Tony Laithwaite fell in love with wine in the Côtes de Castillon, where he’d gone to work as a holiday intern before university. Spotting a gap in the market, he founded a company called Bordeaux Direct, which has gone on to become one of the most successful mail order businesses in the world. Our intriguing chat covered his love of the under-dog, flying winemakers, fateful meetings and what keeps Laithwaite’s Wine ahead of the competition.

To read more about Tony have a look at the Laithwaite's Wine website. His autobiography, Direct, is also a fantastic read. 

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.