Tom Gilbey’s family have worked in the wine and spirits trade since the mid-19th century – they had a famous gin as well as owning a Bordeaux château – so it was natural that he would follow in their footsteps. In his time, he’s been a winemaker, a merchant and, more recently an educator, wine writer and Internet sensation thanks to a dip in an ice bath and the decision to run the London marathon, blind tasting 25 wines along the way. To read more about Tom have a look at his website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @tomgilbeywine.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Dawn Davies is a Master of Wine who also specialises in spirits. Originally a top sommelier at restaurants like Zuma and The Ledbury, she moved into retailing at Selfridges and is now buying director at Speciality Drinks and the Whisky Exchange. An extrovert and confirmed “people person”, she has well-informed views about things as varied as wine service, restaurant lists, Mezcal, blind tasting technique and Champagne. She’s one of a kind. To read more about Dawn have a look at the Masters of Wine website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @dawndaviesmw.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Growing up in Las Palmas, Carmelo Peña Santana’s dream was to have his own restaurant.  But after working as a sommelier for a year, he became a winemaker instead, travelling to Portugal and Chile before returning to the Canary Islands to set up three of his own projects on Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Our in-depth discussion provides a fascinating insight into one of the most talked about corners of the Spanish wine world. To read more about Carmelo have a look at the inspiring Jable de Tao website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @carmelopenasantana.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Leo Erazo has made wines on five different continents, but these days he’s exclusively associated with the Itata Valley, Chile’s most historic wine region. I caught up with him from his bodega beside the Pacific to talk about his love of Cinsault, what it’s like working in what he calls the last pocket of the Old World in the southern hemisphere, wild fires, Pipeño style reds, the difference between granite and schist and why old vines can be overrated. Leo is way too cool to have a website.  But you can also follow him on Instagram at @leoerazo_vinedos.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Gus Zhu started out studying horticulture at university but caught the wine bug when he attended a tasting class given by one of his professors. Since then, his rise has been meteoric. He was the first Chinese national to pass the Master of Wine exam at the age of 31. Today he combines his day job as a research scientist in California with a second career as an educator and author, most notably of his brilliant new book, Behind the Glass. To read more about Gus have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @guszhu. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Noel Young’s dad ran a pub, so you could say he was born into the booze trade. He brewed his first beer at the age of 15 and set up his own very successful wine business, Noel Young Wines, in his early twenties. A man who has always believed in doing things his own way, championing countries whose wines he loves, like Australia, Austria, Greece and Spain, irrespective of fashion or status, he’s as entertaining as he is outspoken. To read more about Noel have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @nywines_on_tour. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Kelli White’s love of wine was sparked by a trip to Paris as an undergraduate and a student job in a Boston retail store. After working as a sommelier in New York and the Napa Valley, she became a full-time writer and educator in 2015. Her brilliant latest book, Wine Confident, draws on 25 years of experience to talk in a refreshing new way about the fundamentals of wine. Kelli is as warm and entertaining in person as she is on the page. To read more about Kelli have a look at her website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @kelliwhitewine. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Chris Blandy of the Madeira Wine Company is the seventh generation of his family to live and work in the wine trade on this volcanic island. A native with a passion for history and science, he understands the complexities of Madeira – the place and the drink - as well as anyone. Our in-depth chat covered grape varieties, soil types, fortified and unfortified styles, Madeira’s legendary ageing ability and why it should always be stored standing up. To read more about Chris have a look at the Madeira Wine Company's website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @chrisblandy. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Callie Louw wanted to be a doctor when he was young, but the wine world should be grateful he ended up studying oenology instead. More of a farmer than a winemaker – what the French would call a vigneron – he’s been involved with Porseleinberg in the Swartland since 2009, planting and overseeing the running of one of the Cape’s unofficial Grand Cru sites as well as making a remarkable, low-intervention Syrah with its grapes. To read more about Callie have a look at the Porseleinberg website. He doesn't use Instagram or X. Try sending a pigeon.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Konstantin Baum is a German Master of Wine with a well-honed sense of humour, increasingly famous for his You Tube videos that bring a bit of fun as well as knowledge to the subject. An entrepreneur, journalist, educator and taster, he’s a fascinating interviewee with interesting views on everything from influencers to the 100-point system, the value of social media to why Riesling remains such an undervalued grape. To read more about Konstantin have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @konstantinbaum_mw. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Rafael Palacios was more interested in motorbikes than wine until his early twenties, despite growing up above a bodega in Rioja. He’s certainly made up for the late start, going on to become one of Spain’s most celebrated winemakers. Our in-depth chat covered his love of Godello, his time in France and Australia, the different terroirs of Valdeorras and his role in developing the growing prestige of the country’s top whites. To read more about Rafa have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @rafaelplacios_viticultor. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Elizabeth Berger is a Tuscany-based wine and olive oil expert, who is able to draw fascinating parallels between the two worlds. Where wine has grape varieties, olive oil has cultivars, more than 700 of them planted around the world. Our in-depth chat covered the Mediterranean diet, the different quality levels of oil – what makes something extra virgin? – seasonality, strippaggio, fraud and the health benefits of polyphenols. To read more about Elizabeth have a look at her website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @freshfromfrantoi. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

