The Vincast - a wine podcast with The Intrepid Wino

Many Melbourne-based wine lovers would be familiar with the name Boccaccio Cellars, as they have regularly advertised in the Epicure lift-out of The Age every Tuesday. The Balwyn-based retailer has been selling wines for nearly 40 years, specialising in Italian wines. Anthony D'Anna, second generation Italo-Australian, has been heavily involved in the family business for many years, not only with Boccaccio but also their winery in the Yarra Valley (Hoddles Creek Estate) and more recently, Mondo Imports working with some outstanding small producers from Italy. He joined me on this episode of The Vincast to talk about his upbringing and work in the family business, and his perspective on Italian wines in Australia.​

Many Melbourne-based wine lovers would be familiar with the name Boccaccio Cellars, as they have regularly advertised in the Epicure lift-out of The Age every Tuesday. The Balwyn-based retailer has been selling wines for nearly 40 years, specialising in Italian wines. Anthony D’Anna, second generation Italo-Australian, has been heavily involved in the family business for many years, not only with Boccaccio but also their winery in the Yarra Valley (Hoddles Creek Estate) and more recently, Mondo Imports working with some outstanding small producers from Italy. He joined me on this episode of The Vincast to talk about his upbringing and work in the family business, and his perspective on Italian wines in Australia.​

If you've ever wondered what my biggest influence was for this podcast, it was listening to The Crush podcast, hosted by Christina Pickard and Whitney Adams. The podcast was a very relaxed fun look at wine and incorporated guests and very entertaining segments. They started the podcast when Christina was in London, and Whitney was in Los Angeles, but after Christina relocated to her husband's home town of Perth, it became more difficult to record the show. She continues to write and present, but she has also more recently started The School of Wine to educate Perth wine lovers in a fun environment.​

If you’ve ever wondered what my biggest influence was for this podcast, it was listening to The Crush podcast, hosted by Christina Pickard and Whitney Adams. The podcast was a very relaxed fun look at wine and incorporated guests and very entertaining segments. They started the podcast when Christina was in London, and Whitney was in Los Angeles, but after Christina relocated to her husband’s home town of Perth, it became more difficult to record the show. She continues to write and present, but she has also more recently started The School of Wine to educate Perth wine lovers in a fun environment.​

Wine festivals can be one of the most fun ways to discover more about wine and meet the people who make what is in your glass. Fortunately there are a great number of different events people can attend, both in your capital city and also in the wine regions themselves. On this episode of The Vincast Daniel Honan returns and we chat about the nature of wine festivals and how they are evolving to connect with todays wine consumer.​

Dave Brookes is currently one of the most accomplished and sought after wine judges in Australia having been awarded dux of the Len Evans Tutorial in 2011. He was also one of the first voices for sustainable and natural wine in the country, writing about his passion for these products on his popular blog Vinofreakism. He joins me on this episode to talk about his journey, his philosophy and his unique perspectives.​

Dave Brookes is currently one of the most accomplished and sought after wine judges in Australia having been awarded dux of the Len Evans Tutorial in 2011. He was also one of the first voices for sustainable and natural wine in the country, writing about his passion for these products on his popular blog Vinofreakism. He joins me on this episode to talk about his journey, his philosophy and his unique perspectives.​

When many people think of rosé they think of a sweet pink wine, but times have changed (for the better) and you can easily find good quality fresh and dry examples being produced around the world. For episode 30 of The Vincast I invited sommelier friend Wiremu Andrews (currently working at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne) to discuss the history of rosé, the production methods & styles, and what you can expect from certain regions and varieties.​

With the Christmas and New Year period rapidly approaching our tastebuds turn to sparkling wine, and on this episode I have returning guest Phil Smith from The Wine Depository join me to discuss the many styles of sparkling wine and ways to enjoy them.​

Owen Latta from Eastern Peake and Latta Vino joins me on this episode of The Vincast, talking about growing up with the vineyard his parents planted when he was born, taking over from his father at a young age, and discovering new projects along the way.