The Cellar Door Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Late last year I had the pleasure of speaking with Pipa Nielson who gave an exciting and colourful introduction to the Western Australian region of Geographe wine region. Following that first course in Geographe education, Pipa arranged a second: a conversation with wine rockstar, Kim Horton, of Willow Bridge Estate. After growing up in the Swan Valley, Kim has made wine across multiple regions in WA, and in this conversation I get to ask him what makes Geographe, and the broader WA wine scene, so very special. Kim’s story is also fascinating, with early aspirations in the finance sector… aspirations that took a remarkably different turn. What follows is a deep dive into a young region that’s still defining itself. We talk about the diversity of Geographe, from coastal plains to the elevated Ferguson Valley, and how that translates into a wide spectrum of wine styles. This is a conversation about people and craft. Kim shares what it’s really like to be a winemaker: the highs, the setbacks, and the reality of building a career in an industry that’s anything but predictable. This is Geographe, through the eyes of someone living and shaping it. A huge thanks to Kim Horton for joining. Support the show

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Send us Fan Mail To borrow from Monty Python: now for something completely different. This episode steps away from the usual B2B conversations and industry stories, and into something I don’t usually focus on… wine tasting. When a mystery box of wine appeared on my doorstep, filled with a collection of genuinely exotic and intriguing bottles, I did what anyone would do: I tracked down the sender. That trail led me to none other than the talented, guitar-shredding, wine-slinging Marc Malouf of iHeart Wine, and a very generous supporter and benefactor. So I thought, why not lean into it? In this episode, we put the usual format to one side and let Marc guide us through a flavour-filled journey across a lineup of wines that are as diverse as they are exciting. For those who are interested, the lineup includes: Along the way, we’re joined by a special guest, my brother-in-law Mac, bringing a fresh perspective as a passionate foodie discovering these wines in real time, whenever I let him get a word in. Yes, I know I can yap. I hope you enjoy this different style chit chat, and a massive thanks to Marc and Mac for joining me. Support the show

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Send a text The Hunter Valley occupies a special place in the story of Australian wine. It is, in many ways, the spiritual birthplace of the industry - a region where generations of families have wrestled with the climate, the soil, and the vagaries of the market to produce wines of remarkable character. My guest today, Garth Eather, represents one of those families. Garth is the co-founder of Meerea Park Wines, a winery he established with his brother Reese in 1991. But the Eather family story in Australia goes back much further than that, all the way to the arrival of the Second Fleet in 1790, and more than two centuries of agricultural history in what would eventually become the Hunter Valley wine region. In this conversation, Garth shares that remarkable family history, from convict beginnings to grape growing, and eventually to building one of the Hunter Valley’s most respected small wineries. We also talk about what it really takes to survive as a small producer today: the reality of direct-to-consumer sales, the challenges facing regional tourism, and why some of the best wines the Hunter Valley has ever produced are being made right now, even as the market becomes harder than ever. Along the way, we dive into the character of the Hunter Valley itself, its legendary Chardonnay, Semillon and Shiraz, its fiercely site-specific vineyards, and the deep sense of history that still shapes the region today. You cannot help but hear the pride Garth has for the Hunter and its stories, and this is reflected through their wines. We talk through three of their releases and we discuss what I describe as the bold strategy underpinning the Etherial (sorry for the pun) Stratos Chardonnay. This is a conversation about wine, certainly, but also about family, resilience, and the stories that define a place - because that is really what wine is all about. A huge thanks to Garth for joining me. Support the show

Send a text Australian wine once rode a remarkable wave of success in the United States — built on strong personalities, passionate importers, and wines that connected with everyday drinkers. Today, the picture is more complicated. In this episode, I sit down with Chuuuuck Hayward, a 40-year veteran of the American wine trade to unpack what’s really happening on the ground in the US. We revisit, the rise of Australian wine in the US, the role boutique importers played in building the category, and why the loss of ambassadors, changing distribution networks, and shifting market priorities may now be reshaping its future. We also dive into some tough questions: Have everyday wine drinkers been forgotten? What happens when distribution keeps changing? And how should Australia position itself in a crowded US market? This is a candid conversation about the challenges, the history, and the opportunities ahead for Australian wine. A huge thanks to Chuck for joining me. Support the show

Send a text Phil Conway embraced adventure and the unknown when he moved from Ireland to Melbourne in Australia. Phil describes a love of food from an early age, a love and passion that placed him on an inevitable collision course with wine. These passions took him across the globe while also launching him onto the set of Australia’s masterchef. Phil describes his passion for food and wine as extensions of himself rather than descriptions of what he does or his occupation. Food and wine are central to his entire life. In this conversation, we discuss Phil’s role as wine buyer for Barrel and Batch, purchase trends in Melbourne, his journey from Ireland's Galway to Melbourne and Phil corrects some misconceptions I have about everything Masterchef. An extremely fun conversation. A huge thanks to Phil for joining me. Support the show

