Episodes
-
I waited a long time for the opportunity to record this conversation. Iro is a good friend, but she’s a very busy lady! Working in the Summer season as a Sommelier in a seafood restaurant in Chania, and the rest of the year as an Ambassador for the Wines Of Crete Association can be two very demanding roles!
In this conversation we talked about the history of Cretan wines, what grapes are the key grapes and what wines they can make, the key figures (well, apologies for many that were left out. We love you all!), the geography of this big island and more.
So let’s go! Join us to the coast, hills, mountains, stunning vineyard, wines and people of Crete!
-
In this episode, I was joined by Chef Michael Caines MBE, Chef Owner of Lympstone Manor, Country Hotel, Restaurant and Vineyard alongside his longstanding Operations Manager, Steve Edwards.
It's a hard enough job, starting a Country Hotel, in a rundown building, having to renovate it to a Relais & Châteaux standards, establishing a kitchen and a restaurant worthy of a Michelin star, before any other task is considered.
Planting a vineyard, and especially one destined to make Traditional Method English sparkling wines, with no experience in viticulture or winemaking could be seen as over ambitious at best, or foolhardy at worst.
Michael just knew, after one look at the southwest sloping barren field, stretching from the house, down towards the mouth of the River Exe, that had it been somewhere in France or Italy, that field would be planted to vines.
Join us on this episode, to hear about the complexities of the challenge, the wines produced so far and the ones yet to be released, what other products the vineyard produces, *other forms of fermentations, Michael and Steve's desert island wine (and what dish goes with it!),, And much more.
* BBC Food- Michael Caines, A Life Through Food
Listen to this BBC Food programme by Dan Saladino, exploring the life of Chef Michael Caines, highlighting, among many others stories, the saving of the Pain De Morvan, the rural French bread Michael first learnt to bake more than 30 years ago and now is baked daily at Lympston Manor.
-
Missing episodes?
-
In this series of conversations, my guest, Amanda Barnes, is taking us on a grand tour of the South America vineyards.
We will first soar over the Andes, to Chile, to discover the famous valleys, such as Colchagua, Maipu and Casablanca. From there we will move north all the way to The Atacama Desert before returning to explore the deep south towards Patagonia.
Our journey will continue to examine the latest trends in Argentina. Yes, it’s not all about Malbec!
Finally, in the final segment of our tour, we will delve into what’s happening in the rest of the continent. Brazil, Uruguay, are up and coming wine nations with increasing presence in US and European markets.
Peru and Bolivia, with their rich heritage of vine cultivation will feature too, as well as a cameo from Paraguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Salud!
-
In this series of conversations, my guest, Amanda Barnes, is taking us on a grand tour of the South America vineyards.
We will first soar over the Andes, to Chile, to discover the famous valleys, such as Colchagua, Maipu and Casablanca. From there we will move north all the way to The Atacama Desert before returning to explore the deep south towards Patagonia.
Our journey will continue to examine the latest trends in Argentina. Yes, it’s not all about Malbec!
Finally, in the final segment of our tour, we will delve into what’s happening in the rest of the continent. Brazil, Uruguay, are up and coming wine nations with increasing presence in US and European markets.
Peru and Bolivia, with their rich heritage of vine cultivation will feature too, as well as a cameo from Paraguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Salud!
-
In this series of conversations, my guest, Amanda Barnes, is taking us on a grand tour of the South America vineyards.
We will first soar over the Andes, to Chile, to discover the famous valleys, such as Colchagua, Maipu and Casablanca. From there we will move north all the way to The Atacama Desert before returning to explore the deep south towards Patagonia.
Our journey will continue to examine the latest trends in Argentina. Yes, it’s not all about Malbec!
Finally, in the final segment of our tour, we will delve into what’s happening in the rest of the continent. Brazil, Uruguay, are up and coming wine nations with increasing presence in US and European markets.
Peru and Bolivia, with their rich heritage of vine cultivation will feature too, as well as a cameo from Paraguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Salud!
-
A few days before Christmas, I got together with my friend, Demetri Walters MW to hear what floats his Christmas drinks boat in 2023.
We talked about the obvious Christmas drinks most of us love, like Port, Sherry (not your Grandma’s) but we also talked about Madeira, Commanderia St. John (Cyprus) and Vinsanto (Greece).
Demetri is a renowned world expert on fortified wines, so we could talk about those for hours! I’m not sure if I can find any 1803 Sercial though.
However, when it comes to mulled wine, we were not singing from the same hymn sheet 😊
Maybe I have been drinking the wrong kind of mulled wine all these years.
Demetri shared with me his fantastic recipe for mulled wine which is published on my Patreon page (link below) and I’m going to give it a go this Christmas to see if my opinion can be changed!
Finally, there were some great questions from our Patreon friends:
Andrew Newbury asked about the best wine pairing for a traditional turkey.
Matt asked us to consider whether or not a Snowball is an acceptable aperitif.
To Ian’s mischievous question of ‘How much can we drink’, Demetri recommended listeners to ‘push the proverbial Christmas boat out’. His philosophical answer is a wise piece of advice!
