Gus Zhu started out studying horticulture at university but caught the wine bug when he attended a tasting class given by one of his professors. Since then, his rise has been meteoric. He was the first Chinese national to pass the Master of Wine exam at the age of 31. Today he combines his day job as a research scientist in California with a second career as an educator and author, most notably of his brilliant new book, Behind the Glass.

To read more about Gus have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @guszhu.

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.