Send a text Will Taylor is one of the most insightful voices in Australian Wine - and its not hard to see why. His perspective is as unique as it is dialed in. As the managing partner of the wine group at Finlayson’s law, he spends his days analysing the aspects of the wine trade and industry that get the least attention - the least sexy aspects of the trade, that are the most important when it comes to building a viable trade and industry. In this chat I get to ask Will about his key takeaways from 2025, while he also unpacks what he perceives to be necessary to sprout the green shoots that will place the national industry on an upward trajectory. As always, an absolute pleasure and privilege talking with Will Taylor, a huge thanks to Will for joining me. Support the show

Send a text Cyndal Petty has spunk. She describes her drive and oodles of energy from an early age, her parents placing her in the gymnastics arena and her early success in it until injury caused her to pivot. But the foundations of drive and dedication had set hard, and when Cyndal found herself as an apprentice chef at age 15 years old, it was only a matter of time before she set her eyes on a new goal and shot out in pursuit. Her goal: to learn and absorb everything she could about wine. Fast forward some years and Cyndal has become a multidimensional force: she writes, presents, consults and curates. Most importantly, she works tirelessly and endlessly to hone her skills and improve. This was an extremely fun conversation with someone who is backing herself to achieve exciting things. A massive thanks to Cyndal for joining me on the CDP. Support the show

Send us a text Daniel Sangermani has embraced the challenge of bringing the prized wines of Switzerland to the sun kissed shores of Australia. Switzerland exports less than 2% of its total production but consumes the 4th most wine per person of any country in the world. Many, if not most people, particularly in Australia, have little familiarity with Switzerland's deep and historic wine culture, its six wine regions, and its approximately 320 grape varieties that they use to craft some of the prettiest and most elegant wines I have tasted in recent memory. Building awareness of a product and industry in a market with next to no awareness of it is indeed an unenviable task. However Daniel is indeed the man for it. His story is as incredible as his many diverse skill sets, and his passion for Swiss wine is contagious. In 2025 Daniel launched Invidia Wines, Invidia being Italian for envy. I think we will see a lot from Daniel in the coming months and years. From my perspective I am indeed envious of the magic Daniel is bringing to our shores. But my envy is out-shon by the gratitude I have to Daniel for taking the time to sit with me and record an incredible conversation about his journey from Ticino in southern Switzerland to the Australian Shores and the epic that has culminated in him setting up Invidia Wines.. A huge thanks to Daniel for joining me on the CDP. Support the show

Send us a text I was lucky enough to spend the New Year in South Australia, dividing my time between the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley. while I was in the Barossa, I took the opportunity to call into Nuriootpa High School to record a third - and final - chapter on a school project that is as innovative as it is interesting. I’m joined once again by Milly Hoffmann, and this time by a special guest: her wine mentor, Richard Mattner - who also happens to be Head Winemaker at Pepperjack Wines, part of the Treasury Wine Estates stable. Richard reflects on his involvement in the early precursor program that would eventually evolve into the school’s now-established Vines and Wines program, and on what it means to help shape the next generation of potential wine industry talent. We also taste through several of the students’ 2024 releases - wines that aren’t just educational exercises, but fully realised bottlings that are available on the market that I think are value for money. Taken together, it’s a conversation about education, mentorship, and the long view of wine: how skills are passed on, how confidence is built, and how a school project in the Barossa can quietly produce wines that deserve to be taken seriously. Support the show

Send us a text I last spoke to Gordon Little of Little Peacock Wine imports as the final episode to the 2024 season. When asked how the 2024 year had been, I distinctly remember him describing it as “weird”. Gordon and I have stayed in touch, with occasional correspondence, and we thought it might be both fun and interesting to reconvene at the start of 2026 to get his hot takes on the 2025 season and projections (if at all possible) for 2026. As expected, his comments on the US market are interesting, forensic and steeped in experience. Gordon has been surfing the complex and competitive US market since 2011 and I am delighted to share that 2025 proved to be their most successful year to date. However, everyone will be acutely aware of the added complexities that look like they will continue to play out over the coming years, making predictions nigh-on impossible. Regardless, however it is beyond encouraging to know the Australian market has champions like Gordon out there doing incredibly hard work on the ground and relaying vital information. As always it was an honour and a privilege chatting with Gordon a huge thanks to Gordon Little of Little Peacock Wine imports for joining me on the CDP. Support the show