David Baverstock grew up in South Australia, but emigrated to Portugal for love and wine. He started out in the Douro Valley, before moving to the more southerly Alentejo, where he now works for the Winestone Group. Our insightful chat covered his time in Beaujolais with Marcel Lapierre, Portugal’s 250 indigenous grape varieties, how the country’s wine scene has changed since he arrived in 1982 and what it’s like playing tennis with Sir Cliff Richard. To read more about David have a look at the Winestone Group website. You can also follow the Group on Instagram at @winestone.group.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Martín Kaiser excels as both a viticulturist and a winemaker. Born and brought up in Mendoza, where he still works and lives, he has transformed the reds and whites of Doña Paula since he arrived in 2006, taking them back to their roots. Our fascinating chat covered everything from vegetarianism to climbing mountains, calcium carbonate to the joys of working with Malbec and the differences between the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo. To read more about Martín have a look at the Doña Paula website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @mkaiser75.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Queena Wong got interested in wine when she moved from Australia to London to work in finance in her mid-twenties. A passionate collector, she also has a well-honed talent for connecting people, acting as a Fairy Wine Godmother. Through her company Curious Vines, she has campaigned for greater diversity, inclusion and equality within the wine industry, publishing the first ever, highly influential Women in Wine Survey last year. To read more about Quenna have a look at the Curious Vines website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @queenadwong. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Giorgi Dakisivhili is one of Georgia’s most accomplished winemakers, a man who’s equally comfortable employing historic and modern techniques. One of a family of oenologists, he studied in the Ukraine and California before returning to his native Kakheti region, where he set up Dakishvili Family Vineyards.  Our wide-ranging conversation covered everything from Saperavi to amber wines, Georgia’s 525 grapes to the country’s 8,000 year old wine culture. To read more about Giorgi have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @giorgidakishvili. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Pieter Walser is one of the wine industry’s great mavericks. Surfer, artist and creator, he’s the man behind some of the Cape’s most distinctive labels, famous for brands such as Family Murder, Little William and Moment of Silence. I caught up with him from his home near the ocean to chat about surfing, epilepsy, old vines, white gloves, adventurous hearts and living on the edge. It’s a fascinating conversation with the so-called Hunter S Thompson of winemaking. To read more about Pieter have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @blankbottlewinery. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Author of Inside Bordeaux, Jane Anson started out as a journalist in Hong Kong but fell in love with wine on a trip to South Africa. She moved to France full time in 2003 and has since become one of the world’s most admired and influential wine critics. Our in-depth chat covered everything from tasting technique to wine websites, the future of En Primeur to tasting a bottle of Château Pétrus that had been aged in space. To read more about Jane have a look at her website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @jane.anson. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

