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In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, Trent sits down with Ches Cook from Five Way Cellars, the independent Paddington wine store his parents Ian and Prue opened in …1987 after Ian came home from a year in Europe wanting to bring that world of wine back to Sydney. Ches has now worked there for half his life, and he takes us through what’s changed, and what hasn’t, across nearly forty years of European-focused wine retail.

The chat moves from a standout cellar visit in the Mosel and an unopened birthday bottle of Côte-Rôtie, through to the philosophy that actually keeps a small shop full of loyal customers: knowing people, being straight with them, and never pretending to love a bottle you don’t. Ches breaks down why a higher price tag doesn’t mean better wine, what a genuine beginner should actually look for on a label, and the seven types of wine drinker he sees walk through the door, tosser included.

There’s a proper detour into a mega-steep, volcanic Grand Cru in Alsace that almost nobody wants to farm, a case for Beechworth as Australia’s best-kept Nebbiolo secret, and an honest read on where Burgundy’s pricing might be heading. As Ian approaches 70 and the next generation starts taking the reins, Ches reflects on what he’s learned from watching his dad build trust with an entire city, one recommendation at a time.

It all circles back to that Grange. Wine, Ches argues, isn’t something to hoard for bragging rights, it’s something to open with the people who matter. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve already got a cellar full of Shiraz and only want Pinot, there’s something here for you.

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What’s sitting in your cellar that you’re waiting too long to open? Drop it in the comments 👇

Go check out fivewaycellars.com.au

YouTube Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:18 The Wined Up Ice Breaker Questions
11:01 What Actually Is Five Way Cellars
17:28 The Real Difference Is Connection
20:37 The Grand Cru Almost No One Wants to Farm
24:01 Building Trust One Bottle at a Time
30:43 The Biggest Mistake Wine Buyers Make
33:04 A Beginner’s Guide to Buying Better Wine
37:31 The Seven Types of Wine Drinker
46:01 Beechworth: Australia’s Nebbiolo Secret
48:04 Rapid-Fire This or That
50:58 What Excites (and Worries) Ches
53:57 Why You Never Sell the Grange

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#fivewaycellars #paddington #sydneywine #independentbottleshop #TheWinedUpPodcast #wedrinkwelearnweconnect

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

Five Way Cellars – One of Sydney’s Wine Institutions

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, Trent sits down with Ches …

The Winemaker Trying to Prove Wine Doesn't Need the Alcohol

What happens when you take a winemaker who never planned to work in …

What happens when you take a winemaker who never planned to work in alcohol-free wine, and hand him the job of making it actually taste like wine?

Aaron Milne fell into …it almost by accident. A winery job during his studies happened to be run by the same people leading Australia’s zero-alcohol scene, and a “one year, just to learn it” detour turned into a career. In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, Trent sits down with Aaron, winemaker for Edenvale, to pull apart what actually happens when you strip the alcohol out of wine, and why it’s so much harder than it sounds.

Aaron walks through the process, from the early days of simply boiling off the alcohol, to vacuum distillation, spinning cone columns, and now single-pass equipment that separates the essence, removes the alcohol and returns the flavour. But the technical side is only half the story. Alcohol carries weight, sweetness and length on the palate, and once it’s gone, a wine can turn “fossil dry” almost overnight. Reds are the real test: strip the alcohol from a Cabernet and the tannins and colour compounds that depended on it start to fall apart, which is why Eden Vale’s Coonawarra Cabernet is described as the Everest of the whole project.

The conversation also gets into the culture around no and low alcohol wine: why traditional wine drinkers have been resistant, the idea of “vinosity” as the actual goal, and the rise of the “zebra drinker” — people who move between full-strength and zero wine in the same session rather than choosing one camp for good. Aaron also touches on where the category is heading, including the mid-strength range he thinks holds the most promise over the next five to ten years.

It’s an honest, occasionally very funny look at one of the more overlooked corners of the Australian wine industry, and what it actually takes to make something that isn’t wine taste like it belongs at the table with food anyway.

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, SBS and Cabernet all make an appearance, alongside a story about a 98 Grange, a fire drum, and Snoop Dogg.

