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Cyndal Petty has spunk. She describes her drive and oodles of energy from an early age, her parents placing her in the gymnastics arena and her early success in it until injury caused her to pivot. But the foundations of drive and dedication had set hard, and when Cyndal found herself as an apprentice chef at age 15 years old, it was only a matter of time before she set her eyes on a new goal and shot out in pursuit. Her goal: to learn and absorb everything she could about wine. Fast forward some years and Cyndal has become a multidimensional force: she writes, presents, consults and curates. Most importantly, she works tirelessly and endlessly to hone her skills and improve. This was an extremely fun conversation with someone who is backing herself to achieve exciting things. A massive thanks to Cyndal for joining me on the CDP.

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Daniel Sangermani has embraced the challenge of bringing the prized wines of Switzerland to the sun kissed shores of Australia. Switzerland exports less than 2% of its total production but consumes the 4th most wine per person of any country in the world. Many, if not most people, particularly in Australia, have little familiarity with Switzerland's deep and historic wine culture, its six wine regions, and its approximately 320 grape varieties that they use to craft some of the prettiest and most elegant wines I have tasted in recent memory. Building awareness of a product and industry in a market with next to no awareness of it is indeed an unenviable task. However Daniel is indeed the man for it. His story is as incredible as his many diverse skill sets, and his passion for Swiss wine is contagious. In 2025 Daniel launched Invidia Wines, Invidia being Italian for envy. I think we will see a lot from Daniel in the coming months and years. From my perspective I am indeed envious of the magic Daniel is bringing to our shores. But my envy is out-shon by the gratitude I have to Daniel for taking the time to sit with me and record an incredible conversation about his journey from Ticino in southern Switzerland to the Australian Shores and the epic that has culminated in him setting up Invidia Wines.. A huge thanks to Daniel for joining me on the CDP.

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I was lucky enough to spend the New Year in South Australia, dividing my time between the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley. while I was in the Barossa, I took the opportunity to call into Nuriootpa High School to record a third - and final - chapter on a school project that is as innovative as it is interesting.

I’m joined once again by Milly Hoffmann, and this time by a special guest: her wine mentor, Richard Mattner - who also happens to be Head Winemaker at Pepperjack Wines, part of the Treasury Wine Estates stable. Richard reflects on his involvement in the early precursor program that would eventually evolve into the school’s now-established Vines and Wines program, and on what it means to help shape the next generation of potential wine industry talent.

We also taste through several of the students’ 2024 releases - wines that aren’t just educational exercises, but fully realised bottlings that are available on the market that I think are value for money.

Taken together, it’s a conversation about education, mentorship, and the long view of wine: how skills are passed on, how confidence is built, and how a school project in the Barossa can quietly produce wines that deserve to be taken seriously.

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I last spoke to Gordon Little of Little Peacock Wine imports as the final episode to the 2024 season. When asked how the 2024 year had been, I distinctly remember him describing it as “weird”. Gordon and I have stayed in touch, with occasional correspondence, and we thought it might be both fun and interesting to reconvene at the start of 2026 to get his hot takes on the 2025 season and projections (if at all possible) for 2026. As expected, his comments on the US market are interesting, forensic and steeped in experience. Gordon has been surfing the complex and competitive US market since 2011 and I am delighted to share that 2025 proved to be their most successful year to date. However, everyone will be acutely aware of the added complexities that look like they will continue to play out over the coming years, making predictions nigh-on impossible. Regardless, however it is beyond encouraging to know the Australian market has champions like Gordon out there doing incredibly hard work on the ground and relaying vital information. As always it was an honour and a privilege chatting with Gordon a huge thanks to Gordon Little of Little Peacock Wine imports for joining me on the CDP.

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In this first episode of the New Year, I chat with Brendan Carter on his recent documentary covering the plight of the Riverland and his thoughts on navigating the way forward.

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Today on The Cellar Door Podcast, I’m joined by Liam Van Pelt, winemaker at the legendary Ashton Hills. I first met Liam at the cellar door, where he, his sister, and the world’s coolest dog poured a lineup that completely reset my expectations: sparkling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and a tour through one of the highest, coldest, wettest pockets of the Hills.

In this episode, we dig into what makes that site so distinctive, why Piccadilly Valley fruit carries such a signature, and how Liam works in a region where disease pressure, altitude, and climate make every vintage a battle but a battle worth fighting.

We talk Pinot Noir, how Ashton Hills blends to build perfume, spice, and depth. We explore Chardonnay, Liam’s current “favourite child,” and why he thinks the Piccadilly Valley may be Australia’s most exciting source of cool-climate expressions. And we dive into the rise of Gamay in the Hills and the momentum behind this increasingly bulletproof, joyously fragrant variety.

Liam also shares his own journey, from Broken Hill to hospitality to almost walking away from wine entirely, until a vintage with the legend Andrew Thomo Thomas reignited his spark and a fateful meeting with Stephen George changed his trajectory. Today, he’s carrying forward one of Australia’s great Pinot legacies with instinct, patience, and quiet determination.

This is Liam’s story.

A massive thanks to Liam for joining me on the CDP.

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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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