sp#13 - andrew johnson: the brutal reality of the wine trade

sp#13 - andrew johnson: the brutal reality of the wine trade

this weeks news from the wine industry digest looks at the trade headlines, including champagne’s early harvest and the wsta board changes. andrew johnson from woodwinters joins us to discuss the brutal realities facing the uk wine trade. we deep dive into the practical side of agency life, navigating cash flow pressures, and the evolving landscape of restaurant wine lists. andrew shares his love for the current south african and italian wines and laments the loss of the wine trade friday lunch. he’s an advocate for greece too, with a new greek wine scholarship project aimed at championing indigenous varietals for the on and off trade. ********* [00:00] – opening and wine trade news [01:07] – champagne on course for its earliest harvest ever [02:44] – whispering angel invests in premium alcohol-free [04:27] – steve finlan joins the wsta board [05:25] – andrew johnson joins the podcast [06:06] – from classical music to the wine trade [09:07] – building woodwinters and why south africa keeps winning [14:31] – what buyers really look for in a wine [18:35] – cash flow, agencies and the realities of importing [21:28] – the uk wine trade: restaurant closures and a long road ahead [25:35] – why greece is one of wine's most exciting regions [27:24] – exclusive: the greek wine scholarship [29:52] – cooking, music and life outside wine [32:09] – death row wines: giacosa, assyrtiko and champagne [35:10] – interview wrap-up, cambridge wine festival and sign-off ********* links and notes wine industry digest – the week in wine every friday https://wineindustrydigest.com/ [https://wineindustrydigest.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 [https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

sp#12 - caroline gilby mw: bulgaria, croatia and eastern europe's wine renaissance

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 week 01:08 – trade news: hospitality insolvencies, winegb awards, the rise of english still wines, and sir ian botham's latest english wine collaboration 05:13 – interview with caroline gilby mw: from horticultural scientist to master of wine and eastern europe specialist 09:26 – why eastern european wines disappeared from the uk and how gilby became the region's leading authority 11:30 – indigenous grape varieties, pronunciation challenges and selling eastern european wines in the uk 14:49 – tourism, rising quality, decanter judging and the future of central and eastern european wine 18:24 – slovenia, bulgaria and why elegant, terroir-driven wines are reshaping perceptions of the region 21:33 – life outside wine, mountain running and gilby's apocalypse wine choice 24:09 – interview with marcelo papa: making world-class chardonnay on the edge of the atacama desert 25:35 – limarí's climate, water management and why the region is built around chardonnay and pinot noir 29:16 – tasting viña amelia quebrada seca chardonnay and discussing its mineral, saline style 30:53 – reflections on the interviews, mw specialisms and english wine week 32:43 – 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 [https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

sp#11 - rachel signer: natural wine, italy and anti-optimisation wine culture

in the episode 11 news we skip over the commercial realities of the uk wine trade a decade after brexit, brad ponders about putting afew bids in the auction of rare historic sherries at christie’s, and we couldnt resist wading in on steven bartletts self-hyper-optimisation woes. as an antidote to that author and winemaker rachel signer joins the conversation to discuss her new book, how to drink natural wine, detailing her impulsive journey from brooklyn restaurants to italian vineyards, field blends and falling in love. we finish with a recap of the picpoul de pinet tasting, oyster competition dramas, and a legendary 1978 rhône magnum from the cellar. ******* [00:00] – episode 11 opens with reflections on the london wine fair special [00:00] – live interviews at the fair apparently worked better than expected [01:15] – brexit ten years later and what it actually did to the wine trade [06:22] – segue into this week’s guest and anti-optimisation natural wine philosophy [07:05] – Rachel Signer interview [07:13] – restaurant jobs, brooklyn and accidental entry into wine [07:30] – discovering natural wine without formal wine education [12:27] – food, pleasure and discovering wine culture properly for the first time [13:08] – falling in love with natural wine, winemaking and her husband simultaneously [17:32] – natural wine as flavour purity rather than ideology [23:33] – natural wine bars, restaurants and building the book visually [24:36] – why people should actually buy the book instead of just hearing excerpts [27:42] – parenting, travel and balancing family life with wine work [35:53] – post-interview housekeeping and substack discussion [35:58] – Jamie Goode joins substack [36:10] – substack compared to old wine twitter [36:55] – listener comments and podcast feedback 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 [https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

sp#10 - london wine fair: the trade show that feels alive again.

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 [https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

sp#09 - christelle guibert: messing with wine judges and judging sommeliers

this week we sit down with christelle guibert, who shares her brilliant journey from decanter tasting panels to stepping away as chief executive of the iwsc to focus on direct hospitality mentorship. we chat about running unvarnished experiments on expert judges, the scientific reality of palatal fatigue, and why she decided to personally buy out the uk sommelier of the year competition. stay curious, but perhaps don't get up on stage to compete unless you're really ready. we're also joined by alexandre ambassador for aop picpoul de pinet, to talk about their upcoming trade tasting on june 8th in london. link to register is over on the substack. *** 00:35 - brad and dan recap a relentless week and outline the bumper double-interview show. 00:53 - trade news: analyzing the commercial impact of the c&c bibendum and matthew clark merger. 01:56 - industry push: winegb's campaign to embed independent merchants into english wine week. 02:57 - trade logistics: expectations and plans for the upcoming london wine fair. 03:15 - international news: taittinger launches its official 2026 world cup champagne. 04:16 - interview: welcoming christelle guibert to the second press studio. 04:26 - a casual sidebar into the acoustics of dan’s ancient wooden accordion. 05:03 - christelle’s backstory: moving from france to boodles and the early mentorship of steven spurrier. 06:07 - building decanter’s tasting department from scratch during the early digital boom. 07:56 - media evolution: managing institutional trust and developing global wine awards. 09:29 - the ethics of blind tasting: running duplicate bottle experiments to test judge reliability. 10:23 - academic collaboration: partnering with will lowe mw to study judge performance data. 12:28 - sensory fatigue: the operational decision to cut maximum wine flights per panel. 13:01 - modernising the iwsc brand and using the pandemic reset for structural changes. 14:39 - the global judging program: moving evaluation panels directly into regional wine hubs. 17:04 - giving back: taking over the uk sommelier of the year competition. 18:14 - community and mentorship: tackling industry burnout and long hours in hospitality. 20:07 - previewing the intense, public pressure of the live sommelier finals in july. 21:45 - raw winemaking: christelle buying cheap land in muscadet to vinify with vincent cahier. 24:08 - lifestyle balance: restaurant exploration and the love of authentic gastronomy. 25:44 - the ultimate bottle: defending grower champagne from agrapart as a serious food wine. 26:30 - interview: alexandre freguin ambassador for aop picpoul de pinet. 29:25 - regional geography: painting a picture of the lone white appellation by the étang de thau. 30:08 - consumer fondness: why the uk market prioritises unpretentious, high-acid white wine. 31:21 - commercial philosophy: balancing necessary complexity with pleasurable, simple everyday drinking. 31:58 - trade event preview: breaking down the logistics for the upcoming picpoul all day tasting. 33:24 - cross-border battle: details on the live france versus england chef and sommelier off. 33:50 - terroir connection: matching maritime salinity with local oysters and immediate freshness. 35:11 - ambassador networks: the value of authentic regional voices over corporate pr fluff. 36:00 - post-interview recap: trade diaries from the canadian embassy and flights to mendoza. 37:46 - wrap-up: addressing substack community feedback, family football tips, and closing out. 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 [https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]