The Big Vin Theory

We talk with Katherine Jones of ThinK Wine Group about what it takes to launch a new, lifestyle, low calorie wine brand.  What did the design process look like?  How was the gap in the market identified?  How has it been marketed?  Katherine also runs We Are SN, an influencer marketing agency, so we ask what platforms work best?  How can influencers work best?  And mo...

We speak with Heather Daenitz from Craft and Cluster, photography and social media consultant and podcast host https://www.craftandcluster.com/podcast/ .  We ask how the wine trade can attract new customers?  What metrics should branding and social media be judged on?  How can you determine ROI from a social media campaign?  What is the future of podcasting?  And more...

We talk to Kryss Speegle MW about bulk wine QA, QC, transport and global business.  What are the most important things to include on a tech sheet?  What are the most important checks during bottling?  What have been the biggest changes in supply and demand globally recently?  How have tariffs affected bulk wine distribution?  And more...

We talk with Dr Belinda Kemp, Senior Staff Scientist in Oenology & Adjunct Professor about sparkling winemaking.  We ask what constitutes a 'cool climate'?  Can machine harvesting ever make quality fizz?  What yeasts and fining agents are worthwhile?  What are the main odour compounds from autolysis?  Does Bob seriously think he can pass the exams when he mixes up CO2...

We chat to Charlie Foley, Specialist and Auctioneer at Christie's.  We ask when it would be appropriate to write 'auctions' for a commercial positioning question?  How does the auction process work?  How do they attract new customers?  How do they guard against fraud?  What are the trends to look for?  Where does he get those incredible jackets?  And more... Foll...

We talk with Rob MacCulloch MW - contract winemaker in Hawkes Bay.  We ask Rob what the main considerations are for growing and purchasing fruit for commercial bulk wineries?  What yeasts work for different varieties?  What processing aids are best, and why?  How do you add complexity and texture to an entry-level wine?  Is chaptalisation really necessary?  And more.....

We talk to Matt Wilson, award winning wine photographer , about wine imagery.  What makes a good photograph?  What are the most common mistakes people make?  What's more important, the image or the writing?  What makes a good Instagram image?  How is video changing wine imagery?  And more...

We talk with Justin Moran, co-founder of The Hidden Sea.  We ask whether or not environmental credentials are important in marketing wine?  What metrics should a brand look at when evaluating its strength?  How does social media drive sales?  Does great wine need a great story?  And more... To learn more about The Hidden Sea, and how much plastic they've removed from the o...

We talk to Surina Burger, Quality Assurance Manager at De Wet Wine Cellar, about how to design and implement a QA system in a winery. We ask what the different third party accreditations are, what constitutes a Critical Control Point and how to follow the CODEX flow chart.  What adjustments do they make?  How does preparing a wine for bulk differ from that in bottle?  And much, much...

We chat to Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, owner of Domaine of the Bee.  We ask what the challenges are in managing very old vines, how they deal with grape moths and wild boar.  We also chat about the new course being run in the South West of the UK on sustainable viticulture; more details here:   https://www.dartington.org/event/introduction-to-viticulture/

We talk with Pauline Vicard, Co-founder and Executive Director at ARENI Global.  We ask what "fine wine" is?  Who is drinking it?  Why?  Where is it growing?  What are the breakdown of consumers?  Should more wine be 'fine'?  And much more. Here are the various links we reference during the podcast: The future of fine wine report Join the (free) newsletter ARENI...

We talk with Phil Reedman MW - principal consultant at Phil Reedman Master of Wine Pty Ltd.  Phil has spent over 37 years working in the wine industry. From his start at a Nottingham restaurant in 1982 through to today Phil continues to be captivated by wine’s endless complexity.  We ask does the wine trade need more consultants?  How do you select the right yeast?  What are th...

