The Riverland, a Region Worth Saving Ft. Bottle Shock's Brendan Carter

The Riverland, a Region Worth Saving Ft. Bottle Shock's Brendan Carter

From Wine with Meg + Mel by Mel Gilcrist, Meg Brodtmann

May 27, 2026 · 1h 23m

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges faced by the Riverland wine region and explores solutions to revitalize its reputation and demand.

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Brendan Carter from Unico Zelo and Bottle Shock to unpack why the Riverland became synonymous with bulk wine and why that mindset blocks real solutions for growers. We chase the economics, the history, and the human cost, then land on a practical way to rebuild demand by putting place, old vines, and story back at the centre. If you have old vines, give us a call. If you know of old vines, give us a call. If you see Riverland on a label, buy...

People in this episode

Hosts: Mel Gilcrist, Meg Brodtmann

Guest: Brendan Carter

Topics covered

  • wine
  • Riverland
  • bulk wine
  • growers
  • old vines
  • economics
  • history

Keywords

  • Riverland
  • bulk wine
  • old vines
  • wine economics
  • Brendan Carter
  • Unico Zelo
  • Bottle Shock

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Unico Zelo, Bottle Shock

Places: Riverland

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