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To borrow from Monty Python: now for something completely different.

This episode steps away from the usual B2B conversations and industry stories, and into something I don’t usually focus on… wine tasting.

When a mystery box of wine appeared on my doorstep, filled with a collection of genuinely exotic and intriguing bottles, I did what anyone would do: I tracked down the sender. That trail led me to none other than the talented, guitar-shredding, wine-slinging Marc Malouf of iHeart Wine, and a very generous supporter and benefactor.

So I thought, why not lean into it?

In this episode, we put the usual format to one side and let Marc guide us through a flavour-filled journey across a lineup of wines that are as diverse as they are exciting.

For those who are interested, the lineup includes:

• A fun 2020 Nebbiolo blend from the Muraje label in Piedmont;
• A 2024 Vermentino from La Magia in Tuscany;
• The 2022 Definitus Pinot Noir from Tapanappa’s Foggy Hill Vineyard in the Fleurieu Peninsula;
• A 2023 Mas Jullien rosé from France’s Languedoc region;
• A 2023 Clos Marie Manon, also from the Languedoc region;
• And finally, a Blanc de Blancs from Boll & Cie in Champagne.

Along the way, we’re joined by a special guest, my brother-in-law Mac, bringing a fresh perspective as a passionate foodie discovering these wines in real time, whenever I let him get a word in. Yes, I know I can yap.

I hope you enjoy this different style chit chat, and a massive thanks to Marc and Mac for joining me.

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The Hunter Valley occupies a special place in the story of Australian wine. It is, in many ways, the spiritual birthplace of the industry - a region where generations of families have wrestled with the climate, the soil, and the vagaries of the market to produce wines of remarkable character.

My guest today, Garth Eather, represents one of those families.

Garth is the co-founder of Meerea Park Wines, a winery he established with his brother Reese in 1991. But the Eather family story in Australia goes back much further than that, all the way to the arrival of the Second Fleet in 1790, and more than two centuries of agricultural history in what would eventually become the Hunter Valley wine region.

In this conversation, Garth shares that remarkable family history, from convict beginnings to grape growing, and eventually to building one of the Hunter Valley’s most respected small wineries. We also talk about what it really takes to survive as a small producer today: the reality of direct-to-consumer sales, the challenges facing regional tourism, and why some of the best wines the Hunter Valley has ever produced are being made right now, even as the market becomes harder than ever.

Along the way, we dive into the character of the Hunter Valley itself, its legendary Chardonnay, Semillon and Shiraz, its fiercely site-specific vineyards, and the deep sense of history that still shapes the region today. You cannot help but hear the pride Garth has for the Hunter and its stories, and this is reflected through their wines. We talk through three of their releases and we discuss what I describe as the bold strategy underpinning the Etherial (sorry for the pun) Stratos Chardonnay.

This is a conversation about wine, certainly, but also about family, resilience, and the stories that define a place - because that is really what wine is all about.

A huge thanks to Garth for joining me.

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