A former professional volleyball player and fashion model, Sandra Tavares feL in love with the wine world at a young age, treading grapes at her grandfather’s wine estate near Lisbon. Since 2001, she’s run Wine & Soul, one of Portugal’s best wineries, with her oenologist husband, Jorge Serôdio Borges, helping to redefine the Douro Valley. Focused almost entirely on field blends of very old vines, Sandra is a brilliant, globally recognised superstar.

To read more about Sandra have a look at the Wine & Soul  website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @sandratavareswineandsoul.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Victoria Mason was working as a plant buyer at Waitrose when she heard about a vacancy in the wine department. She got the job and has never looked back. A long-distance runner and serial high-achiever, she has the energy and enthusiasm of three people. Victoria is a Master of Wine, an expert on regenerative viticulture and a buyer at the Wine Society, where’s she’s currently in charge of South Africa, Beaujolais, Chablis and the Mâconnais.

To read more about Victoria and her South Africa offer have a look at the Wine Society's website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @victoriathewinebuyer.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

José Vouillamoz is a botanist, ampelographer and grape geneticist who has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the past, present and future of wine. Co-author of the monumental Wine Grapes, as well as books on France and his native Switzerland, he’s a scientist who can convey his knowledge to a wider audience, combining expertise and charm with a journalist’s eye for a good story. He’s a truly fascinating interviewee. Photo by Louis Dasselborne.

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

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Cricket-mad Beth Willard’s journey in wine started with a part-time job at Hardy’s Cellar Door operation in Canberra. Since then, she’s lived in France, the United Kingdom and Spain, where she’s made her home. In her time, Beth has been a top buyer as well as a show judge and journalist. A speaker of four languages, she loves travel, foreign cultures and, of course wine, bringing passion, knowledge and a sense of humour to everything she does.

To read more about Beth have a look at her website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @bethcwillard.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Katia Nussbaum was born in London, but has lived most of her life in Italy, where she and her partner Gigi have owned the highly regarded San Polino estate in Brunello de Montalcino since 1990. Always vineyard focused, she was one of the pioneers of organic farming in the region and is now experimenting with vitiforestry, planting maples among her vines to understand the fungal networks that are an essential part of nature.

To read more about Katia have a look at the San Polino website. You can also follow the estate on Instagram at @brunello.san.polino. 

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Xavier Rousset fell in love with wine on a family holiday in Collioure. After writing to fellow Frenchman Gérard Basset, one of the world’s most famous sommeliers, he got a job for a month at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester and has never looked back. A Master Sommelier at the age of 23, he is now an entrepreneur and businessman, running five different restaurants in London, but serving customers is still what he enjoys most.

To read more about Xavier have a look at the Blandford Comptoir website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @rousset.x.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Luke O’Cuinneagain grew up close to the vineyards of nearby  the Constantia Valley, but originally wanted to be a vet rather than a winemaker. A weekend job working at a cellar door changed all that. After a job at Rustenberg and a distinguished 14-year career at Glenelly, owned by Bordeaux grande dame May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, he is now in charge at Vergelegen, one of the Cape’s most historic estates, busy transforming the range and the vineyards for the better.

To read more about Luke have a look at the Vergelegen website. You can also follow the winery on Instagram at @vergelegen_wine–estate. 

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Born into a family of Methodists, half of whom were teetotal, Sarah Abbott ‘s wine journey began when got a job with specialist Burgundy merchant, Domaine Direct. Since 2008, she’s run her own company, Swirl, specialising in advising what she calls “emerging regions” like Georgia, Japan and Turkey. In 2021, she set up the Old Vine Conference with some friends during lockdown and has turned it into a tour de force.

To read more about Sarah have a look at Swirl website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @sarahabbottmw.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Mike Paul’s parents ran a hotel in Torquay, so maybe wine was part of his destiny. After a history degree, he got a job with Saccone & Speed, where he was in charge of Black Tower Liebfraumilch, among other things. A key figure in the success of Australian wines in the UK at Southcorp, as well as the South African brand, Kumala, he’s been a freelance consultant since 2006, working principally in the English wine industry, most notably at Gusbourne.

To read more about Mike have a look at his website. 

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.

Kathy Burk grew up on a grape farm in California, but went into academia rather than viticulture, specialising in Anglo-American relations. Alongside her teaching and research, she continued to develop her love and knowledge of wine. Now a retired professor, she’s spent the last five years researching her remarkable new book, Wine: A Global History, which will be published in October. I caught up with her to hear all about it.

To read more about Kathy have a look at this website. 

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.