Second Press: A Wine-ish Podcast

news this week doens't get too political, but does briefly cover the wine industry, tracking a slight decrease in hospitality insolvencies alongside the evolving landscape of english still wines at the winegb awards. our guest is master of wine caroline gilby, who joins the conversation to look at the historical trajectory, post-communist evolution, and marketability of central and eastern european indigenous varieties. we also travel north of santiago with concha y toro's marcello papa to quickly chat through the viticultural dynamics, water constraints, and golf handicaps that define premium chardonnay and pinot noir production in the limarí valley. caroline gilby mw joins us for a chat about the post-communist quality revolution and native grape varieties of central and eastern europe.a look at why declining hospitality insolvencies and shifting english still wine trends matter for the trade..marcelo papa joins us for a chat about golf and pacific breezes in the desert vineyards of limarí.*******00:00 – introduction and recording during english wine week01:08 – trade news: hospitality insolvencies, winegb awards, the rise of english still wines, and sir ian botham's latest english wine collaboration05:13 – interview with caroline gilby mw: from horticultural scientist to master of wine and eastern europe specialist09:26 – why eastern european wines disappeared from the uk and how gilby became the region's leading authority11:30 – indigenous grape varieties, pronunciation challenges and selling eastern european wines in the uk14:49 – tourism, rising quality, decanter judging and the future of central and eastern european wine18:24 – slovenia, bulgaria and why elegant, terroir-driven wines are reshaping perceptions of the region21:33 – life outside wine, mountain running and gilby's apocalypse wine choice24:09 – interview with marcelo papa: making world-class chardonnay on the edge of the atacama desert25:35 – limarí's climate, water management and why the region is built around chardonnay and pinot noir29:16 – tasting viña amelia quebrada seca chardonnay and discussing its mineral, saline style30:53 – reflections on the interviews, mw specialisms and english wine week32:43 – listener feedback, english wine recommendations and closing remarks This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secondpresspodcast.substack.com

dan’s voice is hanging on by a thread after three days at london wine fair, but there’s still plenty to get through, with three interviews recorded live from the london wine fair floor.first up is Larry Cherubino talking margaret river chardonnay, italian varieties in australia, concrete fermenters and why modern australian wine is a long way removed from the old blockbuster stereotype.next is Matthew Brown making the case for virginia wines, cabernet franc, acid-driven whites and why “emerging region” might be the most tired phrase in wine.finally, Sarah Abbott arrives with strong opinions on london wine fair, “buyers only” tasting culture, talent development in wine, dancing, dogs and surviving trade week physically intact.**********[00:00] – intro, destroyed voices and surviving london wine fair[01:24] – Charlie Holland takes over at WineGB[02:27] – london wine fair actually feels good again[03:26] – hospitality vat debate and why restaurants are struggling[06:07] – Larry Cherubino on margaret river, chardonnay and modern australian wine[13:18] – Matthew Brown on virginia wines, cab franc and cool climate drinking[18:04] – “your cellar tells people what you don’t drink”[21:15] – Sarah Abbott on london wine fair, “buyers only” culture and talent development in wine[29:27] – english charmat wines and modern clairet chat[31:20] – podcast growth, listener feedback and meeting people at the fair[33:17] – sign-off This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secondpresspodcast.substack.com