David Way specialises in the wines of Piemonte, although he writes about the whole world for his day job at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. A theologian and historian by training, he brings academic rigour to the study of this fascinating and still comparatively little-known corner of north-west Italy. Our fascinating chat covered soils, climate, the region’s 60 DOs and DOCGs and 80 grape varieties and his enduring love of Nebbiolo. To read more about David have a look at his website. You can also follow him on X at @davidonpiemonte. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Debra Meiburg grew up in California, but moved to Hong Kong to work as an accountant in 1988. She quickly discovered that wine, not spreadsheets, was her real passion in life and switched careers. Writer, taster, educator, consultant and TV performer, she’s one of Asia’s most talented and engaging communicators. Playfully disruptive, as someone once described her, Debra is as fun to interview for a podcast as she is in person. To read more about Debra have a look at her website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @debrameiburgmw.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Vicente Cebrián was born in Madrid, but says his blood is almost all Galician. Put in charge of two family bodegas – Pazo de Barrantes in Rías Baixas and Marqués de Murrieta – in 1996, at the age of just twenty-six – he’s even surpassed the legacy of his larger than life father. Our revealing chat covered his aristocratic titles, Atletico Madrid, Albariño, oak barrels, stone masonry, working for the long-term and the best way to update a classic winery. To read more about Vicente have a look at the Marqués de Murrieta website. You can also follow the bodega on Instagram at @marquesdemurrieta.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Brought up in a trilingual household in New York, Nicole Rolet worked in banking and international relations before she set up Chêne Bleu in the southern Rhône Valley with her husband, Xavier. Our wide-ranging chat covered everything from lay lines to the pursuit of legacy, Grenache’s underdog status to the future of fine wine. Listen to Nicole tell us why she doesn’t do woo woo and why she’s always marched to the beat of her own drum. To read more about Nicole have a look at the Chêne Bleu website. You can also follow the domaine on Instagram at @chenebleuwine.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Born in Dundee, close to what the calls “the Côte d’Or of raspberries”, Norrel Robertson got interested in wine through a part-time job at Oddbins. After passing the Master of Wine and studying viticulture and oenology in New Zealand, he visited Calatayud in Aragón in 2003 and has never left. A self-confessed Garnacha nut, the Escocés Volante, or Flying Scotsman, has gone on to become one of Spain’s most dynamic winemakers. (Sorry for the slightly scratchy recording!) To read more about Norrel have a look at the Escocés Volante website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @escocesvolante. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

After stints working at Sainsbury’s and in a Guildford nightclub, Daniel Lambert set up his own wine business in 1992 and has turned it into an award-winning success story, specialising in French wines. I caught up with him from his new home in Montpellier to discuss his outspoken criticism of the UK’s proposed new alcohol duty scheme, the role that Sauternes played in his early career, what he’s learnt from being dyslexic, going viral on Twitter and which regions offer the best value for money. To read more about Daniel have a look at the Daniel Lambert Wines website. You can also follow him on X at @DanielLambert29. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.     

Anne Kriebehl MW arrived in London to study English literature at university with two suitcases and a rucksack. After publishing her first piece about the 50th anniversary of the end of rationing in the Financial Times, she slowly moved into wine writing and has never looked back. Hers is an inspiring tale of perseverance and talent, leading to the Master of Wine qualification and recognition as an expert on Pinot Noir and German wines. To read more about Anne have a look at the Institute of Masters of Wine website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @anneinvino. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Giuseppe Vaira is a second generation winemaker who thought of becoming a doctor but chose to join the business created by his pioneering father Aldo instead. Our fascinating chat covered what he calls the "tiramisu" of Barolo's soils, the best way to handle Nebbiolo in the vineyard and winery, his love of "ugly duckling" grapes like Dolcetto and why organic farming enables the Vairas to get the best out of their terroirs.  To read more about Giuseppe have a look at the GD Vajra website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @giuseppe_gdvajra. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Auctioneer, author and film producer, Andrew Caillard MW has just published The Australian Ark, his magisterial, three-volume history of Australian Wine. I caught up with him from Adelaide to talk about the peaks and troughs of the last 236 years, the iconic bottles that make up his Canon of Australian wine, old vines, the individuals who have had the greatest impact on wine Down Under and his cautious optimism about the future. To read more about Andrew and The Australian Ark have a look at the book's website.   Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Born and brought up in New York, where she made wine with her father in the basement of their house as a kid, Natalie Oliveros had a very successful career in the Adult Entertainment Industry as Savanna Samson before buying a majority stake in La Fiorita in Brunello di Montalcino in 2014. Our fascinating chat covered society’s attitude to sex, her love of Sangiovese, celebrity wines, organic viticulture and how climate change is affecting Tuscany. To read more about Natalie have a look at the La Fiorita website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @natalie_lafiorita.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.     

Jancis Robinson is the world’s leading wine writer, acknowledged as such by consumers, the wine industry and her peers. She has a weekly column in the Financial Times, her own website, jancisrobinson.com, and has authored a series of landmark books about her chosen subject. I caught up with her from her home in London to talk about food, tasting, writing, communicating, her favourite wines and what it was like meeting the Queen. To read more about Jancis have a look at the her website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @jancisrobinson.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

The Prüms are one of the oldest wine families in Germany’s picturesque Middle Mosel region. The family business, J.J. Prüm, is now run by Katharina Prüm, who is as charming and amusing as she is intelligent. Listen to us chat about tradition, Fortnum & Mason and Oklahoma, the differences between the estate’s two great vineyards, Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Graacher Himmelreich, and the eternal beauty of Riesling. To read more about Katharina have a look at the J. J. Prüm website. You can also follow the winery on Instagram at @jjpruem. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.     

