Gerd Stepp was brought up on a grape and apple farm in the village of Bad Dürkheim. After working in wineries in Italy, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and a spell as a buyer for Marks & Spencer, he returned to his roots to set up his own wine business in the Rheinpfalz. Our fascinating chat covered his love of the African bush, Cabernet Franc, his talents as a long-distance runner and why Riesling might just be too geeky for its own good.

To read more about Gerd have a look here. You can also follow him on Instagram at @steppgerd.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.