In The Vineyard With Podcast

It's the perfect weather for a chilled bottle of something fizzy. In my glass, a delicious Methode Cap Classique (MCC) Rose from Paul René in Robertson, South Africa.

To many of us MCC is a relative newcomer on the ever-growing traditional sparkling scene but next year South Africa will celebrate 50 years since its creation.

Unable to use the term Method Champenoise (or any mention of the Champagne region), the South African growers who drew inspiration from the French region came up with the 'Classic Cape Methode' or in French, Methode Cap Classic. The pioneering credit goes to the Simonsig Estate.

The second part of our Greek wine odyssey- Naoussa! Greece's most important red wine region.

The land of Xinomavro . Green hills, sleepy villages, a patchwork of old vineyards growing this unique northern Greek grape.

In this conversation, I hosted Stelios Boutaris, CEO of Kir-Yianni, one of the most important estates in Naoussa and neighbouring Amindeo and a beacon of Greek winemaking. We were joined by the rising star Kostis Dalamara, owner and winemaker of Dalamaras winery, Christos Taralas from Taralas winery and Christopher Georgiadis from the small Argatia winery.

Conversation covered some of their personal choices in life, in winemaking, vineyard sites, terroir variations, clones and their main characteristics, vinification preferences, Tannin management, experimentation and whether the PDO can blend some other varieties (Merlot, Mavrodaphne) in order to round and soften the wine for slightly earlier drinking, or are they backing the 100% Xinomavro and showcasing it in its pure expression ?

The first leg of our Greek Wine Odyssey! On Wednesday 1st of July, our journey began in the northern Greek regions of Goumenissa and Amyndeo, in Macedonia.

Laurens Hartman (Domaine Karanika) and Chloi Chatzivariti (Ktima Chatzivariti) shared their passion for these regions with us.

In this session, I hosted Cathy Van Zyl MW, Christo Le Riche, Cellar Master at Le Riche Wines and Chairman of the Stellenbosch Cabernet Collective and Alastair Rimmer, Cellar Master at Kleine Zalze winery.

We discussed the intricate details of the Stellenbosch Vineyards. Their complex geology, topography, soils, vineyard aspects, wind influences and of course, how all that translates to the liquid in the glass!

During this session, Christo and Alastair shared some fantastic 3D maps of Stellenbosch and other South African wine region, to emphasise geology, temperature variations between the regions and much more.

Listening to the audio session is highly recommended, as ever, but I feel that following this up with watching the YouTube recordings will give you a better insight from the excellent images shared so kindly by those passionate experts.

Enjoy listening and watching and please remember to drop me a line in the comment box. It is always great to hear what you think of the show and of course, if you have a future region or a grower you'd like to hear about in future recordings.

Caroline Gilby MW is the world's highest authority on Eastern European wines. In this interactive discussion, Caroline took us through the region's turbulent past, from pre-communism wines to the exciting present day. We heard about the major grape varieties, the complex and diverse topography, the vineyard areas, the production levels, import/export and much more.

If you find the discussion interesting and want to learn more about the region Caroline coins as the "Exotic East" her fascinating book, The wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova, is currently available to purchase via these links:

For orders from the UK and Europe : http://Bit.ly/BuyClassics

For U.S orders : http://Bit.ly/BuyClassicsUS

and if you use the following code, IVWGILBY40, you will receive a 40% discount off the listed price (valid until 30 June 2020). The wines for our prize draws were provided by the lovely people at the specialist agencies of:

www.moldovawine.co.uk Moldovan wine specialist www.theoldcellar.com Bulgarian wine specialist and www.transylvaniawine.co.uk Romanian and Moldovan wine specialist

The Leafroll virus is a global issue and a hot topic amongst winemakers and Viticulturalists all over the world.

In this discussion, my Co-Host, Cathy Van Zyl MW and myself, hosted Professor Gerhard Pietersen from the Stellenbosch University and Aidan Morton from The Takora Wine Estate for an informative, up to date seminar about the topic. Other notable professionals that joined us in an open conversation and added from their experience were Alastair Rimmer (Kleine Zalze), Rosa Kruger (The Old Vine Project), Ido Lewinson (Barkan- Israel), to name but a few.

Listen to Cathy Van Zyl MW and Me in conversation with two of South Africa's most respected winemakers. The charismatic "King of Chenin" Ken Forrester and one of Swartland's biggest ambassadors, Andrea Mullineux. Comparing Chenin from their regions, the terroir characteristics, preferences in the vineyard and in the winery. This is a first in a series of conversations with Cathy and myself, covering the major regions of this stunning country. On our tour, we will chat to truly inspiring winemakers.

Subscribe to be notified of the next live session.

Elizabeth Gabay MW a leading expert on Rosé wines and myself, were talking via zoom to a fascinating group of Natural winemakers from 4 different regions of Europe.

Amongst the issue we discussed:

What is Rosé wine? Can Rosé age?

Can Rosé be classed as a terroir wine?

What are the differences between Natural Rosé and standard Rosé?

What is the history of Rosé in the 4 respective regions?

Grape varieties, agricultural philosophies, vinification practices and much more.

This Saturday, I had the pleasure of talking to a true giant in the world of wine and one of the greatest ambassadors of Bordeaux. Jean-Michel Cazes is a pioneer and deserved part of Bordeaux history.

A true gentleman and a great storyteller, Jean-Michel joined us from his home in Pauillac, during lockdown. It was a tonic to us all to hear his anecdotes and thoughts.

Thank you to those who joined on the day. For those who couldn't make it, feel free to listen or watch and share with your wine friends and of course subscribe to be notified of future events.

Following our immensely successful first session, featuring Priorat with Miquel Hudin, it's certainly left a taste for more!

Listen to the interactive Zoom interview recorded on Tuesday evening 05/05/20 at 19:00 GMT as Sara Perez and Rene Barbier joined me and Miquel Hudin for a chat about working alongside their inspirational fathers, as well as their projects of passion.

Watch the video.