#63 Sunny Hodge - Wine Cynicism, Debunking Terroir, Soil Science, Rootstocks, Wine Education, Diogenes The Dog, Cynicism
Mon Feb 02 2026
Sunny Hodge is an author, bar owner, and wine educator. He is the founder of two London wine bars: Diogenes The Dog and Aspen & Meursault. Sunny recently published his first book 'A Cynics Guide to Wine', which takes a refreshingly scientific approach to exploring the viniculture and wine making and shatters a few romantic notions in the process.
On the episode we delve deep into the science of roots, soil, minerals, and nutrients, exploring how soil impacts the health of vines and the flavour of grapes. This takes us right down to the atomic level, through plant biology, and into the drink in the glass. We also discuss rootstocks and how they impact viniculture and wine, delve into other drink categories such as agave spirits, discuss the importance of telling (true) stores, and linger on wine service and education.
This one gets very technical at times, but hopefully there's enough there to begin to get to grips with what is happening underground. Be sure to check out Sunny's book for more!
https://www.diogenesthedog.co.uk
https://www.baraspen.co.uk
Get 15% off the world's best drinking vessels at Denver & Liely using the discount code CURIOUS15 or clicking this link.
00:00 Why Are Cynics Important? Diogenes The Dog
04:35 Being Cynical about Terroir - Defining Terroir
18:00 VERY TECHNICAL: Does Soil Matter for Growing Grapes? Soil Composition, Roots, Rain, Minerals, Nutrients, Water Chemistry, Cations & Anions
41:45 Potassium, Tartrate Crystals & Cold Stabilisation
44:35 The Right Amount of Nutrients - Green Growth and Fruit Optimisation
48:30 Killing The Romance: Education, WSET, Inertia to Change
1:00:10 Does Dust and Dust Flavour Wine? Natural Fermentation
1:04:30 Rootstocks, Grape Species, Phylloxera
1:10:20 Updating Education & Stories
1:19:10 Terroir in Agave Spirits: Ocho, Atanasio
1:21:30 Biological Terroir and Pesticides & Herbicides
1:27:20 Sunny’s Wine Bars: Diogenes The Dog, Wine Service, Demystifying Spirits & Wine
More
Sunny Hodge is an author, bar owner, and wine educator. He is the founder of two London wine bars: Diogenes The Dog and Aspen & Meursault. Sunny recently published his first book 'A Cynics Guide to Wine', which takes a refreshingly scientific approach to exploring the viniculture and wine making and shatters a few romantic notions in the process. On the episode we delve deep into the science of roots, soil, minerals, and nutrients, exploring how soil impacts the health of vines and the flavour of grapes. This takes us right down to the atomic level, through plant biology, and into the drink in the glass. We also discuss rootstocks and how they impact viniculture and wine, delve into other drink categories such as agave spirits, discuss the importance of telling (true) stores, and linger on wine service and education. This one gets very technical at times, but hopefully there's enough there to begin to get to grips with what is happening underground. Be sure to check out Sunny's book for more! https://www.diogenesthedog.co.uk https://www.baraspen.co.uk Get 15% off the world's best drinking vessels at Denver & Liely using the discount code CURIOUS15 or clicking this link. 00:00 Why Are Cynics Important? Diogenes The Dog 04:35 Being Cynical about Terroir - Defining Terroir 18:00 VERY TECHNICAL: Does Soil Matter for Growing Grapes? Soil Composition, Roots, Rain, Minerals, Nutrients, Water Chemistry, Cations & Anions 41:45 Potassium, Tartrate Crystals & Cold Stabilisation 44:35 The Right Amount of Nutrients - Green Growth and Fruit Optimisation 48:30 Killing The Romance: Education, WSET, Inertia to Change 1:00:10 Does Dust and Dust Flavour Wine? Natural Fermentation 1:04:30 Rootstocks, Grape Species, Phylloxera 1:10:20 Updating Education & Stories 1:19:10 Terroir in Agave Spirits: Ocho, Atanasio 1:21:30 Biological Terroir and Pesticides & Herbicides 1:27:20 Sunny’s Wine Bars: Diogenes The Dog, Wine Service, Demystifying Spirits & Wine