👉 Subscribe to @thewinedup and tell us below:
What’s your take — is alcohol-free wine a genuine alternative, or does wine need the alcohol to be wine? Drop it in the comments 👇

Go check out edenvalle.com.au
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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

We Drink. We Try. We Learn. We connect. Drink Responsibly. 🍷

## YouTube Chapters
00:00 Can Wine Still Be Wine Without the Alcohol?
0:56 Grange, Snoop Dogg and the Icebreaker Questions
5:59 How Aaron Fell Into Winemaking by Accident
8:03 Ending Up at the Frontier of Alcohol-Free Wine
10:33 Why Eden Vale Exists in the First Place
12:58 From Boiling It Out to Vacuum Distillation
16:12 The Real Fight Is Replacing What Alcohol Does
24:09 The Expensive Mistakes Along the Way
25:48 Why Whites Are Easy and Reds Are Brutal
32:53 Chasing Something Called “Vinosity”
36:14 The Rise of the Zebra Drinker
44:03 Taking On the Everest of Zero-Alcohol Wine
50:35 Where Low and No Alcohol Wine Is Headed NextShow More

Is Ashton Hills Making Australia's Best Pinot Noir?

A three hectare Brussels sprout farm on a hill in the Adelaide Hills …

A three hectare Brussels sprout farm on a hill in the Adelaide Hills doesn’t sound like the start of one of Australia’s most respected Pinot Noir stories. But that’s exactly …where Ashton Hills began.

In this episode of **The Wined Up Podcast**, Trent sits down with Liam Van Pelt, the winemaker now carrying on the legacy Stephen George built over more than 40 years in the Piccadilly Valley. Liam’s own path to Ashton Hills was anything but planned. A Glenelg kid with no wine background, he worked his way through hospitality, wine school, a vintage in Italy, Jeff Grosset’s cellar in the Clare Valley, Chapel Hill in McLaren Vale, and a wild stint with Andrew Thomas in the Hunter Valley, before a casual vintage role and a bit of serendipity landed him alongside Stephen. What followed was a letter from Stephen to the CEO of Wirra Wirra that Liam still describes as one of the most emotional moments of his career, handing him a role, and a legacy, that didn’t exist yet.

The conversation moves through the story of how Ashton Hills got its name, why Stephen trialled 27 different clones of Pinot Noir on one tiny patch of dirt over four decades, and what it’s like to inherit that kind of obsession. Liam and Trent taste through the range together, from the 2025 Piccadilly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir through to the two single vineyard wines, Woods Hill and Bow House, sourced two kilometres apart and showing almost nothing in common, right up to the flagship 2025 Estate Pinot Noir grown on Stephen’s original site.

Along the way, Liam talks candidly about the pressure of protecting someone else’s life’s work, the balance between honouring Stephen’s philosophy and finding his own voice, the backing that’s let Ashton Hills invest in better fruit and new vineyards for the future, and where he sees the winery heading over the next decade.

It’s a conversation about legacy, trust, patience, and what it really takes to keep a 40 year old vision alive without losing it.

If you love Pinot Noir, cool climate wine, or stories about people stepping into someone else’s shoes, this one’s worth your time.

👉 Subscribe to @thewinedup and tell us below:

What’s your favourite Ashton Hills wine? Drop it in the comments 👇

Go check out https://www.ashtonhills.com.au/

🎙️ 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

We Drink. We Try. We Learn. We connect. Drink Responsibly. 🍷

## YouTube Chapters

00:00 Intro
0:55 The Wined Up Ice Breaker Questions
5:15 Wine of the Day: The 2025 Chardonnay
6:26 From a Glenelg Kid to Chasing Vintage
8:32 The Letter That Changed Everything
14:35 Carrying Steven’s Piccadilly Pinot Forward
20:11 A Brussels Sprout Farm Called Ashton Hills
27:33 Woods Hill vs Bow House
31:50 What Makes the Piccadilly Valley Different
44:00 The Flagship: 2025 Estate Pinot Noir
47:18 Gamay, Lighter Styles and a New Generation
51:13 Rapid Fire: This or That
52:08 What’s Next for Ashton Hills
54:16 Closing ThoughtsShow More

Is This Portugal’s Most Exciting New Winery? | ODE Wines

What happens when Australian investors, a respected Portuguese …

What happens when Australian investors, a respected Portuguese winemaker, and a forgotten vineyard come together just 45 minutes from Lisbon?

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, we head to …Portugal’s emerging Tejo wine region to discover ODE Wines. A winery that’s quickly gaining attention after being named one of Portugal’s best new wine projects.

But this story goes beyond what’s in the bottle.

We explore how ODE transformed semi-abandoned vineyards into a destination built around wine, food, farming, nature and hospitality. Along the way, Trent tastes through three very different wines that reveal a fascinating side of Portugal many wine lovers may have overlooked.

