An episode that was a long time in the making. Cathy is my wine mentor and a great friend.

I am a big fan of the modern wines coming out of South Africa. So after a very long time away from the podcast, I was delighted when Cathy said yes to this interview.

Cathy has been a Master of Wine for 20 years, the first from the African continent to become an MW.

After a few years on the IMW committee, mainly heading the educational committee, Cathy served as the Chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine for two years, finishing her role just over a year ago, in Autumn 2024.

She regularly lectures and judges wines internationally.

For the last 20 years, Cathy has been involved with producing the fantastic Platter's Guide to the Wines of South Africa. First, as a taster and about 12 years ago, as an Associate Editor, alongside the Editor, her Husband, Philip Van Zyl.

More recently, Cathy has taken the role of Director of The Old Vine Project.

She has started a company called Master-Classes, with her friend and business partner, Natasha Hughes MW, where they run seminars preparing candidates and students who are already on the programme to the demands of the Master of Wine studies. Their site can be reached at www.master-classes.org

In our conversation, we chatted about her role as Associate Editor of the Platter's Wine Guide,

Her involvement with the Old Vine Project, her latest venture of Master Classes, and things she recommends to look out for from South Africa's vineyards in 2026!

As it is a week before Christmas, I was curious as to what would grace Cathy and Philip's table.

Enjoy and happy holidays!

Moshe

I waited a long time for the opportunity to record this conversation. Iro is a good friend, but she's a very busy lady! Working in the Summer season as a Sommelier in a seafood restaurant in Chania, and the rest of the year as an Ambassador for the Wines Of Crete Association can be two very demanding roles!

In this conversation we talked about the history of Cretan wines, what grapes are the key grapes and what wines they can make, the key figures (well, apologies for many that were left out. We love you all!), the geography of this big island and more.

So let's go! Join us to the coast, hills, mountains, stunning vineyard, wines and people of Crete!

In this episode, I was joined by Chef Michael Caines MBE, Chef Owner of Lympstone Manor, Country Hotel, Restaurant and Vineyard alongside his longstanding Operations Manager, Steve Edwards.

It's a hard enough job, starting a Country Hotel, in a rundown building, having to renovate it to a Relais & Châteaux standards, establishing a kitchen and a restaurant worthy of a Michelin star, before any other task is considered.

Planting a vineyard, and especially one destined to make Traditional Method English sparkling wines, with no experience in viticulture or winemaking could be seen as over ambitious at best, or foolhardy at worst.

Michael just knew, after one look at the southwest sloping barren field, stretching from the house, down towards the mouth of the River Exe, that had it been somewhere in France or Italy, that field would be planted to vines.

Join us on this episode, to hear about the complexities of the challenge, the wines produced so far and the ones yet to be released, what other products the vineyard produces, *other forms of fermentations, Michael and Steve's desert island wine (and what dish goes with it!),, And much more.

* BBC Food- Michael Caines, A Life Through Food

Listen to this BBC Food programme by Dan Saladino, exploring the life of Chef Michael Caines, highlighting, among many others stories, the saving of the Pain De Morvan, the rural French bread Michael first learnt to bake more than 30 years ago and now is baked daily at Lympston Manor.