In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion podcast, Halliday taster, drinks writer and liquor merchant Mike Bennie shares his path into the wine industry, his passion for natural wines, and how Australia’s wine scene has evolved. He reflects on founding Sydney’s groundbreaking Rootstock Festival, the challenge of defining natural wine, and judging Halliday’s inaugural ‘wildcard’ category. Mike also makes a case for judging wine by style, explains why he’s a champion of under-the-radar regions such as Queensland’s Granite Belt, and discusses how personal style influences wine culture. The conversation wraps with a playful debate on wine and cheese pairings.

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Takeaways 

• Mike Bennie transitioned from law into the wine world.
• Natural wine covers a broad range of styles.
• Rootstock Festival shone a spotlight on natural wine producers.
• Australia’s natural wine movement has grown and matured.
• Natural wine is grounded in organic farming and minimal intervention.
• Halliday’s new wildcard category fosters diversity.
• Mike argues wine should be judged by style rather than variety.
• He often gets pigeonholed as a ‘natural wine guy’.
• He champions regions like Queensland’s Granite Belt.
• Wine and cheese pairings are often overrated.
  
  
  

Chapters
00:00 Acknowledging the Land and Introduction
00:53 Mike Bennie’s Journey into Wine
02:06 The Allure of Natural Wines
03:28 Founding Sydney’s Rootstock Festival
05:09 Evolution of the Natural Wine Scene
06:25 Defining Natural Wine
08:15 Shifts in Natural Wine Styles
10:01 The Wildcard Category in Wine Judging
11:26 Categorisation in Wine Judging
14:12 Proposing Changes in Wine Judging
17:01 The Importance of Style in Wine Lists
18:28 Pigeonholed as a ‘Natural Wine Guy’
19:56 A Deep Dive into Wine Knowledge
24:15 Personal Style and Image in the Wine Industry
27:23 Championing Under-the-Radar Wine Regions
34:50 The Wine and Cheese Debate
37:06 Quickfire Questions and Personal Preferences

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