.jpg)
The Cellar Door Podcast
Join lawyer/wine explorer, Tom Massey, in the Cellar Door to hear the stories of the people and wineries in the wonderful world of wine. Tom is joined by winery owners, wine makers and other wine personalities to hear and share their stories, the stories of the wineries and the stories of the wines. It's a podcast about where it all came from and where it's all going.
Episodes
217 episodes
Navigating Wine Distribution's Commercial Minefield - with Will Taylor
For many wineries, making great wine is only half the challenge. The other half is getting that wine into the hands of consumers.Behind every bottle that finds its way onto a restaurant wine list, an independent retailer's shelf, or a na...
.jpg)
The Greatest Marketing Story Ever Bottled? Professor Kathy Burk on How France Conquered Wine
For centuries, France has occupied a unique place in the world of wine. Its vineyards, classifications, language, and traditions have shaped how we think about fine wine, from Bordeaux and Burgundy to concepts like terroir and appellation. But ...
Keeping the Faith: Charlie and Sophie Melton on Brand, Legacy and the Future of a Barossa Icon
For more than four decades, Charles Melton has been one of the defining voices of the Barossa Valley. His journey stretches from the wine glut of the 1980s, through the rise of modern Australian wine, to the creation of one of the country's mos...
The Hidden Life of Vineyards - with Dylan Grigg
Wine is full of simple stories.Old vines are better than young vines. Great vineyards are all about terroir. Climate determines quality. Pick the right variety, put it in the right place, and the rest takes care of itself.They're ...
Part 2 with Robert Joseph - The Next Chapter for the Wine Industry
In Part 1 of my conversation with wine industry commentator, producer, and recovering wine critic Robert Joseph, we explored a deceptively simple question: where do wineries actually make their money?But that conversation quickly led to ...
How the wine industry makes money - and how it doesn't
For a long time, the wine industry has sold itself on romance.The rolling vineyard. The family story. The passionate winemaker chasing perfection in a bottle.But behind every bottle of wine is something far more complicated: a bus...
Travis Schultz on harnessing the connective power of wine
Over the last year, while speaking with people across the Australian wine industry, one name kept unexpectedly coming up in conversation in connection with the Queensland market, not a winemaker, not a sommelier, but a lawyer.Today’s gue...
The People Building Geographe
Late last year I had the pleasure of speaking with Pipa Nielson who gave an exciting and colourful introduction to the Western Australian region of Geographe wine region. Following that first course in Geographe education, Pipa arranged a secon...
Something Completely Different: A Mystery Box Tasting with Marc Malouf
To borrow from Monty Python: now for something completely different.This episode steps away from the usual B2B conversations and industry stories, and into something I don’t usually focus on… wine tasting.When a mystery box of win...
The Spirit of the Hunter Valley: Garth Eather of Meerea Park on History, Wine and Hard Markets
The Hunter Valley occupies a special place in the story of Australian wine. It is, in many ways, the spiritual birthplace of the industry - a region where generations of families have wrestled with the climate, the soil, and the vagaries of the...
Chuck Hayward reflects on 40 Years of Australian Wine in the US Trenches
Australian wine once rode a remarkable wave of success in the United States — built on strong personalities, passionate importers, and wines that connected with everyday drinkers. Today, the picture is more complicated.In this episode, I...
Ireland, Melbourne, and MasterChef: The Journey of Phil Conway
Phil Conway embraced adventure and the unknown when he moved from Ireland to Melbourne in Australia. Phil describes a love of food from an early age, a love and passion that placed him on an inevitable collision course with wine. These passions...
Green Shoots for Australian Wine: In Conversation with Will Taylor
Will Taylor is one of the most insightful voices in Australian Wine - and its not hard to see why. His perspective is as unique as it is dialed in. As the managing partner of the wine group at Finlayson’s law, he spends his days analysing the a...
Energy, Drive and Spunk - capturing Cyndal Petty
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 ha...
Elegance, Obscurity, and 2% Exports: Daniel Sangermani's mission to showcase Swiss wine
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...
Looking under the hood of the Nuriootpa High Vines and Wines Program with Milly Hoffmann and Richard Mattner
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...
Gordon Little of Little Peacock Wine Imports - Reflections on the 2025 US market and looking ahead
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 ...
The Plight of the Riverland and Sparking a Riverland Revolution
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.
Pinot on the Edge: Liam Van Pelt and the Magic of Ashton Hills
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...
Inside the Halliday Wine Companion with Katrina Butler
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 nex...
David LeMire MW: Six Lessons for Smarter Wine Marketing
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...
The Hidden Gem of Geographe - with Pippa Nielsen
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 p...