Part of an extensive, wine-focused family known in Bordeaux as “les Lurtons du vin”, François Lurton runs a successful global business that has estates in southern France, Spain, Chile and Argentina, places where he finds it “easier to breathe”. Our fascinating chat covered everything from cherry trees to different Malbec clones, flying winemaking to the Dakar rally, natural wines to the differences between Chile and Argentina. To read more about François have a look at the Domaines François Lurton website. You can also follow the bodega on Instagram at @francoislurton. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Born into a famous winemaking family in Tuscany, Piero Incisa della Rocchetta had a brief spell as a banker in Geneva, before he dedicated himself to his first love, Pinot Noir. At Bodega Chacra in Patagonia, he’s made some of the finest examples of the variety in South America, as well as a pair of brilliant Chardonnays with the Burgundian guru Jean-Marc Roulot, using biodynamic, low-intervention methods to get the best out of a great terroir. To read more about Piero have a look at the Bodega Chacra website. You can also follow the bodega on Instagram at @bodegachacra. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Poet, novelist, academic and tenth generation winery owner, Piero Mastroberardino is a modern-day Renaissance man. Passionate about the wines of his native Campania, he’s a fascinating source of information about the best local varieties, the terroir of one of the coolest grape growing regions in Italy, the ancient vineyards of Pompeii and the legacy of his father, Antonio, the so-called “grape archaeologist”. To read more about Piero have a look at the Mastroberardino website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @pieromastroberardino. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Tony Laithwaite fell in love with wine in the Côtes de Castillon, where he’d gone to work as a holiday intern before university. Spotting a gap in the market, he founded a company called Bordeaux Direct, which has gone on to become one of the most successful mail order businesses in the world. Our intriguing chat covered his love of the under-dog, flying winemakers, fateful meetings and what keeps Laithwaite’s Wine ahead of the competition. To read more about Tony have a look at the Laithwaite's Wine website. His autobiography, Direct, is also a fantastic read.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

The locals laughed when Dominik Huber made his first wines at Terroir al Límit in Priorat, but he’s proved them all wrong. Born in Germany, it was his dream to live close to the Mediterranean and he’s done it, producing some of Spain’s finest reds. I caught up with him on a welcome day of rain in Catalunya to talk about Garnacha and Cariñena, slate and clay, what he learnt from South African Eben Sadie and the exciting future of Spanish fine wines. To read more about Dominik have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @terroirallimit. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Sara Danese is a financial consultant and investment analysis, who uses her experience and expertise to write about the fine wine world in her spare time. Her newsletter, In The Mood for Wine, is a brilliant overview of the sector. Our fascinating chat covered Bordeaux En Primeur, the extravagant, unregulated claims made by some wine investment platforms, passion assets, the Liv-Ex 100 Index and why the first rule of investment is diversification. To read more about Sara have a look at her newsletter. You can also follow her on Instagram at @inthemoodforwinemagazine. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Robert Joseph was one of the key figures in what he likes to call the “summer of love” for wine in the late 1980s, setting up Wine Magazine and the International Wine Challenge. He now divides his time between writing, consultancy and making his own wines in the Languedoc and Georgia. Our amusing and insightful chat covered everything from influencers to wine brands, AI to his upbringing in a family hotel. To read more about Robert have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Twitter (X) at @robertjoseph. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Niki Segnit is an expert on flavour, having written two best-selling books about the subject. I caught up with her before she jumped on a plane to Andalusia to talk about her eureka moment tasting a bottle of claret from Waitrose, unexpectedly delicious food pairings, Mike Leigh and liver in lager, how we inspire kids to eat better, her mistrust of recipe books and why she’s on a mission to give home cooks the courage to strike out on their own. To read more about Niki have a look at her website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @nikisegnit. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

When Anthony Hamilton Russell gave up a job as a management consultant to return to the family wine farm in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, his London salary was more than the turnover of the business his pioneering father Tim had established in 1981. Our fascinating chat about the last 40 years of South Africa’s leading cool climate region covered everything from Nelson Mandela to leaf roll virus, Pinotage to sustainability in all its forms. To read more about Anthony have a look at the Hamilton Russell Vineyards' website. You can also follow the bodega on Instagram at @anthony_hamilton_russell. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

