Sparks
Short, honest conversations with winemakers, importers and people trying something new. No promotion — just the story behind the bottle.
Earlier episodes
Is a proxy the new natural wine? Roza Brito from Brito's Farm
Roza Brito of Brito's Farm in Poland on proxies: fermented botanical drinks made from farm-grown herbs, why it isn't kombucha, and what it actually is.
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Retsina Reimagined: The Science Behind 1979 Wines
Why one Greek oenologist decided to treat the pine forest like a vineyard and what happened when she.
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Enrico Rivetto: Biodiversity, Barolo, and Breaking DOC Rules
What happens when a fourth-generation Barolo producer decides everything needs to change?
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Discovering Attica's Ancient Terroir with Stamatis Mylonas
Winemaker Stamatis Mylonas reveals how Savatiano from UNESCO-protected Attica soils ages beautifully — rivaling Burgundy quality at a fraction of the price.
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Gusbourne: Where English Sparkling Wine Meets World-Class Craftsmanship
Ever wondered why English sparkling wine keeps winning comparisons to Champagne? When Wine Enthusiast named Gusbourne's Fifty One Degrees North the world's numb
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Yiannis Mylothridis on 300 Native Greek Grapes and Oenopolis
Yiannis Mylothridis (Oenopolis) on Greek wine beyond retsina, 300 native grapes, and Jima's Plein Soleil Day 22 Debina from Zitsa.
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Kopke Winemaker Carla Maria on Port's Best-Kept Secrets
Kopke winemaker Carla Maria on Colheitas from 1934, the right serving temperature, white Port, and why most houses simply cannot afford what Kopke does.
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Making Sherry Great Again: Inside the Renaissance of Bodegas Viuda de Manjón
Bodegas Viuda de Manjón is bringing sherry back — with 175 years of family heritage, woman-led winemaking, and four expressions that challenge every assumption.
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Vicky Corbeels on Sustainable Wine in Cool Climates
Vicky Corbeels is doing a PhD at the University of Antwerp on sustainable cool-climate viticulture, modern grapes, and why Belgium can't copy Bordeaux.
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Harold Hamersma: The Man Behind the Numbers on Your Wine Bottle
Harold Hamersma has shaped Dutch wine buying for 40 years. A conversation about his rating system, wine trends, and four decades of Dutch wine history.
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Joshua on small Champagne growers and your Champagne moment
Joshua from Mijn Champagne Moment on small Champagne growers, why disgorgement dates matter, and the difference between Jean-Laurent's blanc de blancs and.
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Joni Sloesen of Zavel: Pfalz grapes in Tegelen, three hours and ready
Joni Sloesen drives three hours to the Pfalz for grapes and makes Kerner, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in Tegelen. Spontaneous fermentation, used barrels, amphora.
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Drakos Garakis makes a 12.5% Syrah on Crete that does not taste like you would expect
Drakos Garakis on Crete makes wine from indigenous Vidiano, Muscat of Spinas and Mandilari, plus a 12.5% Syrah. Organic, on 400 to 600 meters altitude.
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Lodewijk of Daily Creta on the wine gems of Crete you have never met
Lodewijk of Daily Creta on Crete's 11 indigenous grape varieties, small wineries, and a Garakis Vidiano, Muscat of Spinas and 12.5% Syrah.
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Domein Holset Novo 2022: Dutch Bubbles Rise
Domein Holset Novo 2022: 85% Souvignier Gris, 15% Johanniter, traditional method, 24 months on lees, Extra Brut. A Limburg sparkler that meets Champagne.
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Yiannis Karakasis MW on Great Greek Wines and what really drives the Greek wine scene
Yiannis Karakasis MW on how Great Greek Wines runs: bottles bought at retail, no sticker sales, only 50 awards per edition, international jury with no Greek.
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Ayleen Charlotte on her unfiltered Riesling and the full story behind AY Wines
Ayleen Charlotte (Tinder Swindler) on her wine label AY: an unfiltered Riesling by Charles Frey from Alsace, and the orange wine that started it all.
