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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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Ed Cavanagh’s wine writing stands apart. He somehow fuses the flair of a journalist with the depth and precision of a scholar — a rare combination, but then again, few writers in the wine world have a background quite like his.

Many of you will know Ed from his work across the Limestone Coast wine industry, or from his time in cellar doors throughout South and Western Australia. But his story stretches much further — from the world of law and academia, including a Cambridge Fellowship, to the vineyards and communities that now shape his writing.

When Ed fell in love with the wine industry, he brought with him a remarkable set of tools — a sharp analytical mind, a storyteller’s instinct, and a genuine curiosity about people and place. It’s no surprise that his work has been recognised, recently earning him a shortlist spot at the Australian Wine Communicator Awards.

Anyone who has read Ed’s writing knows how he operates: he doesn’t just tell the story of wine — he digs into its context, the politics, the culture, and the consequences that often ripple beneath the surface.

It was an absolute privilege to sit down with Ed to unpack one of his recent pieces. There’s so much more to explore, and I’ve no doubt this will be the first of many conversations with him. But for now, a huge thanks to Ed Cavanagh for joining me.

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This weekend I got a text from John Hesketh, letting me know that Keeda Zilm had done it again. Keeda, and her Vickery Riesling, struck again at the Adelaide Wine Show, walking away with a back of accolades. Everyone seems to be in agreement that Keeda Zilm is the capable custodian of something very special. 

Named in honour of the late, great John Vickery, often described as the Max Schubert of Australian white wine, the Vickery label has become synonymous with exceptional dry, flavour-driven Riesling and a legacy that helped shape the nation’s understanding of this remarkable variety.

In this conversation, Keeda joined me from Adelaide to share how she’s carrying that torch, balancing tradition and innovation, working with growers across Watervale, Polish Hill, and Eden Valley, and even exploring new frontiers in Tasmania. We talk about the technical precision behind dry Riesling, the challenges of climate and water, the future of the style in Australia, and Keeda own remarkable journey, to becoming one of the most respected voices in Australian winemaking.

It’s a conversation that dives deep into craftsmanship, culture, and the quiet power of a variety that has always told the truth of its place.

It was an honour and privilege to have Keeda on the CDP, a massive thanks to Keeda for joining me. 

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