First Growth Bordeaux and a Champagne House. Also joining Sarah is Guillaume Leté, the Cellar Master, who discusses the work in the vine...
Jun 03, 2025•45 min
Listen in to hear Jasper Morris MW take a deep dive into the wines of Beaune in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. In this episode, he explores the Premier Crus (there are no Grand Crus), discusses the taste of the reds and whites, reveals the Premier Crus to look out for. He describes Beaune as “the wine lovers’ centre of the universe”, reveals his favourite restaurants and the best places to visit when you are there. Unmissable. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com...
May 25, 2025•11 min
Listen in to Omnibus for this month’s wine news and views and it is fast moving news this month as the roller-coaster tariffs cause chaos in the wine industry;John Stimpfig reports on their effect. The Bordeaux En Primeur campaign is under way and we look at the prices being offered, who is selling, and who isn’t. Big company news from Constellation, Moet Hennessy, and Majestic plus the world’s oldest surviving wine which was harvested at the time of Christ. Find out more at wine-conversation.co...
May 15, 2025•58 min
Mike Ratcliffe, one of South Africa’s most dynamic producers, talks to John Stimpfig for our series “Great Wine Lives” He discusses growing up at the family’s Warwick Estate where his mother was known as “South Africa’s First Lady of Wine” and how he co-founded Vilafonté with Zelma Long and Phil Freese when he was relatively young. “They took a chance on me” he tells John. Listen in to hear his remarkable story and his quest to make a great red blend, a South African Grand Cru, and why he thinks...
May 06, 2025•46 min
The verdict is in! Listen in to our final podcast on En Primeur Bordeaux 2024, where after three weeks of tasting Jane Anson delivers her views on the vintage. Discover how it compares to other vintages, and find out her all-important recommendations on whether to buy or not. Also, don’t miss out on her 15% off offer to new subscribers (open until the end of May) where you can read her detailed tasting notes on over 750 wines. Special code EP152025. Find out more at wine-conversation.com...
Apr 29, 2025•7 min
“A challenging year” – total agreement from two of Bordeaux’s most experienced directors, Frédéric Faye of Château Figeac and Alexander Van Beek of Château Giscours. Difficult flowering, rain in September, there was a lot to cope with. They talk to Sarah Kemp about how they approached the 2024 vintage, and why terroir and team work were the keys to success. Find out more at wine-conversation.com
Apr 28, 2025•7 min
Listen in for Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp’s first impressions of the Bordeaux 2024 vintage after tasting (Jane has already tasted 500 wines, and Sarah over 250). Both agree this is not a vintage to buy blind, and there is much to discuss, as it is a vintage where generalisations are out of the window. Though only 2/3rds of the way through the mammoth tasting, Jane picks out some good value successes and Sarah names a few of the vintage’s stand-out wines. Jane’s report will be released on the Thurs...
Apr 14, 2025•7 min
Justin Gibbs, co-founder of Liv-ex, talks to Sarah Kemp about the Bordeaux market and discusses the issues facing En Primeur, and why the pricing of the 2024 campaign is a crucial moment for the Bordelais. Listen in to hear his views and what he thinks needs to happen for Bordeaux En Primeur magic to return. Find out more at wine-conversation.com
Apr 09, 2025•7 min
On the eve of the 2024 Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Sarah Kemp talks to David Thomas of Bordeaux Index, the man responsible for selling millions of pounds of Bordeaux En Primeur worldwide. He discusses who the Bordeaux buyer today is, how and why En Primeur sales have declined dramatically over the last fourteen years. Listen in to the man who really knows what Bordeaux lovers think, and what he believes the châteaux need to do to make the 2024 campaign a success. Find out more at wine-conversa...
Apr 05, 2025•7 min
In our first En Primeur Bordeaux 2024 podcast Jane Anson talks to Sarah Kemp about the weather conditions that forged the 2024 vintage in Bordeaux. It was a challenging vintage for the producers and Jane discusses which soils she expects will cope best, why it is important to look at the weather conditions and yields before tasting and reveals why she thinks there may be a nice surprise for consumers. Find out more at wine-conversation.com...
Apr 05, 2025•7 min
“Elbows up” in Canada as the Canadian wine industry reacts to the US tariffs. Sarah Kemp talks to Don Ziraldo, leading Canadian vintner who co-founded Inniskillin, and helped establish the Vintners Quality Alliance. He reports on how the tariffs have propelled the creation of VQA Canada, and how it should be in effect by summer. Listen in to the man who says , “We’re not normally this aggressive as Canadians, but this has really riled us up.” Find out more at: wine-conversation.com...
Apr 01, 2025•33 min
Listen in to our latest Omnibus for all the news and views from the wine world. Elin McCoy reports on Trump’s tariffs, and the negative effect they are having on the industry, while John Stimpfig discusses the exciting new developments on combating smoke taint in grapes. Plus John and Sarah Kemp argue over the launch of Grange La Chapelle. John sees it as a welcome spotlight on Syrah/Shiraz while Sarah questions the environmental impact of flying grapes to Australia, and that’s before she gets t...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Discover the Côte Chalonnaise with Jasper Morris MW in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. Find out the differences between the villages of Bouzeron, Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny. Listen in to learn about this varied region, which still offers value, and find out who are Jasper’s recommended producers to seek out. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
Mar 05, 2025•11 min
Some producers say that the quality of their wine is down to their pruning methods. Jane Anson looks at the art of pruning in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. Listen in and discover the different types of pruning, when to prune, the rules and regulations and why it makes a difference to the wine in your glass. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
Feb 17, 2025•12 min
Listen in to Omnibus for all the latest wine news and views. This month John Stimpfig reports on the 2023 Burgundy vintage, Elin McCoy names her top three value Bordeaux 2022, we look at the state of the US wine industry, Trump update on tariffs, modern slavery in the Langhe vineyards. Plus exciting results from an experiment using dogs to detect vine diseases, and Elin’s Sauternes and sushi revelation. This Omnibus is brought to you by our Founder Sponsor, Santa Rita Wine Estates. Find out more...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Listen in to another great 10-Minute Masterclass with Burgundy expert Jasper Morris MW, author of Inside Burgundy and the brilliant website www.insideburgundy.com . This month he looks at Morey-St-Denis in the Côte d’Or. Find out about its terroir, the producers to know and who he recommends keeping an eye out for. 10 minutes of invaluable Burgundy wisdom. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com...
