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Today on The Cellar Door Podcast, I’m joined by someone whose work shapes how Australia understands its own wine: Katrina Butler, Head of Tasting at the Halliday Wine Companion.

Katrina arrives at a busy moment, preparing the next edition of the Companion, fresh off the latest awards season, and deep in the yearly cycle of tasting thousands of wines from across the country. In this episode, she lifts the lid on how the Companion is actually put together: blind tastings, regional specialists, the shortlisting process, and how major awards are decided.

We also explore the evolution of the Companion itself, from a single, iconic book to a multi-platform wine media brand, and what it means to communicate wine for the consumer in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Katrina shares insights from her own tasting regions, including the energy coming out of the Riverland and the classic expressions emerging from Kangaroo Island. And she tells the story of her own path into wine, from pastry chef to writer to leading one of Australia’s most influential tasting programs.

A huge thanks to Katrina for joining me on the CDP.

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It’s been a while between drinks - but David LeMire MW has been busy flying the flag for Australian wine around the world and returns to The Cellar Door Podcast after a whirlwind year that’s seen him travelling through Portugal’s Douro and Dão regions, opening a new award-winning tasting room at Tolpuddle Vineyard, and collecting yet another round of trophies for Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle Chardonnay.

In this episode, we dig into David’s recent article inspired by marketing guru Mark Ritson - unpacking what it really means to market wine well. From the discipline behind good strategy, to why sometimes the smartest move is deciding what not to do, we explore six key lessons every wine business can learn from.

An absolute privilege chatting with David and massive thanks to him for joining me on the CDP.

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We are about to head to Western Australia - but not to Margaret River. We’re going a little further north to discover one of the state’s best-kept secrets: the Geographe wine region.

My guest is Pippa Nielsen, co-owner of Vineyard 28, a producer that’s made its mark by championing Italian varieties like Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Fiano. Pippa shares how this coastal-meets-hillside region is carving out its own identity - balancing tradition, innovation, and a deep sense of community.

We talk about Geographe’s rich history, its bold alternative varieties, and how collaboration, not competition, is driving the region forward.

It’s a story of pioneers, passion, and a piece of Western Australia that’s quietly redefining what great wine can be.

Here’s my conversation with Pippa Nielsen of Vineyard 28.

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