Bottled in China: A Wine & Food Podcast

Ever wonder how our emotions impact our perception of a wines' taste and profile? Or the science behind the iconic pairing of rose and steak tartar? Today we’ll be speaking with Marcell Kustos PHD, about what he unearthed during his research.

Marcell is a beverage director, wine educator, and consultant. With a cross-functional background, he re-defines the role of modern-day sommelier.

After obtaining a qualification in food engineering and winemaking operations, Marcell started his career as a food product developer before turning his hand to wine. He began working as a sommelier while undertaking a Master's degree in gastronomy. His curiosity for memorable wine experiences led to a PhD in food, wine and emotional pairing at the University of Adelaide in collaboration with Wine Australia and UC Davis.

While working at Penfolds Magill Estate, Marcell curated one of the country's most extensive champagne lists and created memorable experiences with a twist of science. Just recently, Marcell has joined a new project showcasing Australian botanicals and native ingredients. As a beverage director, he will be responsible for product development, industry collaborations and creating a whole new dining experience.

He is the recipient of the ASVO AWAC Scholarship, Wine Communicators Australia Wine Industry Mentor Program, Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Ambassador Scholarship, Sommeliers Australia Education Scholarship, Wine Australia Research Scholarship and a finalist for the Sommelier of the Year by Gault & Millau.

Marcell is also in charge of coordinating and designing the food, wine and hospitality courses of Le Cordon Bleu Australia. He has been a contributing author in several academic and industry journals and continues to evolve as a wine judge. And if that wasn’t enough, he recently co-founded a wine label to make brave wines with transparency, curiosity and precision.

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Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities.

Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify,online or wherever you listen to your episodes!

The Bordeaux wine region of France has always attracted international investment.

As the Asian economy developed, individuals and beverage companies looked abroad to diversify their portfolios. In the mid 1980’s, Japanese investors like Suntory started to buy Estates in Bordeaux. Over the past decade, it’s estimated that close to 160 Chateaux’s have shifted hands to Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese investors.

In today’s podcast, we sit down with Howard Kwok to discuss his family’s vision for investing in wineries on the right bank of Bordeaux, and what drew them to Bordeaux in the first place.

Howard Kwok is the co-owner of Vignobles K, a group of vineyards located in Bordeaux, France. Howard's family bought their first vineyard, Chateau Haut Brisson, in 1997, and is the first Chinese investor to acquire a vineyard in France.

Today, their holding company Vignobles K manages 7 properties in the right bank of Bordeaux, including Chateau Bellefont Belcier, a Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé, and Chateau Tour Saint Christophe, often described as one of the best values of the region. Wines by Vignobles K have received significant praises by professional critics and wine enthusiasts alike, and are widely distributed around the world.

Howard is originally from Hong Kong. After graduating from Harvard Business School, he worked briefly at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company and joined his family's business in 2015. He splits his time between managing Vignobles K and investments in China.

In today’s podcast we discuss how Benjamin Bridge Winery is inspiring a nation to think about producing high quality sparkling wine in the most unlikely places!

In 1999, the Benjamin Bridge Winery started as a labour of love with Nova Scotian entrepreneurs Gerry McConnell and the late Dara Gordon. Inspired by the early grape growers and winemakers in the region, Gerry and Dara invested in years of research to discover whether region-defining wines could be produced in the Gaspereau Valley.

Over two short decades, Benjamin Bridge has distinguished itself as Canada’s premier sparkling wine house.

Gerry and Dara’s twin daughters, Ashley and Devon McConnell-Gordon, now lead the small family-like team

Today we are joined by Gillian Mainguy, Head of Sales at Benjamin Bridge Vineyards, to discuss what makes Nova Scotia unique and how there’s more in common with Champagne than you might think.

Find out more: https://benjaminbridge.com

Connect with Benjamin Bridge on Instagram @benjaminbridge

Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities.

Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify,online or wherever you listen to your episodes!

Back on Episode 111, we spoke with Endless West about creating the worlds first molecular wine and spirits. We had so many questions come in after our first episode with Alec, that we scheduled a follow up to address these.

In today’s episode, we are joined for a second time by Alec Lee, co-founder and CEO of Endless West.

Endless West is a technology startup using scientific methods to create the world's first molecular wine and spirits - alcoholic beverages that are crafted 'note-by-note' using pure flavor and aroma molecules extracted from efficient sources in nature. A small, independent team of scientists, sommeliers, writers, chefs, and grad school dropouts, their mission is to use science to create food and drink of unparalleled quality, value, and heart. The company was founded in 2015 by Alec Lee and Mardonn Chua, and sommelier, Josh Decolongon. It is headquartered in San Francisco and has raised $30 million in total funding to date.

Find out more: https://endlesswest.com/

Want to try it out for yourself? Order Gemello, "Moscato" wine or Glyph, the "Bourbon" we discussed during the podcast.

Listen to part one: https://bottledinchina.simplecast.com/episodes/the-first-molecular-wine-spirits

Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Follow us on Instagram @bottled.in.china

Episodes available on iTunes,Spotify,online or wherever you listen to your podcasts!

After 10 years in the making, Domaines Barons de Rothschild, famous for producing Chateaux Lafite in Bordeaux, is now producing a Chinese wine.

