The Drinks Business Podcast

Db’s Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay speaks to Arabella Mileham about the 2025 Bordeaux en primeur campaign. Noting the surprising quality of the wines despite challenging weather conditions, he shares his top picks of the vintage as well as the challenges ahead. This year, more than ever, pricing discipline will be crucial, and a successful campaign is vital for Bordeaux's financial stability - so far, the pace of the campaign has been slow and early releases shows modest reductions, but this may accelerate, and the next two weeks will prove decisive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a wide-ranging interview with Patrick Schmitt MW, Michelle Brampton outlines her vision for the future of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET): a more inclusive, digitally-enabled, sustainability-focused, and globally-connected organisation that remains the benchmark for drinks education worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW discusses the past, present and future of Spain’s diverse wine scene with Ferran Centelles, the drinks manager at the El Bulli foundation, and Maria Naranjo, the director of food and drink at Spanish trade organisation ICEX. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Panellists include Danny Cooper, chief information and digital officer at Virgin Wines; Rachel Wilson, general manager of Napa Valley Marriott; and Patrick Comiskey, Master of Fine Arts, wine writer and critic.As AI capabilities evolve at speed – enabling increasingly sophisticated product recommendations, targeted communications and data-driven insights – drinks businesses face a particular challenge: applying these tools in a category defined by complexity and deeply subjective consumer preferences.This session examines how AI-powered personalisation can be deployed effectively across retail, e-commerce and hospitality, and what a specialist, drinks-focused approach looks like in practice.Hosted in partnership with Preferabli, which provides recommendation solutions tailored specifically to the drinks sector, the webinar will bring together voices from across the trade — spanning digital retail, hospitality and wine criticism — to assess both the opportunities and practical realities of AI implementation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Château Galoupet managing director Nadine Fau tells Patrick Schmitt MW about the steps needed to produce wine sustainably in Provence and why premium rosé packaging doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to CellarTracker founder Eric LeVine, “Dry January does not exist” – at least among his audience – though drinkers are exploring far more wine regions than in the past. He tells Patrick Schmitt MW about the trends from his 'Year in Review'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW hears from David Furnish why he and his husband decided to enter the drinks sector with an alcohol-free alternative to Champagne called Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A look at the state of the UK drinks market and where the wines of the Centre Loire could fit in, as well as why, and with what. As an umbrella region, the Centre Loire encompasses eight appellations, most famously Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, as well as gems such as Quincy and Menetou Salon, along with two IGPs – one of them the wonderfully named Côtes de la Charité. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW speaks with Julian Braithwaite, chief executive of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), to find out whether scientific research really supports the idea that a month without beer, wine or spirits is good for our health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following his appointment as MD at Champagnes & Chateaux UK in September last year, Charles Taverner tells Patrick Schmitt MW how he intends to raise awareness and ramp up distribution for Bordeaux and Champagne Canard-Dûchene in GB's competitive market for fine wine and fizz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What eight drinks, book and sole luxury would you take if cast away to a desert island? Patrick Schmitt MW speaks with Eran Pick, Israel’s first Master of Wine, who divides his time between managing the cellars at Tzora Vineyards in the Judean Hills and Château Tour du Haut Moulin in Bordeaux, which he purchased with two friends in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW talks to Robert Mondavi Winery's Laura Diaz Munoz, who has held the role of winemaker at the famous Napa wine producer for the last two years. Born in Spain, and now settled in Santa Rosa with her family, Laura opens up about promoting the brand worldwide, converting to organics, dealing with a warming climate in California, and developing wine tourism to entice a new generation of drinkers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What eight drinks, book and sole luxury would you take if cast away to a desert island? Master of Wine Patrick Schmitt speaks with Lenz Maria Moser, the Austrian Gruner Veltliner specialist, who also makes wine in Tokaj, Portugal, and, perhaps most notably, China – where he began advising the country’s largest wine producer Changyu exactly 20 years ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brought in to oversee the acquisition of great Napa Valley wine estate Joseph Phelps by global luxury group Moët Hennessy, former Opus One CEO David Pearson has taken on a permanent role at the producer. Why? He sees a bright an exciting future at the property based on regenerative viticulture – a farming philosophy Joseph Phelp's new owners want to back, and consumers want to hear about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What eight drinks, book and sole luxury would you take if cast away to a desert island? Master of Wine Patrick Schmitt speaks with Paul