In this episode, we head to Oregon’s Willamette Valley to meet Remy Drabkin — winemaker, civic leader, innovator, and unapologetic champion for LGBTQ+ visibility in wine.

Remy is the force behind Remy Wines and the founder of Queer Wine Fest, and in this conversation, we explore how equity, intention, and creative problem-solving are not just buzzwords, but daily practices in her winery and beyond.

We get into everything from the power of thoughtful hiring and building inclusive spaces (yes, even bathrooms!) to the unexpected intersection of winemaking and carbon-sequestering concrete. You'll hear how Remy uses wine as a platform for change — whether it’s advocating for sustainable water solutions, supporting the ACLU through sparkling wine, or redefining what leadership in wine can look like.

We also dig into the volcanic soils of the Dundee Hills, explore her love affair with the Italian grape Lagrein, and learn why she’s aging wine in chestnut barrels — and what all of this has to do with place, purpose, and legacy.

Whether you're here for the terroir or the truth bombs, this episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and a reminder that wine, at its best, is about people, progress, and pouring with purpose.

Episode Guide (Chapters)

2.45 - How intention shapes everything in the winery

5:38 – Creating Inclusive Wine Spaces

7:19 – The simplicity of building a thoughtful restroom and how this impacts the team

8.30 - Being thoughtful where job adverts go out

9.30 - Inventing Carbon Sequestration structural concrete called Solid Carbon

11.00 - Creative solutions to water challenges

13.24 - The importance of team meetings

17.20 - Creating Queer Wine Fest

22.30 - Winning the Governor's Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

26:34 – Why Willamette Valley Matters

26:15 – The Importance of Speaking Out. Finding your voice

28:50 – Locating Remy’s Vineyards in the South Dundee Hills

28:56 – Soil and Terroir in the Red Hills (volcanic Jory soil)

29:49 – Describing the Local Climate and landscape in Willamette Valley

32:49 – Planting Italian variety Lagrein, what it offers, and why it works here

38:09 – Using Chestnut Barrels and extended aging

42.28: Black Heart Méthode Champenoise wine that supports ACLU

47:15 – What’s next

50.00 - What is one action that someone running a small winery can take this year to create a more inclusive business model?

📩 Questions or feedback? Email me: janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

📸 Follow on Instagram: @eatsleep_winerepeat

🎥 YouTube Channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

🌐 More content: www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Until next time – cheers to you!

THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST.

Welcome back, wine friends!

This episode is all about the rebels — the wild ones — the winemakers who’ve ripped up the rulebook and gone their own way. We’re diving deep into the world of declassified cult wines: the bottles that said "no thanks" to tradition-bound wine laws, and yet, somehow became some of the most expensive, most desired, and most obsessively followed wines on the planet.

But before we get to the juicy stuff, let’s set the scene.

You know those cryptic acronyms on European wine labels — AOC, DOCG, and even Qualitätswein? They’re steeped in history, tradition, and legal frameworks that protect the where, the what, and the how of a wine. They're there to ensure quality, consistency, and authenticity.

And yet, to some, those same laws can feel more like shackles than structure. Want to plant Syrah in Bordeaux? Or fancy making an orange wine in Chianti? You can't under AOC or DOCG rules. Even if your wine is mind-blowingly good, if it doesn’t fit the mould, it gets dumped in the “Vin de France” or “Vino da Tavola” pile.

So in this episode, we raise a glass to the misfits, the rule-breakers, and the game-changers — winemakers who said, “Forget the label, let the wine speak for itself.”

We’ll travel from the storied vineyards of Bordeaux to the wild Loire, up through Tuscany, and back again — featuring the most expensive wine in the world, a Brunello scandal, and some unicorn bottles you’ve probably seen worshipped on Instagram.

Throughout this episode, whilst telling the tales of some of the most iconic and rebellious wines, you’ll also learn more about: vine density plantings in Bordeaux, the impact of phylloxera, the historic grape varieties of Bordeaux, what Bordeaux might have tasted like before the 1855 classification, the scandal of Brunellogate, the difference between Sangiovese in Montalcino vs Chianti, Chianti’s rigid and outdated regulations, and a few legends of the natural wine movement.

