The Wine Conversation

Listen in to hear David Gleave talk to Sarah Kemp about his new book Barolo and Barbaresco, The Primacy of the Vine, which has just been published by Académie du Vin Library. Sarah predicts it will win all the wine writing awards as it is an important book, eloquently written with great maps and quotes from producers that take you right into the vineyard. Sarah also finds out David’s favourite res...

Controversy swirls around the new Michelin Grapes guide to Bordeaux, not least because Château Latour isn’t even listed.. Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp discuss the criteria for the guide, which evaluates estates not individual wines, and give their frank views on the criteria and the selection of estates listed. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com

Jancis Robinson MW talks to Elin McCoy about the 9th edition of The World Atlas of Wine which is about to hit the shelves. Listen in to find out how she and Julia Harding MW decide which regions need  expanding, what needs to be dropped, and how the wine world has changed since Hugh Johnson wrote the first edition in 1971. Find out why Hugh asked Jancis to co-author the book (now it has...

Listen in to hear Peter Sisseck, the man who helped change the image of Spanish wine,  talk to Sarah Kemp in our latest “Great Wine Lives” series. Discover how as a young man he joined his uncle Peter Vinding Diers in Bordeaux, then joined Zelma Long in California, how he nearly came to work for Paul Draper at Ridge before returning to help his uncle with a project in Spain. He discusses how...

The wildfires around Bordeaux have made headlines around the world. Jane Anson, Bordeaux expert and local resident, talks to Sarah Kemp about the impact on the region and the effect on the wine industry. Listen in to hear her first-hand experience of living next to a fire 15km from the city where she lives, and her early thoughts on the possibility of smoke taint in the vineyards closest to the fi...

All the latest news and views from John Stimpfig and Elin McCoy in this month’s Omnibus. Reports on the state of Napa Valley, good and bad, how En Primeur 2025 Bordeaux fared in the UK and US (and which wines did sell through), reaction to Michelin’s guide to Burgundy, weather watch and much more. Find out more at wine-conversation.com

Etna is a relatively new region in Sicily which is attracting today’s most dynamic winemakers as well as established names. David Gleave MW has just returned from there and brings us up-to-date with what is going on in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. Find out the producers to watch and the grapes to look out for. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com

Jane Anson calls it “the best party in Bordeaux” and it is hard not to agree listening to Sarah Kemp and Jane Anson discuss the 2026 Connoisseur Week where they visited stellar estates including Cos d’Estournel, Pichon Comtesse, Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, Vieux Château Certan, Angelus, Troplong Mondot, Condat and drank legendary wines back to 1945. Find out how the great vintages stacked up, and which...

Is there still value in Burgundy? Jasper Morris MW, author of”  Inside Burgundy” , says yes. Listen in to discover which appellations Jasper recommends to find value in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com

When did you last see a mature bottle of Bordeaux on a wine list? Sarah Kemp talks to Michael Saunders and Robert Mathias MW of Coterie Holding’s wholesale arm Hallgarten and Novum about “The Cellar Series”, an initiative to put mature Bordeaux back on hotel and restaurant wine lists. Listen in to hear how they have persuaded some of Bordeaux’s classed growths to embrace the hospitality industry,...

In our final episode of The Judgement of Paris, Sarah Kemp and John Stimpfig discuss the impact of the historic tasting, and discuss with Patricia Gallagher, Bo Barrett, Brian St Pierre and Hervé Berland how it affected the world’s wine industry. We find out from Bella how Steven viewed it, and hear from Steven himself on why, for him, wine is a way of life. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com

“We weren’t always welcome because they thought we were French”. Bella Spurrier recalling her trip to California with Steven while sourcing the wines for the Judgement of Paris. Listening in to part two of the History of the Judgement of Paris to hear the remarkable tale of how the tasting came about, and how the wines were chosen. In this episode, Sarah Kemp and John Stimpfig talk to Bella Spurri...

“We weren’t always welcome because they thought we were French”. Bella Spurrier recalling her trip to California with Steven while sourcing the wines for the Judgement of Paris. Listening in to part two of the History of the Judgement of Paris to hear the remarkable tale of how the tasting came about, and how the wines were chosen. In this episode, Sarah Kemp and John Stimpfig talk to Bella Spurri...

