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In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with amateur winemaker James Follent to unpack what really happens when curiosity turns into a full-blown garage winery obsession.

What …started with buying wine for Qantas points somehow turned into hand-picking grapes, experimenting with sparkling Chardonnay, making raspberry mead, joining the Sydney Amateur Winemakers Club, and producing nearly 300 bottles of wine at home.

Along the way, James shares the chaos, mistakes, and happy accidents that come with learning winemaking from scratch, including dropping 23 litres of Moscato all over the kitchen floor.

This conversation dives into what home winemaking actually teaches you about wine. From fermentation and faults to sulphites, ageing, oxidation, vineyard challenges, and why cleaning might secretly be the most important skill in winemaking.

If you’ve ever wondered whether making wine would completely change the way you drink it… this episode is for you.

Whether you’re into Australian wine, home fermentation, garage winemaking, cellar culture, wine education, or just love hearing passionate people obsess over their hobby, this episode captures the messy, fascinating side of wine that most people never see.

⏱️ Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction – Do You Really Understand Wine?
00:00:37 Meet James Fallon – Amateur Winemaker
00:01:08 Lord James & The Scottish Land Story
00:02:25 Icebreaker Questions
00:02:28 Most Memorable Wine Moment
00:04:24 Who Would You Share a Bottle With?
00:05:21 Food & Wine Pairing + Biggest Lesson
00:06:53 Bottling a Life Moment (2025)
00:08:24 James’ Wine Journey Begins
00:11:23 From Drinking to Making Wine
00:12:11 Sydney Amateur Winemakers Club
00:19:25 Sparkling Chardonnay 2025 Tasting
00:22:00 Chateau Falon – Name & Story
00:24:32 How Winemaking Changed His Perspective
00:25:40 Regenerative & Biodynamic Viticulture
00:28:44 Vermentino Mudgee 2025
00:31:25 Winemaking Mistakes & Lessons
00:33:33 Garage Winemaking Setup
00:35:15 Oak, Blending & Experiments
00:38:28 Raspberry Mead Tasting & Story
00:43:10 Regenerative Farming Deep Dive
00:47:38 Merlot Cabernet Blend
00:50:30 Future Plans – Going Commercial?
00:55:57 Final Thoughts & The Joy of Winemaking
00:57:32 Where to Find James & The Club
00:58:25 Closing & Cheers

👉 Subscribe to @thewinedup and tell us below:

Have you ever thought about making your own wine? Drop it in the comments 👇

Go check out James Follent and his journey with amateur wine making at https://chateaufollent.com.au/ and his insta https://www.instagram.com/j.fol/. Alternatively if you want to be pursue the journey yourself, check out the Sydney Amateur Winemakers Club https://www.sydneyawc.com/

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📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow us on Instagram @the.wined.up
🌐 Visit https://www.thewinedup.com.au
📩 info@thewinedup.com.au

#jamesfollent #chateaufollent #sydneyawc #amateurwinemaking #winemaking #TheWinedUpPodcast #wedrinkwelearnweconnect

We Drink. We Learn. We Connect. Drink Responsibly. 🍷Show More

He Turned His Garage into a Winery (And Learned Fast) With James Follent

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with amateur …

What Does 500 Years of Wine History Taste Like? With Roman Aujoulat from Chateau La Nerthe

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with Roman …

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with Roman Aujoulat from Château La Nerthe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. One of the Rhône Valley’s most historic estates to unpack …what tradition really means when you’re the next generation helping carry it forward.

Roman grew up in the Rhône surrounded by wine at the dinner table, but stepping into a role representing one of the region’s benchmark estates still came with challenge and trepidation. From that first emotional Loire Valley Chardonnay moment that pulled him into wine, to travelling the world pouring Châteauneuf-du-Pape in places like Sydney, this conversation moves between personal story and deep regional insight in the best possible way.

Along the way we explore why Châteauneuf-du-Pape allows up to 18 grape varieties, how blending gives growers freedom in a changing climate, and why Grenache still quietly shapes the identity of the region. Roman also shares the lesser-known history behind Château La Nerthe itself, including Roman amphitheatre stones hidden in the cellar walls and sealed wartime cellars rediscovered decades later.
We taste through Rhône whites, Beaujolais Gamay, Châteauneuf-du-Pape whites and mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds while talking about ageing windows, vintage expression, and what it means to evolve a historic estate without losing its soul.

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – “You don’t need to be a pro to enjoy wine”
00:00:18 – Ice Breaker
00:04:00 – What Châteauneuf-du-Pape pairs best with at the table
00:05:42 – First tasting: Rhône white blend from La Nerthe
00:08:02 – Growing up with wine in the Rhône Valley
00:10:00 – Getting the call to represent La Nerthe
00:10:36 – What makes Rhône… Rhône?
00:12:39 – Robert Parker and global fame for Châteauneuf-du-Pape
00:13:00 – Why Châteauneuf-du-Pape allows 13 (or 18) grapes
00:16:27 – Why vintage variation matters more than consistency here
00:17:03 – The Richard family story: wine in Paris 140 years ago
00:20:25 – Second tasting: Beaujolais Gamay surprise
00:23:59 – How Château La Nerthe survived five centuries
00:26:21 – Phylloxera, rootstocks and saving the vineyards
00:29:22 – Hidden Roman stones and sealed WWII cellar stories
00:34:54 – What goes into white Châteauneuf-du-Pape
00:36:18 – How white Rhône wines age (and when to drink them)
00:48:58 – Modern vs old-school La Nerthe winemaking styles
00:49:06 – Mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds and ageing windows
00:57:22 – Final reflections + visiting Château La Nerthe

👉 Subscribe to @thewinedup and tell us below:

