Wine with Meg + Mel
Wine with Meg + Mel
Mel Gilcrist, Meg Brodtmann
The Riverland, a Region Worth Saving Ft. Bottle Shock's Brendan Carter
1 hour 23 minutes Posted May 27, 2026 at 7:00 pm.
Welcome And Riverland Documentary Setup
Clip: Bulk Wine Origins
Why Bottle Shock Chases Untold Stories
Judgment Of Paris And New World Roots
Riverland’s Predicament And Groupthink
Market Diversity And The Halo Effect
Wine As A Veblen Good
Idealism Versus Reality For Growers
Asia Markets And Consumption Growth
Immigration, Food Culture And Wine Styles
Contracts, Co-Ops And Missing Competition
Why Vine Pull Schemes Fail
Putting Riverland Back On Labels
Balancing Cheap Wine With Premium
The Human Toll Behind The Numbers
Finding Facilities And Starting A Project
Old Vines, Appellations And Better Terms
Tarango, PIWIs And Chugga Chugger
Hope, Replanting Costs And Urgency
What To Buy And Where To Follow
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Show notes
Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Brendan Carter from Unico Zelo and Bottle Shock to unpack why the Riverland became synonymous with bulk wine and why that mindset blocks real solutions for growers. We chase the economics, the history, and the human cost, then land on a practical way to rebuild demand by putting place, old vines, and story back at the centre. If you have old vines, give us a call. If you know of old vines, give us a call. If you see Riverland on a label, buy...