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Cokie Ponikvar loves wine. Her passion is contagious, and she wants to share her passion for wine with the world. She is studying for MW exam while chasing her dream of becoming an MS, and she shares her studies with the world through her online education platform Cokie’s World of Wine. Cokie released early that wine lends itself to a pretentious air that has resulted in the alienation of entire generations of future potential wine lovers. So, she has made it her mission to break down the barriers, thereby creating an attractive and welcoming portal through which all can see the world of wine in its full beauty. She is young, observant, dedicated and passionate - the perfect ambassador to share the word, and the traction she has garnered means her work is being noticed. Cokie sat down with me to share her story, her work and a little bit about herself in this thoroughly enjoyable conversation. A huge thanks to Cokie for joining me.

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David LeMire MW is joint CEO and head of sales and marketing at Shaw and Smith. His experience ranges from being the import manager for Negotiants Australia to taking on the revered Master of Wine accreditation. David also writes for Anthony Madigan’s Wine Business Monthly publication, where David shares his perspectives with panache. David joined me on the show from the Adelaide Hills to share his story, the story of Shaw and Smith and associated wineries  including Tolpuddle, and some perspectives on the bureaucratic structures tasked with supporting and advocating for the Australian wine industry. A huge thanks to David for joining me.  

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Some weeks ago, I caught up with one of my absolute favourites, Alex Head of the Head Wines label. In typical cool, calm, and collected fashion Alex shared his perspectives on the economic roller coaster Australia is riding and its impacts on the industry, the need for an active optimism and the importance of embracing personal responsibility when it comes to facing challenges. Alex and I also discussed the most recent developments with Head Wines. Alex’s measured and acute observations are valuable and an enjoyment to listen to and consider. A huge thanks to Alex for joining me. 

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I recently managed to grab Ashley Ratcliff, the owner of Ricca Terra Wines, for a quick update on his recent activities. Ashley is a passionate crusader for the Australian wine cause and also for what is possibly one of the most misunderstood regions in the Australian wine landscape, South Australia’s Riverland. Ashley’s time and travels in and across the industry have given him acute perspectives and an eye for opportunity, and after a recent trip to the USA, Ashley believes more than ever that there is an abundance of opportunity if the industry embraces thinking outside the box. It was a quick chat, but it doesn’t take long to gauge Ashley’s passion and his vision. A big thanks to Ashley for joining me.

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Darren Rathbone is the CEO and head Wine Maker in charge of the Rathbone Group, a family run enterprise responsible for Victoria’s Mount Langi Ghiran and Yering Station and Xanadu in Margaret River, WA. The Rathbone Group entered the Chinese market in around 2007, saw its rise and saw its collapse with the imposition of the Chinese tariffs. Now that the tariffs have been lifted the Rathbone Group is cautiously re-entering the Chinese market. Darren sat down with me to give a snapshot overview of the Rathbone Group’s activities, a history of the Chinese market and his perspectives on the future. A massive thanks to Darren for joining me. 

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Giles Cooke MW is one of the industry leaders behind the sensational wave of new age Grenache sweeping across the McLaren vale and Barossa. He also brings bucketloads of perspective given his wealth of industry background developed in the European market - not to mention the big initials MW next to his name. Giles is all about excitement and innovation and doing what it takes to establish his wines in the premium market domestically and abroad. Giles and I talk about Giles’s story, what’s going on with Grenache and what is going on with Australia’s approach to the international market.  A huge thanks to Giles for joining me.   

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This is my first episode recorded since arriving in Santa Barbara, and I couldn’t think of a better way to start than by getting the Santa Barbara story, plus the story of a winery that forms part of Californian history. Who better to share the story than one of the legends of the Santa Barbara wine scene, Wes Hagen. A huge thanks to Wes for joining me. 

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There is nothing as important as going back to basics, so I called on wine rockstar Doug Neal for some education – on the topic of oak and its role in the wine world. As always, its difficult to be comprehensive, especially when you’re on the clock, but the passionate teacher in Doug came out and I found his class very insightful. A huge thanks to Doug for joining me. 

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It’s important to tie off loose ends, so I sat down with Jeremy Oliver a second time to cap off the themes in his recently release paper to the wine industry. We discussed China’s decision to lift the tariffs on Australian wine imports, the difficulties posed where a duopoly controls a consumer market and we discussed some of the feedback from our first chat. As always -  fun and insightful. A massive thanks to Jeremy for joining me.

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For more than three decades, Huon Hooke has dedicated his pen to the world of wine. Beginning his career as a journalist in the traditional print media, Huon has witnessed the evolution of wine reviewing and criticism from the era of the print media to the digital age and now the uncharted territory of social media. Huon generously shared his insights on the Real Review's work, the current landscape of wine criticism, and the myriad challenges and exciting opportunities that lie ahead for the Australian wine industry. A heartfelt thank you to Huon for joining me.

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