The Maker and The Merchant

S4E 17: The Wedding

This weekend will see an event take place that can only be described as 'A Wedding'. Yes, our very own Ferg, your favourite of our 2 hosts, is committing his life not to wine, but to the marvellous Bethan. No we're not sure either.
 
Of course this means the Ferg has been rather busy and scheduling in a recording has been more challenging than usual. This is of course misdirection as it's really bloody Lee's fault (he has his usual litany of excuses about homework eating his cat and his gravity being switched off). As a result, this is the shortest episode of TM&TM of all time.
 
So what's actually in it then? Lee shares a few thoughts on musings on the man who is not just is cohost, but one of his closest friends. More importantly we feature special guests @saturday.kitchen (by pulling the audio from a recording and really hope that's ok) as @knackeredmother not only chose one of Ferg's wines to feature, but gave Bethan and her soon to be husband a shout out! @matt.tebutt offered his congratulations and importantly @weemissbea seemed to enjoy the rosé (although like Lee, she's not necessarily a fan of the category - top work).
 
Due to Lee being disorganised he didn't give everyone time to respond, but there are a few surprise visits from some of Ferg's friends and a super special cameo appearance from everyone's favourite friend @buxtagram.
 
Please join us in raising your glasses in celebration of Bethan and Ferg and in wishing them the happiest life together!
 
TM&TM: walking down your aisle from Thursday morning.

S4 E16: The Tabards, The Lanyards, The High Viz Vests, PDO special

We welcome back friend of the pod and TM&TM Alumnus (alumni? aluminati?) Mr Henry Jeffreys in the first of our episodes focused on PDO.
What is a PDO? Are you a PDO? Are we a PDO? (PDOI? AlumiPDO?). Importantly, what is a PDO supposed to be and who does it represent. We consider it from multiple angles; does it benefit producers? Consumers? Do consumers know or even care?
 
When it comes to English wine and positioning it both domestically and in the export markets what is the relevance of further legislation and does it help or hinder sales? How does it fit with both a singular and wider brand? From handpicking to discussing what's in a name we attempt to start unlocking the conversation that is becoming ever more frequent in the lands of English wine.
 
Several bombs are dropped, by both our magnificent guest and Ferg himself...you'll be delighted to know that Lee wasn't around for this one. It was actually the only thing on Henry's rider; his equivalent of Van Halen and their dislike of brown M&Ms.
 
With huge thanks to Henry for his time and sharing his deep insights on the subject.
 
TM&TM: The Tabards, The Lanyards, The High Viz Vests, regulating your labels from Thursday morning.
 
#podcast #wine #winecast #Englishwine #PDO #rulesandregulations @fergelias @henrygjeffreys

S4E15: Lakes dispute

Where exactly was Ferg born? Does her qualify as northern, and if so, by how much? Importantly, does it really matter? As with all good disagreements, it is resolved (virtually) in the pub. Lee talks about the best pubs of his hometown before mentioning his favourite hostelry in his adopted home of Bicester. The Plough @the_olive_tree_pub_company is surely the town's highlight. Thinking of pubs; we know the best place for a Grand Cru in Burgundy is in the middle of the hill, but does the same rule apply to pubs? Tune in to learn more.
 
From the nature of the pub itself we cover another vital topic of interest to our dear listener (#Fergsmum), just how many books have Ferg and Lee read so far this year? The answer will shock you.
 
Then comes the meat and potatoes of our episode this week, or perhaps the apple pie...we uncover some revealing statistics about the US wine industry and Ferg regales us with tales of his recent visit to promote his wines. Where did he go? Just what is the perception of English wine across the pond, and is this perception consistent across cities and states? What are the opportunities and considerations for branding and positioning of wines from England? (and Wales of course).
 
Ferg talks vehicles, how Americans prefer their sparkling wine, and reveals how attending his first ball game nearly lead to him becoming a middle class, degree holding Tony Montana. We also ask Ferg just how much he can lift and discuss the relevance and future of post-nominals. Which of our hosts is prouder of theirs?
 
