Halliday Wine Companion

Stephen Pannell is one of Australia’s most influential winemakers and a driving force behind the rise of modern McLaren Vale grenache.

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Steve shares how a childhood spent working in vineyards in Margaret River eventually led him to winemaking, despite his best efforts to avoid the family profession. From producing more than 200 million bottles of red wine at Hardys to redi...

Bruce Tyrrell AM has spent more than five decades shaping Australian wine. As the fourth generation of one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wineries, he has helped transform Tyrrell’s, champion Hunter Valley semillon around the world, and preserve some of Australia’s most important old-vine vineyards.

Fresh from being named the 2027 James Halliday Hall of Fame inductee, Bruce joins the Halliday Wine Companion Pod...

What really goes into reviewing thousands of Australian wines and selecting the very best for the Halliday Wine Companion?

To celebrate the release of the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion and the annual Halliday Awards, Halliday’s Head of Tasting and General Manager, Katrina Butler, takes us behind the scenes of Australia’s most comprehensive wine guide.

Katrina explains the wine submission process, how the Halliday Tasting T...

A single glass of Alsatian pinot blanc changed the direction of Eddie McDougall’s life.

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, host Anna Webster sits down with winemaker, entrepreneur, TV personality and founder of The Flying Winemaker, Eddie McDougall.

Eddie shares how his upbringing between Hong Kong and Australia, his father’s extraordinary entrepreneurial journey, and an unexpected encounter with wi...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Anna Webster sits down with Gwyn Olsen, senior winemaker at Henschke, one of Australia’s most iconic family-owned wineries.

Gwyn’s path into wine was anything but predictable. Born in Cairns and raised in Indonesia, she went on to study biochemistry before discovering winemaking through postgraduate oenology at the University of Adelaide. From her first vintage in ...

What makes a truly iconic Australian wine?

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Anna Webster sits down with Brokenwood Chief Winemaker Stuart Hordern to explore the history, philosophy and future of one of Australia’s most celebrated wineries.

From growing up on a small Hunter Valley vineyard to becoming only the second chief winemaker in Brokenwood’s history, Stuart shares the lessons learned from le...

What happens when a former linguistics student leaves the Hunter Valley to help build one of Victoria’s most ambitious wine estates from the ground up?

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Anna Webster sits down with Alex Beckett, Director of Wine at Marnong Estate, to unpack the philosophy, ambition, and evolution behind one of Victoria’s most talked-about wine destinations.

From cool-climate pinot n...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, host Anna Webster sits down with legendary Australian winemaker Louisa Rose from Yalumba. From growing up in Melbourne to becoming one of the most respected voices in Australian wine, Louisa shares her remarkable journey through decades of winemaking, sustainability leadership and innovation.

They explore Yalumba’s pioneering work with viognier, wild fermentation, vegan-...

What does it take to become known as the “King of Chardonnay”?

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we sit down with New Zealand winemaking legend Tony Bish to unpack a career that broke every rule.

From dropping out of law school to pioneering chardonnay in Hawke’s Bay, Tony shares the raw, unfiltered story behind building a globally respected wine label.

We go deep on:

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Matt Fowles of Fowles Wine in Victoria's Strathbogie Ranges describes surviving a catastrophic bushfire that burned through his 1400 acre property in under 45 minutes on January 8th 2026, destroying his family home, 1200 (of 1260) sheep, and severely damaging both vineyards – while the winery and cellar door survived. In the aftermath, he prioritised family stability and practical problem-solving before turning to longer term...

What actually makes a wine bar successful?

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we sit down with Lyndon Kubis, the force behind some of Melbourne’s most loved venues including Toorak Cellars, Milton Wine Shop, The Alps and Clover.

From starting at 18 years old with zero plan… to building a portfolio of iconic neighbourhood wine bars, Lyndon breaks down what really drives success in hospitality.

This ...

Gareth Belton from Gentle Folk joins the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast to talk about his unlikely path from marine botany and seaweed fieldwork to farming some of the Adelaide Hills’ most compelling sites.

We dig into how Gareth’s scientific mindset influences decisions in the vineyard and winery, why site (aspect, altitude, soil) matters so much in the Adelaide Hills, and how Gentle Folk’s style has evolved fro...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, host Anna Webster sits down with Rohan Smith, Chief Winemaker at Medhurst in the Yarra Valley, to talk about his unconventional path into wine, what it really takes to “speed-run” a winemaking career, and why the single most important decision in the winery happens before the grapes even arrive: picking.

Rohan shares how a classical music background shaped his appr...

Emily McNally has spent the past two decades furthering the legacy of her parents, Ron and Elva Laughton, who bought a young vineyard in the late 1970s in Heathcote and established the iconic Jasper Hill. 

In this episode, host Anna Webster asks Emily why her parents chose Heathcote, how the region earned its identity (and her family’s role in it), what “organic and dry grown” actually means on the ground, wh...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, host Anna Webster sits down with Michael Hill-Smith AM MW, one of the most influential figures in Australian wine. As Australia’s first Master of Wine and co-founder of Shaw + Smith, Tolpuddle Vineyard and MMAD, Michael shares stories from his childhood at Yalumba, his early connection to food and wine, and the pivotal moments that shaped his career.

Anna and Michael exp...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, winemaker Tessa Brown shares her remarkable journey from growing up on a sugarcane farm in Queensland to establishing boutique winery Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown in Beechworth. Tessa opens up about the challenges and triumphs of winemaking, the importance of careful site selection, and her philosophy of capturing purity of fruit in their wines. She discusses the benefits o...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we sit down with Pedro Parra, one of the world’s most respected terroir consultants, to explore the deep and fascinating relationship between land and wine.

Pedro shares his remarkable journey from studying music to becoming a global expert on terroir, helping winemakers across continents – including Alkina Wine Estate in the Barossa – understand how soil, ro...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast we sit down with food critic, author, former MasterChef Australia judge, and wine enthusiast Matt Preston to share his distinctive perspective on the world of wine. From the art of tasting and the magic of food pairings to the crucial role of sommeliers, Matt delves into what makes wine such a captivating experience.

He opens up about his personal journey with wine, memorable m...

In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion podcast, Halliday taster, drinks writer and liquor merchant Mike Bennie shares his path into the wine industry, his passion for natural wines, and how Australia’s wine scene has evolved. He reflects on founding Sydney’s groundbreaking Rootstock Festival, the challenge of defining natural wine, and judging Halliday’s inaugural ‘wildcard’ category. Mike also...