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Antoin Peeters of Klare Wijn on six years of wine on Instagram, Dikke Donderdag, and the podcast that got out of hand
Antoin Peeters of RTL Nieuws and Klare Wijn on six years of wine content on Instagram, the Klare Wijn podcast, and how Dikke Donderdag turned into a hit.
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Jochen Schaufelberger on German Sekt and how Dutch wineries get him to make their sparkling
Jochen Schaufelberger from Brauneberg on German Sekt by méthode traditionnelle, why Dutch wineries send him their sparkling, and how German Sektsteuer.
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Bruno Suter of Wijn de Boe on the 2025 drought, two soil types and a Walcheren Savagnin
Bruno Suter of Wijn de Boe (Zeeland) on the 2025 drought, the difference between clay and sand for the same grape, and the Chardonnay and Savagnin from the.
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Mathieu Begthel of Vignoble de Bellefontaine on cool-climate winemaking in Wallonia
Mathieu Begthel of Vignoble de Bellefontaine in Wallonia on cool-climate winemaking, Crémant Rosé from Phénix and Pinot Noir, and a Solaris vertical from.
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Anja Vondenhoff on the Champagne Specialist Course and why expensive does not mean better
Anja Vondenhoff on the Champagne Specialist Course by the Comité Champagne: structure, exam, tasting, and why the most expensive bottle is rarely the best.
Read the story →Beyond the Bottle: How Sparkling Tea is Revolutionizing Wine Alternatives
Established Sparkling Tea is shaking up Amsterdam restaurants. A premium non-alcoholic drink built by chef Maarten Riebeek that takes wine seriously.
Read the story →Oliver Weingartner: Hungary's Volcanic Wine Visionary
Legend has it that Hungarian nobles once believed Somló wines possessed fertility-enhancing powers.
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Tessa van der Wouw, Sommelier of the Year 2025, on Inter Scaldes and working hard without ego
Tessa van der Wouw of Inter Scaldes (Kruiningen) on her path to Sommelier of the Year 2025, Spanish wines, alcohol-free pairings and stubbornly personal.
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The Science Behind Your Glass: How Wine Gets Its Signature Aromas
Sietze Wijma of The Art of Tasting explains the chemistry behind wine aromas — from Sauvignon Blanc's green bell pepper to aged Riesling's petrol character.
Read the story →Cul Sec Alcohol-Free Wines: Complexity Without Compromise
Have you ever sipped a non-alcoholic beverage at a social gathering, only to find yourself longing for the complexity and sophistication of wine?
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The Sparkle of Rheingau: Discovering Barth Riesling Brut
Barth Riesling Brut: German sparkler from Rheingau, traditional method, 24 months on lees, organic and vegan. €19.95, with a VDP Erste/Grosse Lage first.
Read the story →Discover Artisanal Champagne: Behind the Scenes with Vindeux
Vindeux's Dutch subscription model brings small grower champagnes to the door each month. Inside the Cuvée Flore from Claude Michel, Boursault.
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Interview with Rutger Siersma: Wine Trends and Stories from Robust Podcast
Rutger Siersma of Robust podcast on wine trends in 2025, his vineyard experiment in Twente, and why the story behind the bottle matters more than ever.
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Bouteille de Plaisir: Memory-Making German Bubbles
Bouteille de Plaisir: refined bubbles for life's milestones. Alcohol-free Württemberg cuvée and Rheinhessen Riesling sekt, each with a cork marker.
Read the story →Cecchi Coevo 2021: Tuscan Excellence Reimagined
Experience the harmony of two terroirs in Cecchi's flagship wine - where tradition meets innovation in a limited-edition release.
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Sparks by VinoVonk launch: Joshua of Mijn Champagne Moment on Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs
The launch episode of Sparks by VinoVonk with Joshua of Mijn Champagne Moment, on small champagne growers and a Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs from the Côte.
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