A passionate Andalusian and Professor of Law at Granada University, Jesús Barquín is also one of the key figures in the modern Sherry revolution. Equipo Navazos, the company he co-founded with his friend the winemaker Eduardo Ojeda, has pioneered single cask as well as unfortified wines from the region. Our fascinating chat covered the nomenclature of Sherry, famous vineyard sites, Edgar Allan Poe and why Amontillado is his favourite wine. To read more about Jesús have a look at the Equipo Navazos website. You can also follow the business on Instagram at @equiponavazos.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Adrian Bridge had two careers – in the military and banking – before he joined the wine business in 1994. Now CEO of the Fladgate Partnership, he’s one of the most articulate, dynamic and articulate people in the Port trade. Our fascinating chat covered climate change, the importance of good spirit for fortification, his love of mountaineering and different drinking vessels and why foot-treading in lagars gives his Ports a vital extra 1% in quality. To read more about Adrian have a look at the Taylor's website. You can also follow the bodega on Instagram at @taylorsportwine. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Author of Vineyards, Rocks & Soils, Professor Alex Maltman is an acknowledged expert on wine geology. I caught up with him from his home in Aberystwyth to talk about his life’s work. Our in-depth chat covered earthquakes, Welsh Seyval Blanc, different types of rocks, his definition of the French word terroir, the unseen factors that affect vinous aromas and flavours and why geology is so often misunderstood by people in the wine business. To read more about Alex, have a look at the University of Aberystwyth's website.  You can also read some of his articles in the World of Fine Wine. 

Brian Moore, known as pit bull during his time playing rugby for England and the British and Irish Lions, was always a sportsman with a hinterland. Our fascinating chat covers his other careers as a solicitor, wine columnist, TV commentator, manicurist and now trainee psychotherapist, as well as plenty of other things besides, including food, politics, scaffolding, his secret respect for the French and why he can’t stand “Swing low, sweet chariot”. To read more about Brian, do buy a copy of his autobiography, Beware of the Dog. You can also follow him on X (ex Twitter) @brianmoore666.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Fernando Maíllo works in fine pata negra ham as well as wine – lucky man – and has been one of the key figures behind the emergence of the Sierra de Salamanca region in Castilla y León. Listen to us chat about the unique qualities of Rufete, both red and white, how he rescued 131 abandoned vineyards, his love of kite surfing and red Burgundy and his desire to express the terroir of the natural park that surrounds his winery in every single bottle. To read more about Fernando have a look at the Cámbrico website. You can also follow the bodega on Instagram at cambricowine.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

After a 30 year career in banking, Grant Ashton turned his passion for wine into a business, setting up the wine-focused members’ club, 67 Pall Mall, in London. He’s now CEO of a chain of three sites that’s set to expand to six or more over the next few years. Our fascinating chat covered his musical family, how he finds and trains sommeliers, the debt he owes to Coravin, his approach to surviving the pandemic and why his motto is “go big or go home”. To read more about Grant have a look at the 67 Pall Mall website. You can also follow the club on Instagram at 67pall_mall.  Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.   

Sean Willard engineers menus and wine lists for a living. It’s a fascinating job that involves economics, science, art, psychology – and plenty of number crunching. Our enjoyable chat covered everything from font sizes to daily specials, how the pandemic changed the on-trade for ever, techniques for steering customers away from default choices, the concept of truth on menus and what annoys him most about eating out in restaurants. To read more about Sean have a look at the Menu Engineers website. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Alessio Planeta is the seventeenth generation of his family to make wine in Sicily. As you’d expect, he’s a man with a passionate interest in the history of the Mediterranean’s largest island. Listen to us talk about Sicily’s different sub-regions, the remarkable quality of its best indigenous grapes, its twenty different civilisations, Lord Horatio Nelson’s love of Marsala and what it’s like making wine on the side of an active volcano. To read more about Alessio have a look at the Planeta website. You can also follow the winery on Instagram @planetawinery. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Pascal Chatonnet has not one, but two wine-related PhDs. After a 17-year stint as an academic at Bordeaux University, he switched careers to become a consultant and take over the running of his family’s Right Bank estates. Our fascinating chat covered his views on Brettanomyces, cork taint, ripeness and picking dates, his favourite grape varieties – Merlot, Tempranillo and Touriga Nacional – and his enduring love of antiques. To read more about Pascal have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram @pascalchatonnet. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.