Show Notes
We’re back with the third episode of Uncorked, the Cult Wines podcast. Hosted by our Co-founder and CEO, Tom Gearing, joined once again by Jonathan Stevenson, EVP of Cult Wines North America, this episode welcomes special guest Paul Declerck, one of our London-based Client Relationship Managers, and author of the upcoming book ‘How to Appreciate Wine’.
Together, we dive into Paul’s unique journey from the Loire Valley to London’s fine wine scene, hear how a lockdown realisation sparked a total career pivot, and get an early look at his practical, no-nonsense framework for tasting wine. We also explore the allure of white Burgundy, discuss celebrity wine brands (yes, including Meghan Markle and DJ Khaled), and unpack the Trump tariff tension that’s got the wine trade watching the calendar. It’s an episode that’s part wine lesson, part market insight, and part ‘drink-along’, with a glass of PYCM Meursault 2018 in hand. As ever, we’re opinionated, curious and just the right amount of unserious.
📌 What’s covered in Episode 3:
From Loire Roots to London Realisations Paul Declerck grew up in a Loire Valley winemaking family but built his early career in London’s commercial property market. When 2020 halted the office world, he pivoted back to wine – not as a producer, but as a student and educator. WSET studies, countless books and videos, and a search for a practical way to understand wine led him to create his own tasting method.
Breaking Down the Five-Point Wine Method Paul’s upcoming book, How to Appreciate Wine, introduces a straightforward five-step approach to tasting: nose intensity, complexity, palate intensity, balance, and finish. No jargon, no soil lectures, just a tool for anyone to become a better taster, from Burgundy to Prosecco. To prove it, the team puts it to the test on a 2018 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault (spoiler: it scores well).
Download Paul's wine tasting score card https://www.wineinvestment.com/learn/insights/uncorked-episode-3-bucking-the-trend-burgundys-secret/
White Burgundy: Undervalued and Unmissable Why does white Burgundy remain a collector's favourite? The team explores Chardonnay’s versatility, reductive winemaking (characterised by notes of flint, matchstick, and gunpowder), and why aged examples are must-try bottles. Tips for newcomers include focusing on top producers at lower appellations and finding value in overlooked vineyards.
Celebrity Wines – Gimmick or Gateway? From Meghan Markle’s rosé to Snoop Dogg’s 19 Crimes, celebrity wines are shaking up the market. Can they attract new audiences and break wine’s “stuffy” image without compromising quality?
Tariffs, Trump, and Tactical Shifts With a 30% US tariff on EU wine delayed to August 1st, the team discusses the impact. High-end bottles may hold steady, but smaller importers could face pressure from shifting buying habits and distribution challenges. Paul suggests Napa and South America as smart diversifiers during uncertainty.
Quantifying Wine: The Cult Wines Scoring Model Tom unveils a new data-driven scoring system blending critic ratings, vintage quality, fair value, performance data, and £280 million in market transactions. The goal? A single actionable score to help collectors cut through subjectivity and make smarter decisions.
Have you heard of our online trading platform, CultX? It’s a marketplace where you can buy, sell, and trade fine wine directly with other collectors. Check it out today!
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More from Uncorked: A Cult Wines Podcast
🍷 How are tariffs reshaping the US fine wine market? Who is actually collecting wine in America today? And can the industry solve its access problem before the next generation walks away?
🍷 Is the fine wine market finally turning? Where is liquidity returning? And after more than two years of correction, could flat really be the new up?
🍷 What can the wine industry learn from Taylor Swift? Is fine wine really an investment? And why might France's most protected traditions be its biggest weakness?
🍷 Is English wine finally having its moment? Can the UK sell as much wine as it can now make? And why is vineyard tourism booming right on our doorstep? In Episode 14 of Uncorked, Tom Gearing and Jonathan Stevenson welcome Alice Griffiths, wine writer, columnist and passionate advocate for English and Welsh wine, for a lively deep dive into one of the UK's most exciting wine categories. This episode heads much closer to home. Drawing on Alice's two decades in agriculture and her full-time career championing homegrown wine, the conversation explores cellar doors, vineyard trails, still wines, Welsh producers, social media, supermarkets and even a Guinness World Record attempt involving 80 vineyards in seven days. Alice shares where to start if you want to visit English vineyards, why tourism is becoming a genuine hospitality opportunity rather than a novelty, and what the next stage of the industry really depends on. Together, the panel discusses the English wine boom, the challenge of selling enough of it, and how supermarkets, cellar doors and vineyard visits can each become a doorway into the category.
🍷 Is wine still culturally relevant? What makes someone become a collector? And how can the fine wine trade connect with the next generation?