Second Press: A Wine-ish Podcast

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