The most significant wine tasting in history celebrates its 50th anniversary. Join us for the first episode in a special four-part series on “The History of the Judgement of Paris”, hosted by Sarah Kemp and John Stimpfig.  Exclusive interviews with Bella Spurrier, Steven’s wife, Patricia Gallagher, director of the Academie du Vin, Bo Barrett, owner of Chateau Montelena, Brian St Pierre,...

Listen in to Omnibus for this month’s biggest wine stories with John Stimpfig and Elin McCoy. Find out what the talk of Napa Valley is,  discover Elin’s Bordeaux 2025 wine of the vintage,  how Spring frosts have affected Champagne, which wines are hot in New York and much more. Find out more at wine-conversation.com

As Bordeaux châteaux start to release their prices for the Bordeaux 2025 vintage, Sarah Kemp talks to Tom Burchfield, Head of Market intelligence at Liv-ex about the market, and asks the all-important question – what needs to happen to make this campaign a success? Listen in to find out how the market is right now, which château released and has been a success, and the key criteria for making the...

Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp are halfway through the Bordeaux 2025 tastings, with Jane having tasted over 500 wines, and Sarah trying to catch up with 250. Listen in to hear their thoughts so far on the vintage, find out what’s new this year, and a sneak preview of some wines that have impressed. There is a special subscription discount offer to www.janeanson.com site, which will have full tasting no...

Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp are halfway through the Bordeaux 2025 tastings, with Jane having tasted over 500 wines, and Sarah trying to catch up with 250. Listen in to hear their thoughts so far on the vintage, find out what’s new this year, and a sneak preview of some wines that have impressed. There is a special subscription discount offer to www.janeanson.com site, which will have full tasting no...

First report on Bordeaux 2025 from Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp. In their first En Primeur podcast they describe the vintage, which despite on paper looking like 2022, is in fact quite different in character. 2025 has the lowest yields since 1991, and neither Sarah or Jane can remember a vintage quite like it. Concentrated fruit and low ph are two of its characteristics. They believe you can’t make g...

Wine consumption is at its lowest since the early 1960s, and one reason is that the younger generation isn’t drinking wine. One company that is addressing this is Goedhuis Waddesdon, the bluest of blue-chip British wine merchants, who have set up The Goed Wine Collective, a club for under-35-year-olds. Sarah Kemp talks to the company’s Harry Tennant and Tilly Loughton, both in their 20s, on how th...

Listen in to hear Sebastien Pradal talk to Elin McCoy on how he came to be the wine consultant to the hit Apple TV series “Drops of God”. As the wine consultant, he worked with the script writers and actors to ensure that all the facts and wine details were correct, as well as choosing the wines and winery locations. A fascinating conversation on how this hit wine TV drama came together. Find out...

Jane Anson discusses the extraordinary relationship between the USA and Bordeaux as the US begins to celebrate its 250th anniversary of independence. Listen in to hear about the Founding Fathers' love of Bordeaux, and why Jane believes that Benjamin Franklin rather than Thomas Jefferson was the true advocate for Bordeaux. Discover the châteaux which had US connections and meet the extraordinary pe...

Join David Gleave MW for a deep dive into the wines of Barbaresco in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. Discover the vineyards to look out for on the label, the best producers and the upcoming names to watch. Expert advice from one of Italy’s foremost authorities. Find out more at: wine-conversation.com

Listen in for our latest 10-Minute Masterclass on Chassagne-Montrachet with Burgundian guru Jasper Morris MW author of Inside Burgundy and  www.insideburgundy.com. Discover the vineyar ds to know, the producers to watch, the four bands of Premiers Crus, its terroir – and find out why it is frowned upon for producers to marry someone across the main road! Find out more at: wine-conversation.co...

“We are having a reckoning of the US wine industry.” Elin McCoy reports. Vineyards being pulled up, wineries for sale, wineries closing, exports falling, grim news from the US in this month’s Omnibus. There is, however, a bright spot – Taylor Swift’s love of Sancerre has made the wine fly off the shelves. Elsewhere, John Stimpfig reveals that the EU and New Zealand have concluded trade agreements...