It’s impossible to think of a winemaker who’s more quintessentially Spanish than Álvaro Palacios, a man who has established his global fame with wines from three different regions – Priorat, Bierzo and his native Rioja. A lover of flamenco, bullfighting and his classical guitar, he talks to me about monks, Garnacha, the magic of old vines, his eight brothers and sisters, and why he thinks he’s really a “nobody”.

For more information about Alvaro Palacios’ wines have a look at his winery’s website.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary winemakers.