as the english wine trade faces a debt-fuelled crossroads and france prepares to uproot thousands of hectares of historic viticulture, this week we dig into the reality behind the press releases. we sit down with richard siddle, co-founder of the buyer and former harpers editor, to discuss his journey from optics to becoming a key voice in trade journalism. siddle shares vulnerable expertise on how the industry actually buys and sells, why ai lacks the guts for true analysis, and surviving redundancy. an honest look at global trends moving the needle in commercial winemaking and trade logistics. skip the generic wine fluff and try not to get the sack.[00:00] – intro: bank holiday vibes and the reality of redundancy.[01:09] – news: english wine at a crossroads, debt, exports, and the price of growth.[03:28] – news: national careers week and the breadth of hospitality.[04:35] – news: france uprooting 28,000 hectares and the tragedy of old vines.[06:11] – introducing richard siddle: trade journalist and co-founder of the buyer.[07:18] – the journey from optics to grocery retail to harpers.[09:24] – the birth of the buyer: finding a gap in the market with peter dean.[11:32] – actual news vs. press releases: setting a different agenda.[13:53] – defining the role of the buyer in the producer-to-glass chain.[15:10] – interview highlights: sir john hegarty at the groucho club.[16:22] – the difficult ones: terry leahy and lord rose.[17:46] – the ai impact: why interpretation and "guts" still matter more than facts.[21:32] – how ai might encourage braver, more risky journalism.[22:38] – personal life: liverpool fc, family, and the south african cricket mishap.[25:51] – wine dinners: why the reverential atmosphere is often "painful".[28:01] – the perfect pour: wine at home, guinness in the pub.[28:56] – why everyone calls him "chief" (and the chief constable story).[31:00] – post-interview recap: the "journalist's angle" on wine.[31:40] – vineyard update: blending light reds and the stress of frostwatch.[32:27] – brad’s week: wine society tasting and matt gant.[33:59] – wrap-up: football round tables and substack community reviews. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secondpresspodcast.substack.com

episode six of the second press podcast is a look into the current state of the industry, from the health debates surrounding processed foods versus a glass of wine to the curious world of counterfeit wine. we’re joined by chris wilson of gutter and stars winery, an urban winery operating out of a 19th-century windmill in cambridge. chris mulls over his transition from music journalism at jockey slut and covering the nfl for the daily mirror to winemaking, bringing a storytelling sensibility to both wine and writing. all his fruit is sourced from essex’s crouch valley, one of the best places in the uk for chardonnay and pinot noir, and how his background in the arts influences his, one-off labels named after tracks by the stone roses and roxy music. it is an exploration of "vulnerable expertise" in a marginal climate, proving that characterful wine doesn't require anything traditional. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secondpresspodcast.substack.com

having survived the gauntlet of the master sommelier exam and years with the legendary gerard basset, laura rhys is arguably one of the most technically accomplished people in the uk wine trade.in this episode, we bypass the loud business of the wine world to talk about the quiet, methodical work of bubbles with laura. we dig into the geeky reality of why english wine has finally stopped being a novelty.nearly 11 years acting as the global face for gusbourne, laura brings a vulnerable kind of expertise to the table, proving that you can be world-class without being a bore about it.https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secondpresspodcast.substack.com

dan and anna spooner began their master of wine journey together, study groups and hard work, neither of them have passed yet though, showing how tough the process is, anna has had a baby or two, but dan has no excuse. anna reflects on her background in wine pr and marketing, with freixenet and the wine society during the pandemic where she scooped up awards by creating online tastings for a their at-home community.dan questions her recent move to france and her love of the outdoors in provence. anna shares the reality of starting a new podcast focused on wine tourism and the patient, tactile process of teaching her whippet to hunt truffles.for the technical detours, extra bits dan usually cuts out, like the full story of anna's attempts to cook for her uni student friends, and to join the conversation with us, find us at https://secondpresspodcast.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secondpresspodcast.substack.com

welcome to second press. we’re glad you’re here.so, this is the place.here’s a little teaser trailer to give you want a quick look at what we’re up to. the first proper episodes go live in march, and we’ll be here every two weeks after that. at its heart, it’s a wine-ish podcast for the curious and the kindred. we’re aiming for informal interviews, wine trade insights, and honest drink recommendations. it’s about the people, the culture, the business, and everything in between.we’ve got some great guests coming on those who really know their way around a vineyard, winery, website, or classroom. we’ll be telling stories and discussing the wine news, talking to the people that define the industry from the inside out.we just happened to record the kind of chats we'd be having with our wine-ish friends anyway.you’ll be able to listen to second press on spotify or apple or wherever you usually go for that sort of thing, but we’ve made substack our home if you want to get involved in the conversations.thanks for joining us. we’re quite looking forward to seeing where this goes.https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secondpresspodcast.substack.com