The Big Vin Theory

Ronald and I chat about what we think we put as answers in this year's practical exam (bear in mind we can only tell you what we remember), and then go through the exam discussing our answers and approach to each wine, as well as some tips we found helpful when preparing for it. After that, Ronald discusses his experiences of the Middle East and The Netherlands, comparing their stances on alcohol consumption. And more...

Ronald is a wine writer and educator. After a diverse career (ranging from training hospitality staff to managing a professional theatre group) he came to wine around 20 years ago. He now spends his time as editor and columnist at the Dutch wine magazine Perswijn (@perswijn) and as lead tutor for the WSET Diploma programme at The Wine School NZ (@wineschoolnz), next to teaching for various other wine schools. He gets to travel to wine regions all around the world as part of the job and has a special love for Sherry and Port, as well as for all things sparkling and German Riesling. Oh, and he is currently on Stage 3 of the Master of Wine programme.

We speak with the legendary Greg Lambrecht, inventor of Coravin. We ask about Coravin market stats, then about his invention process, whether the wine trade needs more innovation, whether science can take away from the 'romance' of wine and much more!

We chat to Amanda Barnes about all things South America. The first 40 minutes or so are just the major regions and funnels that you should be aware of, so this is crucial for any practical students. The latter part we discuss the roles of wine writers, what kind of language is useful and more...

We chat to Larry Lockshin about his research on wine marketing. What are the most effective ways to market wines? Are regional bodies effective? What about competitions and awards? How should we promote sustainability? And more...

We talk to Diana Snowden Seysses - winemaker at two illustrious houses from other sides of the pond. We ask what her approach to viticulture is, how she is mitigating the effects of climate change and why she thinks glyphosate is "The Devil's Spunk". We talk about whole cluster fermentation, inoculation, acidification, oak treatments and more...