In today’s episode we are joined for a second time by Denise Cosentino, Technical Manager at Domaine de Long Dai.

We dive into the story of Domaine de LongDai, their winemaking style, and the influence that the DBR (Lafite) team has on making fine wine in China.

Check out part one of this interview, where we look at the wine producing Shandong province in China, here: https://bottledinchina.simplecast.com/episodes/shandong-province-chinas-largest-producing-wine-region

Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities.

Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Follow us on Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify,online or wherever you listen to your episodes!

In this two part podcast series we’ll be diving into China’s largest wine producing region:Shandong.

Shandong is an eastern province of China, along the Yellow Sea. It represents up to 40% of China’s wine production and was also home to the first commercial winery.

Our guest today is Denise Cosentino. Denise is the Technical Manager of Chateau Lafite’s China project, Domaine de Long Dai, which is based in Shandong, China and is part of the Domaine Baron de Rothschild Estates.

Come sip with Denise and I while we discuss Shandong’s unique viticultural landscape and key grape varietals.

Find my exclusive interview for Alcohol Professor, where Denise and I discussed the importance of women winemakers, as well as the challenges and opportunities of making wine in China, here:

https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/china-wine

Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Follow us on Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available oniTunes,Spotify,online or wherever you listen to your episodes!

Ever wonder about the Philippine wine market?

In this episode we’ll be discussing the layered and complex structure of the Philippine wine market.
We’ll also take a look at consumer preferences towards wine styles, regions of origin and how young Filipino consumers are turning their interest towards “vegan” wine.

Our guest today Michael William Reyes, a Filipino-American entrepreneur based in Manila, Philippines.
He is the Founder and General Manager of Wine Club, a boutique importer and distributor of American wines in the Philippine.
He is also the host of the 'Listen to Me Wine' a wine and culture podcast on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify.

More information: https://wineclub.ph/

Find my interview on ‘Listen to Me Wine’ about the Chinese wine market: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQcet7ArNq8

Listen to Me Wine on Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/listen-to-me-wine/id1562615831

Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Follow us on Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available oniTunes,Spotify,online or wherever you listen to your episodes!

In response to mounting concern about single-use plastics, a range of sustainable straw alternatives are appearing on the market.

Today we speak with Divya Mohan, Founder of Ooble Innovations, about a tasty new straw solution and what challenges and lessons she’s learnt as an entrepreneur.

Divya Mohan is a biotechnologist with a graduate degree in Food Innovation & Product Design, and is building a bridge between innovation and sustainability within the food industry.

She is the Founder of Ooble (http://www.weareooble.com/), where she is developing edible straws that are 100% plant-based, biodegradable, and cost-effective, while being functional. Divya also works as a Senior Creations Design and Development Manager at ADM.

In April of 2021 she was recognized as a Forbes' World’s 50 Best Names The Future Of Gastronomy.

Find out more: http://www.weareooble.com

Follow the journey on Instagram @weareooble

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A leap into the future of food: Crickets

Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Follow us on Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available oniTunes,Spotify,online or wherever you listen to your episodes!

Today we speak with one of Washington’s leading winemakers about the region’s unique landscapes and the importance leadership plays as winemaker.

Today we’re joined by Juan Munoz-Oca, Head Winemaker at Columbia Crest winery based in Washington State. Since it first opened its doors in 1983, Columbia Crest winery produces wine in the acclaimed Horse Heaven Hills AVA. In fact, it’s the only Washington winery to be honored with the Wine Spectator award the “No. 1 Wine of the Year” .

Originally from Mendoza, Argentina, Juan discusses the similarities of his hometown to that of Washington’s unique wine landscape.

In the second half of the interview, we discuss the importance of leadership as a winemaker and the advice he’d share to those in the industry.

Taste the wines: https://www.columbiacrest.com

Watch his TED Talk on Youtube: The World of Washington Wines

Connect with Juan on Instagram and follow the adventures: @munozoca

If you want to learn more about Washington wines, check out our other episode with Bob Betz: “Washington Wine Legend Bob Betz, Master of Wine”

Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world.

Follow us on Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes!

Sales for Cannabis-infused beverages is said to have jumped 40% since 2019. A new beverage category fueled by the legalization of Cannabis is spilling into wine, beer and even coffee!

But what are large corporations getting wrong about CBD and THC wine beverages? While many have focused on the novelty of Cannabis in beverages, Jamie Evans and her team at Herbacée are focused on taste.

Jamie, author and industry expert, recently launched the first cannabis-infused nonalcoholic wine in the US (Herbacée) and published her second book: “Cannabis Drinks: Secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home." She joins us on Bottled in China to discuss the latest updates in the Cannabis-infused beverage market.

Jamie Evans is the founder of The Herb Somm, a cannabis blog and lifestyle brand that is focused on the gourmet side of the cannabis industry. She is an educator, event host and producer, and writer specializing in cannabis, CBD, food, recipes, wine, and the canna-culinary world. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Herbacée .

Find out more: https://www.herbacee.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herbaceeofficial/

Follow Jamie on Instagram @theherbsomm

Learn more from Jamie about CBD in F&B on this episode of Bottled in China!