From a rich and textured Arinto that completely changes expectations of Portuguese white wine, to a beautifully expressive Touriga Nacional that captures the spirit of Portugal, and finally a happy-accident blend called Quarteto that might just be the perfect steak wine, this episode is all about curiosity, discovery and finding exciting wines from unexpected places.

We also dive into:
• Why the Tejo region is becoming one of Portugal’s most talked-about wine areas
• The Australian connection behind ODE Wines
• Minimal intervention winemaking and what it actually means
• Portuguese grape varieties worth seeking out
• Food pairings for Arinto, Touriga Nacional and Quarteto
• Why Portugal continues to be one of the most exciting wine countries in the world

If you love Portuguese wine, wine travel, hidden wine regions, or simply discovering great stories through a glass of wine, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes the most exciting wine journeys start with a little curiosity.

Chapters
00:00 – Is ODE Portugal’s Most Exciting Winery Right Now?
00:20 – How a Portuguese Chicken Pairing Sparked This Journey
01:00 – The Story Behind ODE Wines
01:45 – More Than a Winery: Farming, Food & Wine Tourism
02:30 – The Australian Connection to ODE
03:10 – Minimal Intervention, Maximum Attention
03:50 – Why Portugal’s Tejo Region Is Rising Fast
04:40 – First Taste: The Arinto That Changed Expectations
06:20 – Discovering Portugal’s Signature Red: Touriga Nacional
08:45 – A Happy Accident Called Quarteto
10:30 – The Portuguese Steak Wine?
11:05 – Final Verdict: Is ODE One to Watch?

👉 Subscribe to @thewinedup and tell us below:

Have you discovered Ode wines, Tejo region or Portuguese wines yet? Drop it in the comments 👇

Get out and visit Portugal and Ode Winery at https://odewinery.com/ and also grab your Ode wines at https://www.globalgrapevine.com.au/product-category/vineyard/ode/

🎙️ 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
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#Arinto #touriganacional #quarteto #PortugueseWine #odewinery #tejoregion #TheWinedUpPodcast #wedrinkwelearnweconnect

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

How does Lee Ho Fook interpret modern Chinese cuisine?

What makes a modern Chinese restaurant truly great? And what wine …

What makes a modern Chinese restaurant truly great? And what wine should you be drinking with it?

In this episode of The Wined Up Podcast, Trent sits down with Victor Liong, …the chef behind Lee Ho Fook, for a conversation that spans food, wine, family, culture and the realities of building one of Australia’s most respected restaurants.

Victor shares stories from growing up between Brunei, Malaysia and Sydney, visiting his grandfather’s kopitiam, walking away from a business degree to pursue cooking, and the journey that led to Lee Ho Fook becoming a fixture of Australian dining.

They also dive into opening Lee Ho Fook Sydney, balancing fatherhood with business ownership, handling criticism, overcoming imposter syndrome and why great restaurants focus on refining ideas rather than constantly chasing trends.

For wine lovers, Victor discusses the wines that shaped his palate, why Lee Ho Fook champions Australian producers, and his favourite Chinese food pairings.

It’s a conversation about hospitality, identity, creativity and the philosophy of serving guests above all else.

If you love wine, food, restaurants, hospitality, entrepreneurship or Australian gastronomy, you’ll enjoy this one.

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:55 Icebreakers
00:09:50 Victor’s Background Story
00:18:47 Culinary Influences
00:21:10 Li Ho Fook Story & Philosophy
00:24:43 Defining Modern Chinese Cuisine
00:33:00 Wine Journey
00:46:57 Wine of the Day – Gronju Chardonnay
00:52:06 Wine at Li Ho Fook
00:57:13 Wine Pairings with Chinese Food
01:01:28 Rapid Fire Questions
01:08:33 Proudest Moments & Future
01:12:58 Closing

👉 Subscribe to @thewinedup and tell us below:

What’s your favourite dish at Lee Ho Fook? Drop it in the comments 👇

Go check out https://www.leehofook.com.au/

🎙️ 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

#leehoFook #victorliong #granjoux #drinkaustralian #TheWinedUpPodcast #wedrinkwelearnweconnect

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

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The Wined Up is an independent Australian wine, food, travel and hospitality media platform.

Through podcast interviews, editorial features and digital content, we share the stories behind the people, places and experiences that shape our industry.

We champion Australian wine regions, independent producers and hospitality businesses, helping brands connect with an engaged audience through authentic storytelling.

Hosted by Trent, The Wined Up celebrates the stories behind wine, food, travel and hospitality.

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