Ep 266 – Old Vines, Heritage Grapes & Hidden Wine Regions with Nomadic Winemaker Darren Smith

In this episode of Eat Sleep Wine Repeat, Janina is joined by nomadic winemaker Darren Smith, founder of The Finest Wines Available to Humanity. Having worked harvests across Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Portugal, Spain and the Canary Islands, Darren shares stories from some of the world's most overlooked wine regions and explains why old vines, heritage wine grapes and local traditions continue to inspire his winemaking philosophy.

Together, they explore País, Negra Criolla, Quebranta and Palomino, discovering how these historic wine grapes travelled across continents and evolved into unique regional identities. Along the way, they discuss minimal intervention winemaking, tree-trained vineyards, volcanic terroir and flor-aged wines, while uncovering extraordinary wine travel destinations that rarely make the spotlight.

Whether you want to learn about wine, deepen your wine education, discover lesser-known wine regions, understand heritage grape varieties or plan your next wine travel adventure, this wine podcast episode is packed with fascinating stories, expert insight and remarkable wines.

Shownotes

02:45 – Darren Smith's journey into wine — from journalism and wine writing to becoming a nomadic winemaker.

04:13 – Working with Dirk Niepoort — lessons learned from one of the world's most influential winemakers.

06:35 – How Dirk Niepoort's philosophy of infusion over extraction helped shape Darren's own approach to winemaking.

07:34 – The story behind The Finest Wines Available to Humanity and the inspiration for Darren's unconventional wine brand.

08:44 – Why Chile became a defining chapter in Darren's nomadic winemaking journey.

10:59 – The biggest challenge of constantly moving between wine regions, grape varieties and winemaking cultures.

12:46 – País explained — working with Chile's historic heritage grape and why it's perfect for modern chillable red wine styles.

17:21 – Life in Bío Bío, Chile — old vines, traditional farming and one of South America's most exciting wine regions.