Send us a text In this first episode of the New Year, I chat with Brendan Carter on his recent documentary covering the plight of the Riverland and his thoughts on navigating the way forward. Support the show

Send us a text Today on The Cellar Door Podcast, I’m joined by Liam Van Pelt, winemaker at the legendary Ashton Hills. I first met Liam at the cellar door, where he, his sister, and the world’s coolest dog poured a lineup that completely reset my expectations: sparkling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and a tour through one of the highest, coldest, wettest pockets of the Hills. In this episode, we dig into what makes that site so distinctive, why Piccadilly Valley fruit carries such a signature, and how Liam works in a region where disease pressure, altitude, and climate make every vintage a battle but a battle worth fighting. We talk Pinot Noir, how Ashton Hills blends to build perfume, spice, and depth. We explore Chardonnay, Liam’s current “favourite child,” and why he thinks the Piccadilly Valley may be Australia’s most exciting source of cool-climate expressions. And we dive into the rise of Gamay in the Hills and the momentum behind this increasingly bulletproof, joyously fragrant variety. Liam also shares his own journey, from Broken Hill to hospitality to almost walking away from wine entirely, until a vintage with the legend Andrew Thomo Thomas reignited his spark and a fateful meeting with Stephen George changed his trajectory. Today, he’s carrying forward one of Australia’s great Pinot legacies with instinct, patience, and quiet determination. This is Liam’s story. A massive thanks to Liam for joining me on the CDP. Support the show

Send us a text Today on The Cellar Door Podcast, I’m joined by someone whose work shapes how Australia understands its own wine: Katrina Butler, Head of Tasting at the Halliday Wine Companion. Katrina arrives at a busy moment, preparing the next edition of the Companion, fresh off the latest awards season, and deep in the yearly cycle of tasting thousands of wines from across the country. In this episode, she lifts the lid on how the Companion is actually put together: blind tastings, regional specialists, the shortlisting process, and how major awards are decided. We also explore the evolution of the Companion itself, from a single, iconic book to a multi-platform wine media brand, and what it means to communicate wine for the consumer in a rapidly changing media landscape. Katrina shares insights from her own tasting regions, including the energy coming out of the Riverland and the classic expressions emerging from Kangaroo Island. And she tells the story of her own path into wine, from pastry chef to writer to leading one of Australia’s most influential tasting programs. A huge thanks to Katrina for joining me on the CDP. Support the show

Send us a text It’s been a while between drinks - but David LeMire MW has been busy flying the flag for Australian wine around the world and returns to The Cellar Door Podcast after a whirlwind year that’s seen him travelling through Portugal’s Douro and Dão regions, opening a new award-winning tasting room at Tolpuddle Vineyard, and collecting yet another round of trophies for Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle Chardonnay. In this episode, we dig into David’s recent article inspired by marketing guru Mark Ritson - unpacking what it really means to market wine well. From the discipline behind good strategy, to why sometimes the smartest move is deciding what not to do, we explore six key lessons every wine business can learn from. An absolute privilege chatting with David and massive thanks to him for joining me on the CDP. Support the show

Send us a text We are about to head to Western Australia - but not to Margaret River. We’re going a little further north to discover one of the state’s best-kept secrets: the Geographe wine region. My guest is Pippa Nielsen, co-owner of Vineyard 28, a producer that’s made its mark by championing Italian varieties like Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Fiano. Pippa shares how this coastal-meets-hillside region is carving out its own identity - balancing tradition, innovation, and a deep sense of community. We talk about Geographe’s rich history, its bold alternative varieties, and how collaboration, not competition, is driving the region forward. It’s a story of pioneers, passion, and a piece of Western Australia that’s quietly redefining what great wine can be. Here’s my conversation with Pippa Nielsen of Vineyard 28. Support the show

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Send us a text We are going deep into the heart of Coonawarra, but through a lens few could have imagined: blockchain, NFTs, and quality Coonawarra wine. My guest is Jack Burston: former Goldman Sachs banker turned unlikely vineyard owner and innovator who’s shaking up the Australian wine scene with a project that fuses old-world craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Jack’s journey began on what locals teasingly call the “wrong side of the railway line,” where his label *Over the Line* was born. But it’s not just a great name, it’s a story about challenging assumptions, championing organics, and rethinking how wine reaches the glass. From a chance partnership with veteran wine maker Peter Douglas of Penfolds and Wynns fame to an exciting collaboration with Club de Vin, Jack’s work sits at the crossroads of tradition and tech. We talk about Coonawarra’s identity as the spiritual home of Cabernet, the rebirth of its vineyards, and how the future of fine wine might just live on the blockchain. This was a thoroughly enjoyable conversation, A huge thanks to Jack for joining me. Support the show

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