We talk with Lia Jones on diversity in wine and the drinks trade more generally.  What does diversity look like?  What steps can people businesses take to create a more diverse atmosphere?  How do other industries compare?  How can we approach a younger generation?  To find out more about what you can do to improve diversity, Lia recommends this website:  www. Google....

We speak with Jacques Jordaan, at VinLog, Kuehne+Nagel about the main points of interest in wine logistics.  What are the main considerations when moving in bulk vs bottle?  How much does a shipment cost and how quickly and easily can it be organised?  What are the main geo-political factors affecting wine logistics?  What does technology hold for the future?  And much mor...

We chat to Rowena Curlewis at Denomination design agency - a specialist in wine and drinks packaging design.  We ask if the wine industry cares enough about packaging?  How does it compare with other drinks categories?  What does the design process involve?  How does this industry deal with copycats?  What new technology will we see on wine bottles?

We talk with Frances Bentley about buying for the UK on-trade.  How do the different categories differ?  What are the main buying considerations?  What are your private label strategies?  How do we bounce back after COVID?  How do you view consolidations in the industry?  And much more...

We talk to Dr Janice Wang on her research into blind tasting, 'crossmodalism' and more.  What pedagogical approach works best in terms of training? Does learning how to taste wine help with other skills?  What music should you listen to to enhance acidic properties in a wine?  What opportunities does VR hold for the world of wine?

We talk with Andrew Jones of Sunridge Nurseries about everything rootstock related - including his take that rootstocks will change the flavour of a wine more than the clone.  What are the biggest sellers, which are best for higher quality vineyards, are there any scions that do or don't work together?  What are the biggest issues facing rootstock production?  And more...

We talk to Nick Jackson MW, author of ' Beyond Flavour ' (US link here ).  We ask, from the perspective of the MW exam, how do you construct a convincing origin argument between wines of similar structures, eg Chardonnay?  How can you really distinguish between sub regions within Burgundy, and Germany?  What are the limitations of using structure for tasting?  This is indispens...

We ask Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan MW how to pass the MW tasting exam, so if you want to do that, you should probably listen to this.  Then we ask whether or not tasting wine on TV can ever ben entertaining, what media works well, how does trading fine wine as a commodity benefit the trade and is blind tasting really a useful tool anyway? Jennifer has very kindly offered a special discount to yo...

We chat with Tom Wilkinson, Vineyard Manager at Chapel Down Group plc, about all things UK Viticulture.  How do you manage workforce requirements?  How mechanised are the UK's vineyards?  What are the biggest problems and how are they dealt with?  Does he want a helicopter?  Special praise also has to go to Tom for the most dramatic pause in TBVT's short history. 

We talk to Etienne about life as a wine authenticator - what makes wine authentic?  What are the specific things to look out for of a fake wine?   How big an issue is wine forgery?  And, if you've ever wondered what Chernobyl has to do with Ch Margaux 1900, then this is the episode for you! You can see more of Etienne's work here:   www.aceswines.com / enquiry@aces-wines.c...

We talk to winemaking legend Brian Fletcher , who everyone should follow on Twitter.  We ask about the history of modern Aussie winemaking, what he thinks of R2 yeast, why he loves tartaric acid and PVPP, how to maximise quality in bulk grape/wine production, how companies like Naked can be a win-win and more.... NB - this conversation was recorded between an absolute gentleman in his late 60...

We talk to Harry Crowther, founder of Grain to Grape.  Harry is a winemaker and ex-somm who runs Grain to Grape - a wine training company with a difference. We ask how sales can be maximised in the on-trade?  How can and should people up-sell in a restaurant?  How can wine work for mixologists and those without a wine background?  What are the new social media platforms we shou...

We interviewed Sabas Joosten, Head Sommelier at De Librije, a Three Michelin Star restaurant in Zwolle, The Netherlands.  De Librije has consistently been considered one of the top 50 restaurants in the world for many years, taking particular pride in its wine pairing for the tasting menu.  We ask Sabas about the Dutch market, how to make sustainable profit in the on-trade, how to curate...