Finally, we discuss voting for oneself in competition and the perfect composition of a tasting panel.
 
All this and, well, this, on TM&TM: The Lake Dispute uniting your states from Thursday morning.

S4 E14: Grapefruit

Have you ever wondered what happens on a winemaker's stag do? Exactly how middle class was Ferg's experience and what exactly happened to his ankle? It's a bumper episode of stuff and waffle but there's a lot of ground covered (unlike Ferg's attempt to play 'Territory').
 
In a change to the usual order of things, Lee reads the news which smooths seamlessly into some VERY bad impressions, discussions of orphans, wild tigers, and ankle injuries, and a blow by blow account of Ferg's stag do. We ask 'Exactly how far away IS Norfolk?' (especially if you're trapped in a car with Lee). How many pints is optimum and just who has the best Macallan? 
 
From here we finally discuss something wine related with talk of The London Wine Fair; Lee extolls the virtues again of @hatchmansfield (specifically looking at Chapoutier, Zuccardi, and some cool new cans from @villamariawines) and Ferg asks if there is a bigger opportunity for WineGB to play a part. Out of nowhere we review films and sitcoms, with a special shout out to Paddington. Sandwiched between all this and Ferg showing off about his rosé we make some official announcements.
 
Friends of the pod @notyetnamedwineco have some upcoming events YOU should definitely look at, one of them featuring @uk_phelps. The tremendous @thewinesociety1874 have launched some very exciting fine wine tasting kits (utilising other friends of the pod @ecosipwine revolutionary packaging). And finally it seems Lee will be out in wild hosting an event at @oxfordwinefest in September.

S4 E13: Perfectly Paired

Well dear listener, you enjoyed last week's episode with Oneka John so much, we've asked her back for a Part II. This week we uncover the challenges and potential pitfalls of importing wine into Barbados. While there are some things more unique to this beautiful island, we uncover some universal truths about forecasting, cash flow, and the perennial Ops vs. Sales. We also raise the question once again as to whether wine is an FMCG product (bet you can't guess what we think).
 
From there we consider the community surrounding wine and how to make it more accessible and inviting. Oneka talks about her Perfectly Paired events and how she uses her immense market and product knowledge to invite, excite, and engage a wide variety of consumers in the burgeoning wine scene. We look at how WSET works in the classroom setting and how it can be amended and utilised in the more consumer focused arenas. Just what is quality and how can we encourage drinkers into the discussion.
 
There's a lot here that will resonate and shows how the challenges and opportunities echo across the trade globally. 
 
Once again, with enormous thanks to our wonderful guest Oneka for finding the time to talk to Lee, and apologies that Ferg wasn't on hand to do a proper job.
 
TM&TM: Perfectly Paired Sandying your Lane from Thursday morning.
 
@onekajohn @vignobleswineconsultancy @fergelias #podcast #wine #winecast #Barbados #import #distribution.

S4 E12: It's Good To Wake Up In Paradise

Where is Ferg? Is he over there? Maybe he's over here? What we can say is he's nowhere to be found on this episode. Travelling for work or some noise. Given that the general approach of TM&TM is to record 2 friends talking, we have continued in that vein as Lee talks to one of his closest friends (we are amazed to learn he has them too), the wonderful Oneka John.
 
Oneka John is a wine educator and communicator living and working in Barbados. We learn how Oneka started on her wine journey, and how she had the misfortune of running into the lesser of our 2 hosts. From there we explore the culture surrounding wine consumption in Barbados and examine the macro and micro trends and how they do (or indeed do not) reflect the larger global feel of wine consumption.
 
There's talk of history, migration, and the way wine captures a huge amount of social, religious, and geographical changes. Oneka discuss the differences in wines to be found in local rum shacks all the way up to prestigious hotel and restaurant settings, with great insight from her time 'Selling down the trade' and extensive HORECA experience. We touch on consumer attitudes and potential opportunities (before we dive into this in more detail in our follow up episode)
 
Having no Ferg is rough on the pod, and we couldn't trust it with Lee, but we think you'll agree that Oneka is a fabulous guest.
 
