Cork Talk with Craig Wessels

Craig Wessels started his own media company after dropping out of university, but he’d always wanted to be a farmer. After a three-day winemaking course in Stellenbosch, he decided to give it a go when he and his wife, Anne, bought a property in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in 2004. Entirely self-taught, he’s since turned Restless River into one of the finest estates in South Africa, famous for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. To read more about Craig have a look at the Restless River website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @restlessrivervineyards. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Vicky Torres didn’t produce wine until she was 35, but she’s certainly made up for it since. Her expressive, artisanal, wines – be they white, red, or sweet - are among the finest in the Canary Islands and increasingly sought after around the world. She’s the perfect person to interview about the island’s terroirs, climate and grape varieties, as well as what it’s like to live in the shadow of La Cumbre Vieja, one of Europe’s most active volcanoes. To read more about Vicky have a look at the Spanish Wine Lover website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @torrespecis. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Martin Krajewski left school wanting to be a golf pro but got a job in the City that ended up making him a fortune instead. Focused full-time on the wine business since 2008, he now owns two properties in Bordeaux - Château Séraphine in Pomerol and Clos Cantenac in Saint Emilion – where he works alongside his winemaker daughter Charlotte. One of the men behind the modern rosé revolution, he’s a fascinating interviewee with lots of tales to tell. To read more about Martin have a look at the Château Séraphine website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @chateauseraphine. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Matt Wilkin’s parents were teetotal, but that didn’t put him off going into hospitality or developing a passionate interest in wine. After a couple of harvests in Australia, he carved out a career as one of the best sommeliers in the world, becoming a Master Sommelier and winning the UK title in the same year. Over the space of 40 minutes, we discussed everything from wine lists to storytellers, Burgundy to the art of food and wine matching. To read more about Matt have a look  at the Alliance Wine website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @matt_wilkin_ms. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Gerd Stepp was brought up on a grape and apple farm in the village of Bad Dürkheim. After working in wineries in Italy, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and a spell as a buyer for Marks & Spencer, he returned to his roots to set up his own wine business in the Rheinpfalz. Our fascinating chat covered his love of the African bush, Cabernet Franc, his talents as a long-distance runner and why Riesling might just be too geeky for its own good. To read more about Gerd have a look here. You can also follow him on Instagram at @steppgerd. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Mary Bridges grew up on a farm in Inverness and worked in a Michelin starred restaurant before deciding she wanted to be a winemaker. After a vintage in France, she got a job at top English producer Gusbourne and has been there ever since. Our conversation covered vintage differences, the contrasting merits of grapes from Kent and Sussex, the future of English Pinot Noir and the freedom that comes from making wine by intuition, not numbers. To read more about Mary have a look at the Gusbourne website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @maero_b. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Felicity Carter is a journalist who specialises in the business of wine. More recently, she’s become an acknowledged expert on health and alcohol policy, interviewing several of the key figures in the sector on her Drinks Insider podcast. I chatted to her from her home in Germany about the French paradox, the j-shaped curve, the World Health Organization, Prohibition, safe drinking levels, Big Tobacco and good and bad science. To read more about Felicity have a look at the Drinks Insider website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @carter.felicity. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

John Duval is one the legends of the Australian wine industry. He’s known for his work as chief winemaker at Penfolds, where he was in charge of making Grange (among others things), and as the head of his eponymous family winery since 2003. I caught up with him from his beloved Barossa Valley to chat about Shiraz, old vines, his love of Priorat, Chile and the northern Rhône, what he learnt from Max Schubert and why Cat’s Pyjamas is a bad name for a wine. To read more about John have a look at the John Duval Wines website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @johnduvalwines. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Toti Undurraga’s family have been well known in the Chilean wine industry since the late 19th century, but he was always determined to forge his own path. After six years overseas, he returned to set up Koyle in Los Lingues. Today he works on both sides of the Andes – at Casas de Bucalemu in the Leyda Valley and Doña Paula in Mendoza. A passionate advocate of biodynamics, he’s one of South America’s most thoughtful and talented winemakers. To read more about Toti have a look at the Koyle website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @totiundurraga. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures. 

Jen Parr started out working in the software industry after studying English and Spanish literature at university, but moved into the wine business after she did a harvest in Gaillac. Thirty three vintages later, and still entirely self-taught, she’s one of best winemakers in New Zealand, a woman with a passion for Pinot Noir, a great palate and bags of energy and ideas. As she puts it, she always choses what’s interesting over what’s safe. To read more about Jen have a look at the Valli website. You can also follow her on Instagram at @jenlparrjp. Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.