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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

Inside the Story of IHANA with Valtteri Bottas & Corrina Wright

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

Why Australia should be curious about Swiss Wines?

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

Aldi Blackstone Wine: Hidden Gems or Just Cheap Bottles?

Most of us love wine… but let’s be honest — not all of us can open $80 …

Most of us love wine… but let’s be honest — not all of us can open $80 bottles every week.

So today on The Wined Up Podcast, we ask a question …that’s probably crossed every wine drinker’s mind while walking past the supermarket aisle:
Is Aldi wine actually good value… or is it just cheap wine?
After seeing the hype online (and struggling to even find bottles because they kept selling out), Trent dives into Aldi’s Blackstone Paddock range — a lineup designed to deliver regional Australian styles without the usual price tag.

This isn’t a technical wine review.
It’s a real-world test: what happens when wine passion meets cost-of-living reality?

From a Margaret River Chardonnay to a Tasmanian Pinot Noir and a Barossa Shiraz, the goal is simple — figure out whether these wines genuinely punch above their weight and where they actually fit into everyday life.

Because sometimes the best wine isn’t the most expensive one… it’s the one that makes Tuesday night feel like Friday.

🍷 Key Moments
• The real definition of “value wine” (not just cheap wine)
• Why rising costs are changing how we buy wine
• The Aldi hype — and why bottles were selling out everywhere
• Margaret River Chardonnay first impressions + perfect food match
• The surprise standout: Tasmanian Pinot Noir
• Barossa Shiraz rethinking what supermarket Shiraz can be
• Honest pricing test: what these wines feel like they should cost
• Real-life wine awards: weeknight, dinner party & best value winner
• Blind-pour test — would friends guess the price?

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Aldi wine — value or just cheap?
00:05 The Wined Up intro + why this episode exists
00:45 Cost of living & redefining wine value
01:20 What the Blackstone range actually is
02:30 Margaret River Chardonnay tasting
04:30 Food pairing thinking in real time
05:00 Tasmanian Pinot Noir surprise
06:30 Why this Pinot overdelivers
07:00 Barossa Shiraz tasting
08:10 BBQ wine vs dinner party wine
09:00 Real-life wine awards
09:45 Final verdict: Aldi value test

Subscribe to @thewinedup and comment on what’s the best value wine you’ve ever discovered?

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.

#aldiwines #blackstonewines #aldiaustralia #budgetwine #TheWinedUpPodcast #WineMoments #wineconversation #DrinkMoreTryMoreLearnMoreShow More

A $1000 Wine With a Golden Gaytime?! Merrick Watts Tries Château d’Yquem 😅🍦

What’s the one wine you’d taste if you were on your deathbed? Merrick …

What’s the one wine you’d taste if you were on your deathbed? Merrick Watts got asked that exact question… and it kicked off a proper “we have to do this” …moment on the pod.

In this episode of The Wined Up, Merrick returns (yep — first guest back!) and we crack into Château d’Yquem (half-bottle, because… reality), talk why sweet wines get underrated, and then do the most Aussie pairing experiment imaginable: d’Yquem + a Golden Gaytime. We also get into Merrick’s Roman-inspired hydration drink Posca, why it exists, and why everyone should be drinking it!

We also dive into wine stories and memorable moments including:
● “Deathbed wine” question + why d’Yquem was Merrick’s pick
● First smell, first sip: apricot, orange blossom, honey + that razor acidity
● The real talk: is it worth the hype (and the price)?
● Noble rot explained in normal-person language
● The Golden Gaytime pairing test (and the honest verdict)
● Why some wines are best by themselves at the end of the night
● Posca Hydrate: ancient Roman origins, modern hangover use
● The “I invented it” bar story (and no one believing him)
● Favourite Posca flavours + when Merrick drinks each one
● Rapid-fire Aussie ice cream “this or that” (Bubble O’Bill truth bomb)
● Merrick’s final message: try a wine you’ve dismissed (except… Sauvignon Blanc 😅)

Drink more, try more, learn more. Like, comment, and subscribe.

✅ Chapters
00:00 Deathbed wine question: “one wine before you die”
00:00:17 Merrick intro + the $1000 d’Yquem plan
00:01:13 Why Merrick’s been chasing Château d’Yquem
00:02:56 Fast facts: Sauternes, noble rot, why it’s so famous
00:04:07 First reactions: aroma → taste (apricot + orange blossom)
00:06:44 Enter Posca: “a drink better than this” segway
00:07:11 What Posca is + Roman soldiers, vinegar, salt + water
00:09:32 Hangovers, hydration, and the Hadrian story
00:11:05 How Merrick built Posca (30–40 bad versions → fizzy = unlock)
00:12:37 Real-world use: 1am two cans after a few wines
00:13:08 People mixing Posca with vodka + “I invented it” moment
00:15:02 Best Posca flavours + why acid balance matters
00:16:31 Vinegar benefits, prebiotics + electrolytes
00:18:30 Favourite flavours + post-training routine
00:19:50 Golden Gaytime time 🍦
00:22:00 Does Gaytime + d’Yquem actually work? (verdict)
00:23:32 Ice cream this-or-that rapid fire
00:25:30 Final message + Sauvignon Blanc stray 😂
00:26:55 Where to find Merrick + Idiot’s Guide to Wine Vol. 3 + Posca
Check out Merrick at https://grapesofmirth.com.au/ and also check out the Posca Hypertonic drink at https://poscahydrate.com/
Subscribe to @thewinedup and comment on what would you pair with Château d’Yquem (and do you reckon the Gaytime pairing is genius or chaos?).

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.

#wine #winetasting #winepodcast #thewinedup #merrickwatts #chateaudyquem #sauternes #sweetwine #winepairing #goldengaytime #mindset #storytelling #posca #hangovercure #TheWinedUpPodcast #WineMoments #wineconversation #DrinkMoreTryMoreLearnMoreShow More

Merrick Watts on Comedy, Discipline & Wine 🍷 | The untold side of Merrick Watts

Public speaking is humanity’s biggest fear — so why does Merrick Watts …

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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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