What’s your favourite Châteauneuf-du-Pape? Drop it in the comments 👇

Go check out Chateau Le Nerthe https://www.domainesrichard.fr/chateau-la-nerthe/en/

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📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow us on Instagram @the.wined.up
🌐 Visit https://www.thewinedup.com.au
📩 info@thewinedup.com.au

#chateaulenerthe #domainesrichard #cdp #chateauneufdupape #TheWinedUpPodcast #wedrinkwelearnweconnect

We Drink. We Learn. We Connect. Drink Responsibly. 🍷Show More

Is Self-Care an Ingredient in Making Wine? With Dan Eggleton from Ben Murray Wines

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with Dan Eggleton …

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with Dan Eggleton from Ben Murray Wines in the Barossa to talk about something the wine world rarely talks …about. The pressure behind the label, the reality facing boutique producers right now, and why sometimes stepping back is the bravest decision you can make.

Dan shares what led him to pause a vintage after nearly 30 years of making wine, how health and timing collided with a tough season, and what it felt like emotionally to draw that line. There’s honesty here about identity, resilience, and what happens when passion and practicality start pulling in different directions.

Along the way we taste through new-release Mataro from Marananga, talk Barossa sub-regions, vineyard expression, and why some grapes quietly disappear into blends instead of standing on their own. There’s also stories from the early Ben Murray days, the growers who shaped the journey, and a moment involving a 1943 Madeira that reminds you why wine matters in the first place.

But more than anything, this episode opens up a bigger conversation — about mental health in agriculture, in wine, and in industries where people are expected to just keep pushing through.

If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on behind a vintage decision, this one’s worth settling in for.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Preview
00:00:49 Intro – Is self-care an ingredient in making wine?
00:02:17 The Wined Up Ice Breaker with Dan Eggleton

00:06:19 Ben Murray Wines – New Releases

00:06:48 Why Ben Murray released a straight Mataro
00:09:15 What makes Marananga different in the Barossa
00:15:09 The decision not to make a vintage
00:17:00 When stepping back is harder than making wine
00:20:00 Why boutique winemakers across Australia are reassessing
00:30:20 Ben Murray Barossa and Marananga Shiraz

00:34:11 Mental Health and Mateship Breakfasts

00:47:33 What gives hope for the future of wine culture

00:49:51 Ben Murray Anima Grenache

00:54:48 Ben Murray Reserve Shiraz

👉 Subscribe to @thewinedup and tell us on what is your favourite Ben Murray wine? Have you reached out to your mate? Drop it in the comments 👇

Go check out the Ben Murray wines at https://www.benmurraywines.com/ and if you are interested about the Mateship Breakfast, reach out to dan@benmurraywines.com

🎙️ Clip from The Wined Up Podcast
📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow us on Instagram @the.wined.up
🌐 Visit https://www.thewinedup.com.au

📩 info@thewinedup.com.au

#benmurraywines #mentalhealth #mataro #shiraz #barossa #marananga #mateshipbreakfast #TheWinedUpPodcast #wedrinkwelearnweconnect

We Drink. We Learn. We Connect. Drink Responsibly. 🍷Show More

Inside the Story of IHANA with Valtteri Bottas & Corrina Wright

This week on The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with Valtteri Bottas — …

This week on The Wined Up Podcast, we sit down with Valtteri Bottas — Formula 1 driver, wine lover, gin maker, coffee roaster, off-road adventurer… and yes, calendar model.

We chat …about how his partnership with Corrina Wright from Oliver’s Taranga led to the creation of IHANA. A wine that brings together Finnish spirit and McLaren Vale heart.

We delve into the topics of:

· What is the Valtteri Bottas wine journey?

· IHANA wine and what is it all about?

· The overlaps and comparisons of F1 and wine worlds

· Delve into the fascinating subject of mindset of 2 perfectionists at their own craft

· We have fun with Finnish and Australian culture

These interviews is what really fascinates me, the stories, the insights, the revelations, the deep thought and understanding of the people behind the wine.

Chapters

00:00 Preview

00:46 Intro

02:03 Valtteri Bottas Icebreaker questions

06:58 Corrina Wright’s Icebreaker questions

08:57 Where Valtteri’s wine journey began

10:18 Wine culture in Finland today

13:20 The origins of the Ihana collaboration

20:05 Why the wine is called “Ihana”
20:40 Working together as two perfectionists

27:20 The thought process of creating Ihana

29:20 The meaning of the label

33:00 Ihana Edition #3

35:50 The 1 percenters
40:20 Instinct vs Science

41:00 Flow state

45:30 The difference between good and great
48:30 Reflection

54:20 Finnish culture vs Australian culture
58:30 Finnish vs Australian Food

1:00:40 Lighting Round Questions

1:04:51 Final thoughts and messages for listeners

Subscribe to @thewinedup and comment on what was your favourite insight on Ihana and the podcast? Have you tried Ihana and was it ihana for you?

Check out the IHANA Wines at https://ihanawine.com/ and Oliver’s Taranga (https://www.oliverstaranga.com/)

Follow Us on Instagram (The.Wined.Up) or TikTok (@thewinedup).
Visit our website https://www.thewinedup.com.au/
or email us at info@thewinedup.com.au.

#valtteribottas #oliverstarranga #formula1 #ihana #ihanawine #cadillacf1 #TheWinedUpPodcastShow More

Why Australia should be curious about Swiss Wines?

Taste the Mountains!!! In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we sit …

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About Us

The Wined Up Podcast is hosted by two Australian mates on an unfiltered, unapologetically, unprofessional wine journey. Trent is a long-term wine enthusiast inspired through by his families love of wine and trips to wineries whilst living in the UK. Jason is a more recent wine lover who wants to make wine more accessible, less complicated, and less snobby.

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