TM&TM: It's Good To Wake Up In Paradise Pudding your souse from Thursday morning.
 
@fergelias @onekajohn @vignobleswineconsultancy #podcast #wine #winecast #Barbados 

S4 E11: Profound insights (Norway pt 2)

We knew you wouldn't be happy with only 1 episode dedicated to and filled with the lustrous rich tones of Christian Helsvig A.K.A. Our Man In Norway. Not wanting to lose out on that rich timbre and deep knowledge, we flew Ferg back out to @vin_oslo (with huge thanks to them once again for hosting) to continue the conversation from last week. Having touched on the inner and outer workings of the Norwegian Monopoly and interrogating some sales data, in this episode we find ways of asking similar questions in multiple ways. There's a strong cultural focus this time as we look at seasonal trends, Buckfast (still not sure why to be honest) and a truly amazing sales statistic.
 
We also finally bring back our favourite patented TM&TM game in the form of [guest name][affirmative][guest name][negative]. As we cast an eye to the future of wine consumption in Norway Christian shares a piece of thought and insight that is perhaps the most profound thing ever uttered on this podcast and that has wide reaching implications for us all. Ferg and Christian also finally get something to eat; tune in to find out what's on the menu.

S4 e10 TM&TM: Monopoly Wine Monopoly Properly (Norway pt.1)

We've heard Ferg talk about Norway, wine in Norway, trips to Norway, and brown cheese but can we really take him at his word? Is all this just the romanticism of drinking Balfour Brut Rosé whilst pining for the fjords? TM&TM Senior Leadership made the groundbreaking decision that Ferg should return to this magnificent country but gain insight and intel from a real man on the inside. Dear listener, we are delighted to introduce to you the mighty, the majestic, the outrageously handsome Christian Helsvig. Wine importer extraordinaire; Christian doesn't just set pulses racing, he's not just got his finger on the pulse of the Norwegian wine scene...he IS the pulse.
 
We uncover the hows wheres and why of Christian's relationship with wine and starting his business. From here we engage in a perilous quest to understand the nuances, challenges, successes, and trends of wine in Norway. What works and what's hot? Where are the opportunities and just why do the Norwegians love English wine so much? This is an episode packed more tightly than a coiled sponge but fear not...there's a sequel in post-production.
 
With huge thanks to @vino-oslo the fabulous wine bar for hosting Christian and Ferg during the recording and for keeping them well fed and watered. Lee remained in the hovel that is TM&TM Towers.
 
TM&TM: Monopoloy Monopoly Wine Monopoly Properly sailing into the inlet on Thursday morning.

S4 E9 Ipso Facto It's Already Wrong

What came first: wine or existence itself? The answer might surprise you. But after tackling such a huge subject in our intro Ferg & Lee head into the mysterious world of Low & No. What exactly are these beverages and who is drinking them. Importantly, why are they drinking them and does the quality measure up? We consider where these products sit now against where they were, and just where they might be going. Are you a Low & No drinker? What are your favourites? Following this we somehow veer off into the world of beer, faults, and just how much Lee's standup is actually worth. Alongside the revelation that Ferg has a new Pinot we then consider wines, regions, and countries that may not be considered 'mainstream' but are nonetheless gaining some consumer attention. Where should we be looking for 'the next big thing'?
Finally we touch on the concept of natural and minimal intervention. Covering the whos the whys and thewhats Ferg & Lee look for some definitions and conclusions.

S4 E8: Captain Of Industry

Just what is an expert? Are you an expert? Do you know an expert? What about being a lieutenant (junior grade) of commerce? Ferg opens by telling us about his new moniker before we dive into the shocking news of declining Champagne sales. Who is not drinking Champagne? Why not? And just what are they drinking instead? We explore this piece of news with the rigorous investigative standards you would expect from TM&TM and attempt to understand the changing face of sparkling wine consumption in the UK. Where are the opportunities for non-Champagne fizz and what do they need to do to further engage and excite the drinker?
 
TM&TM: Captain of Industry being fermented in bottle from Thursday morning.