The Wine Conversation

John Stimpfig reports on how vintners are coping in the Bekaa Valley, Elin McCoy discusses the sale of Duckhorn Portfolio for 1.95 billion dollars, plus Weather Watch and North Hemisphere Harvest reports. We also report on the launch of Taittinger’s English Sparkling wine, Berry Brothers entering the auction world and the chance for all of us to buy a little bit of Burgundian history when the BIVB road signs go up for auction this November. This Omnibus is brought to you by our Founder Sponsor, Santa Rita Wine Estates.

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Join us for a 10-Minute Masterclass on Montalcino, home to the famous Brunello di Montalcino. Italian expert David Gleave MW guides us through the region’s diverse terroir and  explains the different  wine styles from north to south, where picking can differ by up-to 10 days. He recommends the top producers as well as his hot tips for producers to watch out for and where to find value. Unmissable listening for any wine lover.

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In our latest “Great Wine Lives” series Elin McCoy talks to Lenz Moser about how his curiosity took him from his family estate in Austria to China, California, Hungary and back to Austria to launch a new company based on Gruner Veltliner. Listen in to hear his views on Chinese wine and why he thinks the wine industry is losing consumers. 

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Take a deep dive into Chile with our Founding Sponsor Santa Rita Estate’s viticulture manager, Gerardo Leal. Find out which regions he thinks suit which grape variety best, discover Santa Rita’s Estate’ new project in the south of Chile and why Maipo is still the most important region for Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Discover what makes Volnay so special with Jasper Morris MW in our latest 10-Minute Masterclass. Discover its history, its terroir, the vineyards to know, and Jasper’s tip for producers who are excellent value and still under the radar. Plus probably our best obscure fact to date. A must-listen for any Burgundy lover.

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How do you build a new wine empire? Michael Saunders, the man who co-founded Bibendum and spent 40-years building it into one of Britain’s most dynamic companies, talks to Sarah Kemp about Coterie Holdings, which he joined in January this year as its CEO. Coterie own Lay and Wheeler, Hallgarten and Novum Wines, Coterie Vaults, Europe’s largest bespoke wine warehouse, and Jera, a specialist lending platform which offers short-term loans secured against wine collections. What’s next for Coterie and what does it take to succeed in building a fine wine business? Listen in to find out.

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Listen in to Omnibus for all the latest wine news and views. This month we cover the fake wine scandal in Taiwan, the latest harvest reports, wine bankruptcies and latest winery sales, the launch of a non-profit foundation for promoting the enjoyment of aged wines, plus Elin heads to the Hamptons with “Sex and City” author Candace Bushnell to taste the latest Dom Pérignon.

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Davie Gleave MW takes a deep-dive into Italy’s most planted grape, Sangiovese. Discover where it grows best, where the grape originated from (spoiler alert, not Tuscany}, whether it can age, and why David believes it has a bright future.

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What is it like to run one of the world’s most prestigious wine estates? Listen in to hear Lorenzo Pasquini talk to Elin McCoy about his life as Estate Manager at Château d’Yquem. Lorenzo was born in Italy and dreamed of being a professional fencer, but wine beckoned after watching his father plant an estate. Lorenzo talks about his mentor Denis Dubourdieu, becoming the winemaker at Cheval des Andes at 26 years old, and how he could not turn down the ultimate golden wine job.

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Join world-expert Jasper Morris MW, author of the award-winning Inside Burgundy and the brilliant website www.insideburgundy.com, for his latest 10-minute Burgundy masterclass.

This month he is looking at the wines of Gevrey-Chambertin, famed for its nine grands crus. Discover its history, its terroir, the producers to look out for, and its one obscure fact. A deep dive into the famous appellation from the leading Burgundy expert.

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