Paul Hobbs was brought up on a fruit farm in Upstate New York and had plans to become a doctor before he caught the wine bug. Today he’s established as one of the world’s leading winemakers, with his own projects in Armenia, Argentina, France, Spain and the United States as well as consulting to 35 wineries around the globe. We talked about working for the legendary Robert Mondavi, Paul’s first (unplanned) trip to Argentina in 1988, his life-long love of Riesling and why Cabernet Sauvignon grapes need an armed guard in the Napa Valley.

To read more about Paul’s wines, have a look at his website. You can also follow him on Instagram @paulhobbswines

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