episode six of the second press podcast is a look into the current state of the industry, from the health debates surrounding processed foods versus a glass of wine to the curious world of counterfeit wine.

we’re joined by chris wilson of gutter and stars winery, an urban winery operating out of a 19th-century windmill in cambridge. chris mulls over his transition from music journalism at jockey slut and covering the nfl for the daily mirror to winemaking, bringing a storytelling sensibility to both wine and writing.

all his fruit is sourced from essex’s crouch valley, one of the best places in the uk for chardonnay and pinot noir, and how his background in the arts influences his, one-off labels named after tracks by the stone roses and roxy music. it is an exploration of "vulnerable expertise" in a marginal climate, proving that characterful wine doesn't require anything traditional.

a hidden sinkhole cellar, the baffling plan to rebrand claret, and author henry jeffreys on the unfiltered gossip of english wine. we discuss his book 'vines in a cold climate' and the dream of substack.

in episode five, brad and dan navigate a particularly eccentric week in wine news, from the discovery of a forgotten cellar beneath a sinkhole to the identity crisis facing bordeaux’s most famous export.

we had a brilliant chat with henry jeffreys, author of the award-winning vines in a cold climate. henry discusses why he prioritises the 'b******g and gossip' of the industry over technical data, the reality of writing about english winemakers before they knew who he was, and his experience co-hosting intoxicating history with tom parker bowles.

expect an honest look at the landscape of wine writing, the merits of substack, and why the english wine scene is finally moving past its city-boy-in-a-gilet phase.

for the full show notes, including specific wine recommendations, links to henry’s work, and the results of the sinkhole investigation, head over to the substack.

https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com/

having survived the gauntlet of the master sommelier exam and years with the legendary gerard basset, laura rhys is arguably one of the most technically accomplished people in the uk wine trade.

in this episode, we bypass the loud business of the wine world to talk about the quiet, methodical work of bubbles with laura. we dig into the geeky reality of why english wine has finally stopped being a novelty.

nearly 11 years acting as the global face for gusbourne, laura brings a vulnerable kind of expertise to the table, proving that you can be world-class without being a bore about it.

https://secondpresspodcast.substack.com/