The Wine Conversation

How soon will we hear the title “Climate Change Director” as often as “Winemaker? Miguel Torres Snr has been at the forefront of climate change solutions and he has appointed Josep Maria Ribas Portella, an industrial engineer with a Masters in Sustainable Energy Systems as Torres’s Climate Change and Sustainability Director. Listen in to find out what Josep and the team at Torres are doing to combat climate change, find out his views on glass bottles, regulations and much more. A timely and important conversation as we see this month the indisputable evidence of climate change in the fires across Europe.

All the latest wine news and independent views. John Stimpfig reveals why he thinks the Champagne region is shooting itself in the foot over herbicides, Elin McCoy reports on the sale of Joseph Phelps and the trend for other iconic Napa and Sonoma estates to sell out to big corporations, as well as why some wineries won’t be insurable in the future and much, much more.

Elin McCoy talks to Tor Kenward of Tor in our "Great Wine Lives" series – a fascinating conversation from the man who has been at the heart of the Napa Valley since 1977, who brought the great chefs to California, including Julia Child and now makes award-winning Cabernet from Napa’s greatest vineyards.

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Jane Anson talks to Namratha Prashanth, who left Bangalore after an abusive marriage to create a new life, a new business and a new brand in Bordeaux.

In our “Great Wine Lives” series, Elin McCoy talk to visionary winemaker Paul Hobbs, who is today making wine in four continents. From been chosen by Robert Mondavi as a young winemaker to work on Opus One, helping Nicolas Catena in Argentina, setting up his own wineries, in California, Cahors, Galicia, the Finger Lakes and Armenia, meet the man who really does have a global wine vision.

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As we celebrate our Great Queen of England’s Platinum Jubilee, we look back on another remarkable Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Jane Anson talks to leading French historian Stéphane Bern about this remarkable woman who taught the English how to drink wine.

Leading Bordeaux expert Jane Anson of www.janeanson.com talks about the 2021 Bordeaux vintage. Jane tasted over 800 wines during En Primeur – she relates her overall impression of the vintage, reveals her star wines, discusses which terroirs did well and which did not, and tells where you can find value for money.

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In our “Great Wine Lives” series, Sarah Kemp talks to Hervé Berland about his 30-plus years at Château Mouton Rothschild and then leading the green revolution at Château Montrose. Memories of working with Baron Philippe de Rothschild, his daughter Philippine, the move to Montrose and why, though he is retiring from Château Montrose, he is looking forward to his next wine adventure.

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Listen in to Omnibus 14 for news and unfiltered independent views – how the Ukraine war is affecting the wine world, the first US$1,000 wine-tasting tour in Napa Valley, Jane Anson’s first thoughts on Bordeaux 2021, the wine sale of the year, Prince Robert of Luxembourg’s private cellar to be auctioned for charity plus much more.

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Viva Argentina! – Thinking about visiting Argentina? Bernard Fontannaz of Finca La Anita talks to us about how visitors can enjoy an entire meal cooked over fire and which wines match each dish, while relaxing at the foot of the Andes mountains. Ready to fly?!

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