Ep 266 – Old Vines, Heritage Grapes & Hidden Wine Regions with Nomadic Winemaker Darren Smith
About this episode
Janina Doyle interviews nomadic winemaker Darren Smith about old vines, heritage grapes, and lesser-known wine regions.
In this episode of Eat Sleep Wine Repeat, Janina is joined by nomadic winemaker Darren Smith, founder of The Finest Wines Available to Humanity. Having worked harvests across Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Portugal, Spain and the Canary Islands, Darren shares stories from some of the world's most overlooked wine regions and explains why old vines, heritage wine grapes and local traditions continue to inspire his winemaking philosophy. Together, they explore País, Negra Criolla, Quebranta and Palomino, discovering how these historic wine grapes travelled across continents and evolved into unique regional identities. Along the way, they discuss minimal intervention winemaking, tree-trained vineyards, volcanic terroir and flor-aged wines, while uncovering extraordinary wine travel destinations that rarely make the spotlight. Whether you want to learn about wine, deepen your wine education, discover lesser-known wine regions, understand heritage grape varieties or plan your next wine travel adventure, this wine podcast episode is packed with fascinating stories, expert insight and remarkable wines. Shownotes 02:45 – Darren Smith's journey into wine — from journalism and wine writing to…
People in this episode
Host: Janina Doyle
Guest: Darren Smith
Topics covered
- old vines
- heritage grapes
- hidden wine regions
- minimal intervention winemaking
- wine travel
- winemaking philosophy
Keywords
- wine education
- heritage grape varieties
- volcanic terroir
- flor-aged wines
- tree-trained vineyards
- wine travel destinations
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Finest Wines Available to Humanity
Books & works: EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT
Places: Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Canary Islands, País, Negra Criolla, Quebranta, Palomino
More episodes of EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT: A Wine Podcast Exploring Wine Regions, Grapes & Education
- Ep 271 - Washington State Wine: The Ultimate Wine Road Trip Through America's Hidden Gem
- Ep 270 - Bordeaux Beyond the First Growths: How to Find Great Value in Fine Wine with Michael Saunders
- Ep 269 - Alto Adige Explained | Italy's Alpine Wine Region, Indigenous Grapes & Wine Travel
- Ep 268 - Loire Valley Wine Region | French Wine Deep Dive for WSET Diploma D3
- Ep 267 – Why Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Tastes Like Nowhere Else: Awatere Valley, Terroir & the Future of New Zealand Wine with Yealands Chief Winemaker, Natalie Christensen
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT: A Wine Podcast Exploring Wine Regions, Grapes & Education podcast page.