Emergency Bordeaux podcast! Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp discuss the news that has sent seismic waves around the wine world- stellar Château Lafleur will no longer bottle under the Pomerol AOC from the 2025 vintage. Why have they done this, what does it mean for their neighbours, and what does the future hold for the producers of Pomerol. Listen in to hear Jane and Sarah’s views.Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
Don St Pierre Jnr founded ASC Fine Wines in China with his father in 1996, and pioneered the introduction of wine to a nation of Baijiu drinkers. In our “Great Wine Lives” series he talks to Sarah Kemp about the challenges and how he overcame them. It started with teaching people how to use a cork screw, but with a team of passionate local Chinese employees he built a business selling 3 million bottles a year. It wasn’t easy, he even got thrown into jail for 29 days, and while there had to plan Robert Parker’s trip to China a few weeks later! Listen in to hear the story of this remarkable man and find out why after selling his shares in the company in 2014, and heading to California to buy the majority share in Vinfolio, he has returned to China and bought back ASC Fine Wines.More information at wine-conversation.com
Who are the best producers in Barolo? Who are the up-and-coming producers? What does it taste like young and old? Best vintages? What type of soil? Find out by taking a deep dive into all things Barolo in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass with Italian guru David Gleave MW.Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
Christian Moueix is the winemaker’s winemaker, the man Hugh Johnson called “a reference point to the Right Bank of Bordeaux”. Usually when you say someone is a legend it is hyperbole, but not in Christian’s case, as he has influenced vintners around the world with the viticultural practices he pioneered. For our series “Great Wine Lives” he talks to Sarah Kemp about his extraordinary life, discussing the influence of his father, being in charge of 38 vintages of Petrus, his work at Bélair-Monange, Trotanoy, La Fleur-Pétrus and Dominus, his life outside the vineyard and his one wish. Listen in to hear the man who has completed 55 vintages on the world’s greatest terroirs.More information at wine-conversation.com
The FBI, MI6, CIA and a nuclear physicist - all used to find counterfeit wine by Bill Koch, one of the subjects of this month’s Wine Conversation. Plus, the fall-out of the Bordeaux 2024 campaign, aluminium bottles, vintage reports from Chile and Argentina, and much more. Listen in to hear the latest wine news and views.Find out more at wine-conversation.com
Hannes Myburg talks to John Stimfig for our series “Great Wine Lives” about growing up and then running the iconic South African Meerlust estate, which is celebrating its 50th vintage. Discover how he became a paid clapper at fashion shows in Paris which led to an internship at Château Lafite and how his father was the first to develop Bordeaux blends in South Africa, inspired by a trip to Bordeaux. Meerlust has only had three cellar masters in its history and Hannes discusses their contributions as John Stimpfig reports on a vertical of Meerlust back to 1975.More information at wine-conversation.com
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. Listen in for armchair wine porn.Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
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-conversation.com
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 vineyards and cellar, all in the pursuit of elegance, balance and quality.Find out more at: wine-conversation.com
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
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.com
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 South Africa needs more premium producers.More information at wine-conversation.com
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
“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
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 Thursday after Easter but for an early view, tune in now.Find out more at wine-conversation.com
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
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-conversation.com
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
“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
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 to the price! Join us for an hour of strong views and today’s wine news.Find out more at wine-conversation.com