Schaafsma, founder and MD at Benchmark Drinks, the business behind several successful celebrity-backed brands such as Kylie Minogue Wines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While it’s widely held that binge drinking is detrimental to a fitness regime, record-breaking former American football quarterback Drew Bledsoe tells Patrick Schmitt MW that fine wine and professional sport form a perfect pairing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW interviews Austrian winemaker Lenz Maria Moser on the potential for white wine in China and why the wine industry needs 'an iPhone moment' to excite a new generation of drinkers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW and Laura Willoughby Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW, James Miles and Justin Gibbs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW interviews Château Lascombes winemaker Axel Heinz on his move from Bolgheri to Bordeaux and why he's promoting Merlot in Margaux.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WineFi founder Callum Woodcock tells Patrick Schmitt MW how market data can trump the traditional human expert when it comes to investing in fine wine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Db’s Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay speaks to Arabella Mileham about the complexities of this autumn's ‘Hors Bordeaux’ campaign amid a difficult market, how La Place’s strategy reflects the evolution of demand, while giving his top picks from this year's releases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What eight drinks, book and sole luxury would you take if cast away to a desert island? Master of Wine Patrick Schmitt asks James Simpson MW, Managing Director of Pol Roger Portfolio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick speaks to tech expert Nick Martin, the CEO at Wine Owners, on how to better your business and why he's optimistic for the long-term health of the wine trade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wine sales have now declined for three years – and the causes are structural and transitory – but there are solutions, according to Stephen Rannekleiv, executive director for food and agribusiness research at Rabobank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What eight drinks, book and sole luxury would you take if cast away to a desert island? Master of Wine Patrick Schmitt asks James Espey OBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What eight drinks, book and sole luxury would you take if cast away to a desert island? Master of Wine Patrick Schmitt speaks with Peter Gago, chief winemaker at Penfolds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What eight drinks, book and sole luxury would you take if cast away to a desert island? Master of Wine Patrick Schmitt asks our first guest, Sonal Holland MW. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW, Alex Canetti and Davide Rinaldi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW and Peter Gago Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW and Angélique de Lencquesaing from iDealwine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW and Libby Brodie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW quizzes Colin Hay on his standout wines from the 2024 harvest in Bordeaux, as well as the potential demand for the vintage as the 2025 en primeur campaign kicks off.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is drinking Champagne in the UK? And, following price rises, has it become too expensive? Patrick Schmitt MW discusses the state of the market with head of the UK Champagne Shippers Association, James Simpson MW. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW and Jeanne Fabre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

with Patrick Schmitt MW and Gary Boom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW talks to Horst Mueller, Global Head of Vinlog, Kuehne+Nagel’s beverage specialist about some of the current challenges in the global drinks supply chain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the drinks business podcast, Patrick Schmitt MW continues his conversation with Nick Breeze, a journalist who is both an expert on wine and climate change.Nick Breeze is a Brit who currently lives in Galicia, and is the author of the book COPOUT which covers the COP climate change conferences over the past decade. He recently returned from Dubai, where he attended December’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the drinks business podcast, Patrick Schmitt MW speaks to a journalist who is both an expert on wine and climate change. Nick Breeze is a Brit who currently lives in Galicia, and is the author of the book COPOUT which covers the COP climate change conferences over the past decade. He recently returned from Dubai, where he attended December’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28.For this podcast, we focus on the threats to wine production from climate change. After all, if I were to ask any wine producer what is their greatest long term concern, I’m sure they’d say climate change. So, how worried should we be, or rather, how great a threat is climate change to the business of wine? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our second podcast with db’s Colin Hay, we discuss why the great châteaux of Bordeaux need to be especially cautious when it comes to pricing this year’s en primeur releases.Following our previous discussion on the role of Bordeaux’s négociants in disseminating fine wines from outside the region, in this podcast we turn our attention to the famous estates of Bordeaux, and why 2024 is such an important year for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Schmitt MW discusses this historic marketplace, which has evolved to offer some of the world's most prestigious wines, with our Bordeaux correspondent, Colin Hay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.