The Reluctant Somm, is your ultimate podcast for wine, restaurants, and industry stories. We aim to break down the walls and make conversations about quality wine and food more accessible.
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The Reluctant Somm, is your ultimate podcast for wine, restaurants, and industry stories. We aim to break down the walls and make conversations about quality wine and food more accessible.
Rooted in Purpose: Ali Verburg on Family, Humanity, and South African Wine
The Reluctant Somm: Wine & Hospitality Podcast
1 hour 17 minutes 18 seconds
5 months ago
Rooted in Purpose: Ali Verburg on Family, Humanity, and South African Wine
This week on The Reluctant Somm, we travel to South Africa (figuratively!) to sit down with Ali Verburg, the second generation now at the helm of Luddite Wines and Saboteur Wines. Ali’s life has been intrinsically linked to the vineyard, growing up deeply immersed in her family's winemaking journey in the Bot River region.
Ali shares the compelling story of her parents, Niels and Penny, who, after meeting at Elsenburg Agricultural College and gaining international winemaking experience across France, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, and Greece, finally found their home on a small farm in South Africa. We delve into Ali's own global harvest experiences, from Michigan to St. Emilion and the Rheinhessen, which have shaped her unique perspective. Beyond the grapes, we explore Luddite’s distinctive philosophy – a commitment to human connection and employment in an increasingly automated world. Ali discusses their experimental grape varieties and how, in an industry often embracing new technologies, Luddite intentionally champions the vital role of people in crafting their wines, offering a thoughtful counterpoint to the march of automation.
Tune in for an insightful conversation about family legacy, global winemaking adventures, and the surprisingly human-centric approach behind some of South Africa’s most compelling wines.
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The Reluctant Somm: Wine & Hospitality Podcast
The Reluctant Somm, is your ultimate podcast for wine, restaurants, and industry stories. We aim to break down the walls and make conversations about quality wine and food more accessible.
