Wines with swagger: The Michael Hill-Smith Story

About this episode

Michael Hill-Smith shares his journey and insights into the Australian wine industry.

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, host Anna Webster sits down with Michael Hill-Smith AM MW, one of the most influential figures in Australian wine. As Australia’s first Master of Wine and co-founder of Shaw + Smith, Tolpuddle Vineyard and MMAD, Michael shares stories from his childhood at Yalumba, his early connection to food and wine, and the pivotal moments that shaped his career. Anna and Michael explore his personal relationship with Len Evans, the bold move to pursue the Master of Wine qualification in the UK, and how a dramatic family buyout at Yalumba ultimately pushed him towards creating something entirely his own. They dive into the evolution of the Adelaide Hills, the philosophy behind Shaw + Smith’s vineyard development, the joy of sauvignon blanc, and why gamay is the latest variety capturing their imagination. This conversation is warm, deeply knowledgeable and peppered with history, personality and insight from someone who has helped steer Australian wine for decades. Halliday Wine Companion   Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram Shaw + Smith   Tolpuddle Vineyard MMAD Vineyard Michael Hill-Smith MW Michael Hill-Smith MW…

People in this episode

Host: Anna Webster

Guest: Michael Hill-Smith AM MW

Topics covered

• Australian wine
• Master of Wine
• Shaw + Smith
• Tolpuddle Vineyard
• Adelaide Hills
• sauvignon blanc
• gamay

Keywords

• wine
• food
• history
• philosophy
• vineyard development

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Shaw + Smith, Tolpuddle Vineyard, MMAD Vineyard

Places: Australia, UK, the Adelaide Hills, Yalumba, London, Adelaide Hills

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