Jan 29, 2025•11 min
Helping military veterans overcome PTSD, giving young disadvantaged people a chance to enter the wine world, scholarships for individuals caught up in geopolitical conflicts, just some of the causes The Gerard Basset Foundation financially supports. Romané Basset talks to Sarah Kemp about the work being done by the Foundation in memory of his father, the late great Gerard Basset, an amazing legacy for an amazing man. Find out more at wine-conversation.com...
Jan 15, 2025•37 min
Italian guru David Gleave MW takes a look at Sicily in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. He takes us through its varied landscape and five different wine regions, guides us through its different grape varieties and advises which producers to look out for. A great deep dive into one of Italy’s most exciting regions. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
Jan 09, 2025•12 min
Listen in to our special festive edition of Omnibus. John Stimpfig and Sarah Kemp both name their top five wines of the year and Elin McCoy names her top champagnes. Brian St Pierre lists The Wine Conversation’s books of the year, and reveals it is a vintage year for great wine books. We look back at some of our most memorable podcasts and our greatest trips. Sarah has banned bad news, so there is no Weather Watch or Farewell to, just lots of great wine moments to enjoy. Wishing everyone a very ...
Dec 23, 2024•58 min
As war in the Lebanon yet again fills our news channels Sarah Kemp talks to Marc Hochar of Chateau Musar for our series “Great Wine Lives”. Listen in to hear his earliest memories of Chateau Musar, the conversations he had with his father Serge and Musar’s philosophy of non-intervention. Discover what it is like to farm in the Beka’a Valley, and the responsibility he feels every time he sends workers out. More information at wine-conversation.com...
Dec 16, 2024•46 min
Listen in to Omnibus 33 to hear all the latest news and views from the world of wine. This month we start by looking at three great wine-friendly restaurants definitely worth a visit. Astonishing news comes in the report of the theft of an entire vineyard crop in the Jura just before harvest (spoiler alert- it happened in the Jura last year too). Over in the US Elin McCoy discusses what Donald Trump could mean for the wine world and reports on major news from Virginia. It has been a busy month a...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Which country in Asia is going to be the next hot spot for fine wine? Listen in to hear Timothy Goh of Vinum Fine Wines talk to Sarah Kemp about the dynamic fine wine market in South-East Asia. Discover his tip for the region he believes has the best future and find out which South-East Asian country has as many women collectors as men – plus his view on the future of Hong Kong and Singapore as key wine hubs. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com...
Nov 27, 2024•33 min
Listen in to another brilliant 10-Minute Masterclass from Jasper Morris MW. In this episode, he looks at Chablis premiers crus and discusses its history, the different styles depending on which bank of the river you are on. Find out who he recommends, where to find value and the best up-and-coming producers. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
Nov 14, 2024•11 min
Philippe Guigal is the third generation of the illustrious Guigal wine family from the Rhône. He talks to Sarah Kemp for our series “Great Wine Lives” about growing up in Ampuis with his grandfather Etienne who started the company in 1946 and his father Marcel who took over at 17 years old when his father became blind. Philippe discusses the “La Las”, of which there is about to be a fourth, why he believes in the future of the Rhône despite climate change and his excitement about Château de Naly...
Oct 31, 2024•43 min
John Stimpfig reports on how vintners are coping in the Bekaa Valley, Elin McCoy discusses the sale of Duckhorn Portfolio for 1.95 billion dollars, plus Weather Watch and North Hemisphere Harvest reports. We also report on the launch of Taittinger’s English Sparkling wine, Berry Brothers entering the auction world and the chance for all of us to buy a little bit of Burgundian history when the BIVB road signs go up for auction this November. This Omnibus is brought to you by our Founder Sponsor, ...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Join us for a 10-Minute Masterclass on Montalcino, home to the famous Brunello di Montalcino. Italian expert David Gleave MW guides us through the region’s diverse terroir and explains the different wine styles from north to south, where picking can differ by up-to 10 days. He recommends the top producers as well as his hot tips for producers to watch out for and where to find value. Unmissable listening for any wine lover. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com...
Oct 11, 2024•11 min
In our latest “Great Wine Lives” series Elin McCoy talks to Lenz Moser about how his curiosity took him from his family estate in Austria to China, California, Hungary and back to Austria to launch a new company based on Gruner Veltliner. Listen in to hear his views on Chinese wine and why he thinks the wine industry is losing consumers. More information at wine-conversation.com
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr
Take a deep dive into Chile with our Founding Sponsor Santa Rita Estate’s viticulture manager, Gerardo Leal. Find out which regions he thinks suit which grape variety best, discover Santa Rita’s Estate’ new project in the south of Chile and why Maipo is still the most important region for Cabernet Sauvignon. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
Sep 25, 2024•33 min
