Ep. 2411 Paul Balke | Book Club with Richard Hough

Welcome to Book Club and Episode 2411 of the Italian Wine Podcast with Richard Hough. Today Richard is in conversation with Paul Balke, the author of the Piemonte Wine and Travel Atlas and North Adriatic. Amongst other things, the conversation covers Paul’s career in wine, origins and trends of winemaking in the Netherlands, the advantages and benefits of blending, and the challenges of writing in a second language. The places Paul mentioned in the North Adriatic include Colli Orientali, Collio, Aquilinia, Brda, Karst and the Vipava Valley. On the bookshelf: The books and authors discussed in today’s show include: Pascal Mercier Graham Green Normal People by Sally Rooney About today’s guest: Paul Balke is an author, journalist, wine expert and Barolo specialist. From Langerak in the Netherlands, Paul was studying law in Utecht when he was struck by the wine virus! His career began as a wine-importer in the Netherlands, where he also organized wine courses, tastings, masterclasses and other events. He has traveled extensively to many wine regions and countries and is the author of three books on the subject, North Adriatic, the Piemonte Wine and Travel Atlas and Basiskennis over Wijn (a Dutch overview of the wine world for beginners). He produces his own wine under the Paul Balke label and is a talented pianist. Connect: Website: https://paulbalke.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-balke-9781536/ More about the host: Richard Hough is the editor, translator and project curator behind Wine Democracy and Vine and Prejudice. He has also published several books about life in Verona, chronicling the city’s history, culture and daily life, not forgetting, of course, its wine! With a long-standing passion for whisky and beer, he’s a relative newcomer to the world of wine and is now desperately trying to make up for lost time! He is the host of Book Club on the Italian Wine Podcast. Connect: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rickhough.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricksnotesfromverona Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickhough/ _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin! Share this pod! Remember Voices is all about diversity, equity, and heart-warming personal stories about real people!