Italian Wine Podcast

Welcome this special Christmas edition of Book Club and Episode 2561 of the Italian Wine Podcast with Richard Hough. In this episode, Richard speaks with Sophie Thorpe about her top five books of 2025. They explore how Sophie first became interested in wine, trace her career in the luxury wine sector, and discuss the role and influence of wine writing in shaping the industry. The conversation also touches on the wine she plans to enjoy on Christmas Day, making for a festive and insightful discussion. Sophie Thorpe’s Top 5 Wine Books of 2025: Saint-Julien: Vineyards, Cellars, People, and Place (English Edition) by Marc Bouffard The Wines of California by Elaine Chukan Brown Taste the Limestone, Smell the Slate by Alex Maltmans Drinking the World: A Wine Odyssey by Victoria Brzezinski and Bert Blaize  The Cynics Guide to Wine by Sunny Hodge The wines discussed in today’s show include: Nascetta, the rare indigenous white grape from the Langhe hills of Pimonte Timorasso, the rare ancie