We spent over $1,000,000 on wine!

We spent over $1,000,000 on wine!

Author: SESSION in PROGRESS February 18, 2026 Duration: 24:03

Master Sommelier Carlos Santos goes behind the scenes of building a $1.5 million restaurant wine list for a new Byron Bay venue created by chef Shannon Bennett.From $35,000 magnums to $40 best-selling wines, we break down how sommeliers curate world-class wine lists, negotiate rare allocations, and balance prestige bottles with everyday drinkers.


You’ll learn:

• How a Master Sommelier builds a wine list from scratch

• Why some wines sell more than others

• The hardest wines to source in Australia

• How trade tastings and supplier relationships work

• Why Australian wine is dominating restaurant lists

• How price psychology shapes customer ordersIf you love wine, restaurants, or the behind-the-scenes world of hospitality, this episode is for you.


Recorded at our new Collins Street studio by SESSION in PROGRESS.


SPONSORS

Grays.comhttps://www.grays.com/search/wine

RIEDEL: https://www.riedel.com/en-au/shop#sort=bestSeller

(Australians use code: GOTSOMME New Zealand: GOTSOMMENZ at check out for 20% off)


FOLLOW GOT SOMME

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotsomme/

Studio: https://www.instagram.com/session.in.progress/


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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 $1.5 million wine list reveal

01:30 Building a wine list from scratch

05:10 Choosing wines for Byron Bay diners

08:20 Hardest wines to source

12:00 Back vintages and vertical tastings

16:40 Why $40 wines outsell $1,000 wines

19:30 The $35,000 bottle

22:00 Trade tastings & negotiation secrets

25:00 Supporting Australian wineries


Welcome to Got Somme, the ultimate wine podcast where Master Sommeliers and wine experts share their tips, blind tasting challenges, and insider knowledge from vineyards around the world. Whether you’re a wine beginner or a seasoned enthusiast, we explore everything from wine education and wine tasting techniques to sparkling wines, red vs white, and the best wines under $30.


Subscribe for weekly episodes and join us as we taste, learn, and uncover the stories behind your favourite wines. Perfect for anyone looking to improve their wine knowledge, discover new wine regions, or just enjoy a fun, educational chat about wine.


Ever felt a bit lost staring at a wine list or wondering what you're actually tasting in your glass? Got Somme is here to help, without any of the pretence. This isn't a stuffy lecture; it's a conversation between Master Sommelier Carlos Santos and his mate, radio announcer Angus O'Loughlin, who's keen to learn but starting from scratch. Each episode, Carlos guides Angus-and by extension, all of us-through the fundamentals, breaking down everything from grape varieties and regional styles to understanding why a wine tastes the way it does. The real magic happens when they're joined by some of the world's most respected winemakers, who share the stories and craft behind their bottles. You'll hear Carlos explain how to pick a good wine from a bad one, demystifying terms like tannin and terroir along the way. It's an accessible, often funny journey into wine, perfect for anyone who enjoys a glass but wants to understand the world behind it. Produced by SESSION in PROGRESS, this podcast turns curiosity into genuine knowledge, one bottle at a time.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 100

Got Somme : Master Sommelier's Wine Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Is This the Hardest White Wine to Identify Blind? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:11
“The Wine That Fooled a Master Sommelier” | Pieropan Soave Blind TastingIn this episode of Got Somme Blind Wine Series, Master Sommelier Carlos Santos is put to the test with a blind white wine tasting that sends him acr…
The Rioja Carlos Calls “Iconic” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:52
What makes a wine truly iconic?In this episode of Got Somme, Master Sommelier Carlos Santos and Angus O'Loughlin open a bottle from one of the most historic producers in Spain: López de Heredia.Founded more than 150 year…
Master Sommelier Thought This Australian Wine Was Bordeaux [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:19
What happens when a Master Sommelier mistakes an Australian Merlot for Bordeaux?In this episode of Got Somme, Carlos Santos goes deep into a blind wine tasting challenge packed with blackcurrant, oak spice, massive confi…
"One of the BEST White Wines in the World" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:48
A Master Sommelier gives Angus a bottle he only gifts to close friends… and it turns into one of the most fascinating white wine episodes we’ve ever recorded.Carlos Santos introduces us to Condrieu, one of France’s most…
The Bottle That Outsmarted a Master Sommelier [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:50
In this episode of Got Somme, the boys put wine knowledge to the ultimate test with another instalment of the Blind Wine Tasting Series.Carlos goes in blind with only the glass in front of him, breaking down colour, arom…
$50 vs $150 vs $800 | Burgundy Pinot Noir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:40
What’s the real difference between a $50 bottle of Burgundy and an $800 one?In this episode of Got Somme, we do a sophisticated tasting with Master Sommelier Carlos Santos to break down three Pinot Noirs from Burgundy at…
Blind Wine Tasting Chaos: Pinot Grigio or Did We Completely Miss It? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:33
This starts as a structured blind tasting and slowly turns into a geography exam with wine in the middle.The wine shows clean fruit, floral lift, and chalky minerality. No oak. Medium-plus acidity. Everyone immediately s…
Single Vineyard vs Estate Wine - Worth double the price? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:12
Why do some wines cost double or triple the price of others, even when they come from the same winery?In this episode of Got Somme, we explore the difference between estate wines and single vineyard wines using two Pinot…
Cab Sav from Bordeaux or Rioja from Spain? Master Somm MUST choose! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:53
What happens when you hand a sommelier a mystery glass and ask them to identify a world-class red wine — completely blind?In this episode of Got Somme, we put the palate to the ultimate test with a stunning Rioja Gran Re…
Burgundy Under $100? Meet Aligoté [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:53
Burgundy is home to some of the most expensive wines in the world. Bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti can sell for more than $30,000, yet in this episode of Got Somme we’re tasting a Burgundy white wine for under $10…