Get ready for trailblazing tales, creative freedom in a bottle, and a reminder that some of the best wines in the world never needed permission to be great.

Episode Chapters:

3.30: Introducing Liber Pater – the most expensive wine in the world

10.00: Introducing Louis-Benjamin - Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume Asteroide – the holy grail of Sauvignon Blanc

15.30: Introducing Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Toscana Sangiovese – The wine making the most dramatic exit from Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

23.00: Introducing Le Pergole Torte from Montevertine – a 100% Sangiovese from the Chianti Classico region

26.10: Introducing the wines from Domaine des Miroirs in the Jura region – a Japanese winemaker producing ‘unicorn wines’.

32.30: Introducing a declassified super affordable wine for contrast: Gran Cerdo from Gonzalo Grijalba

📩 Questions or feedback? Email me: janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

📸 Follow on Instagram: @eatsleep_winerepeat

🎥 YouTube Channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

🌐 More content: www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Until next time – cheers to you!

THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST.

In this episode, we are talking to Harry Crowther, founder of Tiny Wine, to explore how technology, sustainability, and storytelling are reshaping the wine world. In this episode, we unpack how Tiny Wine is using innovative tech from Coravin Vinitas to bring iconic bottles to curious palates in small, perfectly preserved 100ml tubes.

We'll talk Super Tuscans, Bordeaux, and about Harry's time in the Douro, fermenting separately the big five black grape varieties.

So get ready to learn the difference between Touriga Nacional and Tinta Cão, and how each contributes to the blend. You'll also hear some of Harry’s stories working with Jean-Claude Berrouet, the long-time winemaker and technical director at Pétrus.

So whether you’re a seasoned collector or just wine-curious, there’s plenty of name-dropping in this episode—and a few bottles you’ll definitely want to track down.

Episode Guide (Chapters)

6:08 – Launching Tiny Wine in partnership with Coravin and their Vinitas technology.

7:10 – How the Vinatas works: ‘The smallest bottling line in the world’. 7:56 – 100ml wine tubes as samples for the on-trade. 9:44 – How long do these Tiny Wine tubes last? Testing through a triangulated tasting with wine professionals. 16:03 – Harry’s Perspective on Fine Wine 17:50 – The criteria for wines chosen for Tiny Wine’s Tasting Boxes 19:55 – The Prize draw with a Magnum of Petrus 21:01 – Wine to try from the Super Tuscan Select box: Monte Antico 2020 22:04 – Wine to try from the Super Tuscan Explorer box: Coste del Vivo Rosso No.1 MV 23:30 – San Polino Brunello di Montalcino 23:55 – Wine to try from the Super Tuscan Somm box including Sassicaia, Tignanello and Caiarossa Toscana IGT 24:49 – Tignanello: The wine that created Super Tuscan Wine 25:24 – What is a Super Tuscan? (You can listen to dedicated Episode 169: Everything you need to know about Super Tuscans) 27:09 – Merlot planted in Chianti Vs The famous wine made from Merlot: Masseto 29:44 – Discussing Rocca di Frassinello’s amazing wine cellar and their Merlot wine: Baffonero 32:24 – Reflection on Portugal and influences from the Douro. 33:17 – A run down on what each of the 5 main black grapes of Douro offer to the blend 38:10 – Working with legendary winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet at Quinta da Boavista 40:21 – Blending trials in the winery of Ventisquero Wine Estates 43:57 – The rarest bottle in Harry’s Cellar: Familia Silva Branco 500l barrel of Tawny circa mid 1800s 45:31 – Best Value wine: South Africa 46:45 – Upcoming wine region: Attica, Greece 47:14 – What’s coming next for Tiny Wine 48:33 – Most memorable wine experience: A winemaking stint on Waiheke Island, New Zealand 49:33 – Winemaker shoutout: Kardenakhi 7 for their Fortified Rkatsiteli 51:33 – Prize draws for fine wines in large formats

To connect with Harry: Linked In and Tiny Wine Website

📩 Questions or feedback? Email me: janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

📸 Follow on Instagram: @eatsleep_winerepeat

🎥 YouTube Channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

🌐 More content: www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Until next time – cheers to you!

THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST.