Vint Podcast

From Hong Kong to Italy: Sarah Heller MW on Italian Wines, the Evolving Asian Wine Market, and Art

In this episode of The Vint Podcast, hosts Billy Galanko and Brady Weller welcome Sarah Heller, Master of Wine, wine educator, and artist. Sarah shares her deep expertise on Italian wines, particularly her work with Vinitaly International Academy, where she plays a key role in advancing Italian wine education worldwide. 

Sarah also provides an insider’s perspective on Asian wine markets, drawing from her years in Hong Kong, where she witnessed China’s rapid rise as a fine wine powerhouse and its recent shifts towards diverse wine styles and natural wine trends. In addition, Sarah discusses her Club Oenologique writing, where she covers key Italian regions , as well as her Visual Tasting Notes—a unique series of paintings that translate wine into sensory-driven artwork. She is now working on an immersive historical exhibition exploring wine’s cultural journey from East to West and back.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Vint Podcast
01:25 Exploring Italian Wines
07:21 News in the Wine World
07:30 Burgundy Vineyard Inheritance Tax Update
09:09 Penfolds and Grange Collaboration
15:05 Interview with Sarah Heller
15:40 Sarah Heller's Journey into Wine
24:57 Challenges and Opportunities in Southeast Asian Wine Trade
28:21 Introduction to Vinitaly and Vinitaly International Academy
30:24 Favorite Italian Wines and Their Unique Characteristics
36:36 The Richness of Italian White Wines
44:16 Integrating Culinary and Cultural Context in Wine Education
47:16 Art and Wine: A Creative Intersection

Featured Wine News 

🍷 Penfolds & Jaboulet Collaboration
Penfolds and Jaboulet have joined forces to create a Syrah blend combining Australia’s Grange with Northern Rhône’s La Chapelle, that Jane Anson awarded 99 points.

🏰 Burgundy Vineyard Inheritance Tax Update
Burgundy’s inheritance tax exemption has increased to €20 million, helping family-owned vineyards remain intact and preventing forced sales to large corporations.

The Vint Podcast is presented by Coravin, the world's leader in wine preservation systems. Listeners of the Vint Podcast can take 15% off their purchase on Coravin.com by using promo code VINT15 at checkout*. Members of the trade can access exclusive discounts at trade.Coravin.com.

The Vint Podcast is a production of the Vint Marketplace, your source for the highest quality stock of fine wines and rare whiskies. Visit www.vintmarketplace.com.

To learn more about Vint and the Vint Marketplace, visit us at https://vint.co or Vintmarketplace.com or email Brady Weller at brady@vint.co, or Billy Galanko at Billy@vintmarketplace.com.

*Terms and Conditions Apply. Offer valid only on Coravin.com while supplies last. Pricing and discount are subject to change at any time. Coravin reserves the right to limit order quantities. No adjustments to prior purchases. Not valid for cash.

Cheers!

Past Guests Include: William Kelley, Peter Liem, Eric Asimov, Bobby Stuckey, Rajat "Raj" Parr, Erik Segelbaum, André Hueston Mack, Emily Saladino, Konstantin Baum, Landon Patterson, Heather Wibbels, Carlton "CJ" Fowler, Boris Guillome, Christopher Walkey, Danny Jassy, Kristy Wenz, Dan Petroski, Buster Scher, Andrew Nelson, Jane Anson, Tim Irwin, Matt Murphy, Allen Meadows, Altan Insights, Tim Gaiser, Vince Anter, Joel Peterson, Megan O'Connor, Adam Lapierre, Jason Haas, Ken Freeman, Lisa Perrotti-Brown,...

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