If you want to get involved in my conversations in the Vineyard With then sign up to the Patreon membership and you will get advance notice of my scheduled interviews and the opportunity to add a question or two of my guests.
Demetri's Glorious Mulled Wine Recipe
www.patreon.com/inthevineyardwith
-
Wine books. The wine world would be poorer without them. A good wine book is not just a vinous guide or a reference. It is often a companion, a walking pace way of telling a wine’s story. And what could be nicer than sitting comfortably, I’m thinking by the fire, it is December after all, holding and reading a book about the region or the very winemaker responsible for the liquid in your glass? With our world shifting with alarming rapidity to the ether of cloud knowledge, the books produced by a relatively new UK wine publication house, Académie Du Vin Library, are worth celebrating.
Hermione Ireland is the Managing Director and Publisher of Academie Du Vin Library and in this episode, she tells us about what led her to her role and the kind of books she is proud of publishing.
The creation of the inimitable Steven Spurrier, Academie Du Vin Library is a unique publication house, specialising in books that tell a story. Books that tell a drink’s story, such as This fantastic book all about Sherry A life story, such as Jean Michel Cazes’s From Bordeaux To The Stars, a regional or a specific estates’ story, such as Hermione’s desert island wine, Chateau Musar.
For the Academie Du Vin Library’s website, visit https://academieduvinlibrary.com/ Patrons of my show, head to Patreon to discover your discount code created especially for you. There’s still time for that perfect Christmas present!
-
This episode wasn’t planned. Sometimes, the best things happen without much planning. A spontaneous and inspired action can often lead to a much more memorable encounter or experience.
I was visiting Tiago Alves De Sousa, one of the Douro’s most influential winemakers and a good friend, in his winery and vineyards high up on the slopes above the river Corgo, northern Portugal, a couple of weeks before harvest 2023. With me were my partner, Jeanette, and our friends Sam and Miles. I felt inspired to record Tiago’s words and did so on my mobile phone. It was almost a group discussion and you can hear multiple people asking questions. Apologies for the quality of the recording as well as various interfering sounds ( trumpets and drums from a nearby marching band, numerous scooters and loud explosions from fireworks... in bright sunshine !!).
Please consider supporting my podcast and becoming a Patron. I look forward to seeing you there! www.patreon.com/InTheVineyardWith -
In the episode I was in the vineyard with Alex Starey, winemaker at Keermont Vineyards, in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Keermont is located in a long narrow valley that is tucked between the Helderberg and the Stellenbosch Mountains. Right at the tope of his vineyards, near an open pool feeding from the local spring, we sat on a sunny mid-winter day to chat about this relatively new estate.
Keermont was bought by current owners Mark and Monica Wraith in 2003. they originally planned to plant vineyards and sell the grapes but a chance introduction to Alex changed that.
A single barrel was made in 2007 and since the results were so good the green light was given to make more wine under the Keermont label.
Since 2007 the estate under Alex’s leadership is going from strength to strength with emphasis on Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot with some petit Verdot and malbec too. The range includes an excellent Chenin Blanc as well a white blend that includes seven varieties.
Enjoy hearing the personal story of a wine maker returning home from making wines abroad to make wines in his childhood valley and the story of an estate that is less than 20 years old.
-
In this episode I chatted to Nic Van Aarde, winemaker at Oldenburg Vineyards in Banghoek, Stellenbosch, South Africa. You can hear all about the mystical Rondekop Hill, the centrepiece vineyards at the heart of this beautiful estate.
We discussed the Grenache, each vine supported by a rock, against the ferocious wind, the Cabernet Sauvignon, with putting green grass between the rows of vines, the Stone Axe Shiraz and why the valley was called 'Scary Corner' by the Dutch settlers. Join us for a visit to one of the most beautiful High valleys in the Cape, Banghoek. Make sure you hold on to something solid once the wind come rushing over the mountains!
-
In this episode I was chatting to Christiana Von Arnim CEO of Warwick Estate in Stellenbosch and JD Pretorius, her winemaker.
On a sunny, midwinter afternoon, we sat in the winery's garden to talk and taste their superb range of wines.
It was a pleasure discovering their vision and plans for the future of the Warwick estate as well as how they preserve and maintain what was started by the iconic winemaker Norma Ratcliffe.
-
In episode 52 we conclude a short visit to northern California, where I already spoke to Cathy Corison, Dave Gates from Ridge Vineyards and Rebekah Wineburg from Quintessa Estate.
Bertus van Zyl, winemaker at Tank garage ( a cool converted Gas station), as well as James Cole Winery and his own project Belong Wine Co, which he started 5 years ago with his wife Alli.
From Stellenbosch to California, through the eyes of Bertus.
-
Can a bottle of wine change your life? If you are in a receptive mode, the stars are aligned for you and the right questions asked, Yes says Rebekah Wineburg, winemaker at Quintessa. In our latest episode she recalls such an encounter with a bottle of Ornellaia 1998 while having lunch in San Francisco, with her father.
This bottle started her very own ‘Butterfly Effect’ that led her eventually to be at the helm of one of California’s premium estate, Quintessa.
-
50 Episodes! In this milestone episode, I was chatting with Dave Gates, Head of Vineyard Operations and VP at Ridge Vineyards in Northern California.
We discussed his interesting route into wine from his home farm in Central Minnesota, through agriculture in Southern California, to eventually Viticulture in UC Davis.
Dave is now in his 34th year in Ridge and his encyclopaedic knowledge of vineyards, soils, climates, fruits and the wines they are able to produce is simply awe inspiring.
I asked him about his favourite site (‘’like choosing children’’) and what excites him about Zinfandel in particular, as it is the grape most associated with Ridge (65% of production).
Of course, we mentioned the legendary Paul Draper, founder of Ridge, now in his mid-80’s, who is still involved in some key events in the winery’s calendar.
we also talked about the challenges of water shortages, the old, engrafted zinfandel vines, his experience as a wine blender and as tradition of the podcast dictates, his Desert Island wines of choice. Enjoy!
-
In this episode, I chatted with a real Californian pioneer, Cathy Corison, of Cathy Corison Winery in Napa Valley.
Cathy is a champion of Cabernet Sauvignon, who always managed to marry the qualities of power alongside elegance and finesse beautifully. Not an easy fit.
You can hear about her early years as a young winemaker. She spoke of taking on complex and big operations, for which in hindsight, she is happy to admit, they (her and other 20-something-year-old winemakers of the time) should probably not have been responsible.
In our conversation, Cathy was telling the story of what it was like, standing by your fruit and not bowing to the ‘Parker trend’ of big, overripe and extracted Cabernets of old, in the process forgoing any salary for a decade!
She also described her ‘Bench’ Terroir, what it is like and how it translates in her wines.
We discussed the challenges of fires and water shortages and the obligatory question of what wine she’d be happy to take with her to a desert island (Cabernet-Sauvignon?... you might be surprised!).
This episode is the first of 4 episodes exploring the people and wineries of Northern California.
Please consider subscribing to the newsletter and follow the show on your favourite podcast platform.
Your comments, either here or on Instagram are always greatly appreciated!
Moshé
-
‘’If you include white grapes in a Rosé you can do longer maceration, you can get more texture, more concentration, more roundness, keeps the colour pale. Provence Rose is different, often because of that.’’
And that concisely is the whole secret according to Rosé Specialist Liz Gabay MW.
In this conversation we discussed all things Rosé and her brand-new book about the Rosés of South of France. We covered grape varieties, various terroirs, countries, and regions hot on her list of exciting rosé discoveries in 2022 and her own Rosé wine, which she is producing in Slovakia using traditional methods and local grape varieties.
-
A conversation with Alessio Inama from The Inama Winery in the Veneto region in North Eastern Italy.
Listen to Alessio talking about the Soave Classico, a fantastic wine made from Garganega grapes that portray its Volcanic terroir beautifully. The wine’s journey from mediocracy in the 80’s to starring in wine lists in some of the world’s best restaurants is another subject of discussion.
We hear him talk about the reds, all coming from a hilly region called Colli Berici, further east from Soave, where the grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere, probably the family’s most celebrated red grape.
I hope you enjoy the exploration. Please share this episode and use #inthevineyardwith
-
A long-awaited conversation with Jane Anson, the award winning author and commentator of all things Bordeaux.
It was a pleasure to record this conversation as regular listeners to my podcast will know, I love hearing about the person as much as I enjoy discussing the wines. In the last 20 years, through her work for Decanter and later as an independent publisher, Jane is in many people’s eyes the authority on Bordeaux and rightly so. The veteran wine writer John Stimpfig has described her as ‘’The world's most informed and accomplished expert on the wines of Bordeaux’’
Anson’s tome Inside Bordeaux was described by Dr Jamie Goode as a ‘’Category Buster’’. In my view it is a must on any wine lover’s shelf!
She has won several awards for her writing, including Louis Roederer Wine Online Communicator of the Year 2020, and Born Digital Best Editorial 2020.
Her latest project, www.janeanson.com is a beautiful resource full of information all things Bordeaux and select, elite wines that are traded via the Place De Bordeaux.
In our conversation Jane has mentioned a few places, projects and producers that will be added below in links that you can visit.
Jane’s Bordeaux Mentor Week
Chateau La Clotte
Quinault L’Enclos
Cathy Corison
Les Cordelieres – that magical courtyard mentioned by Jane and recommended for picnics and sparkling wines.
Vineyard 2050 – Bernard Magrez experimental vineyard
Liber Pater – the £30,000 bottle of wine
Jane’s recommendation of 100% Castets from Rioja is El Espinal , 100% Maturana Tinta ( Castets) from Tom Puyaubert’s Bodegas Exopto
And of course… there is Corbieres in Manchester!
-
In this episode, the first recording in a vineyard for nearly two and a half years (!) , I was talking to Yuval Erlich from the small biodynamic vineyard of Harashim. The winery is located in the High mountains (850m)of the Western Galilee in Israel where Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are grown in complete harmony with the local natural forest and Garigue. Harashim winery is located in Mitspe Harashim (village), where the entire community lives according to principles of deep respect and minimal interruption to the natural environment they're living in. Enjoy listening!
- Show more
