Five Questions with José Vouillamoz, Grape DNA Expert

In this episode of Five Questions, host Billy Galanko sits down with Dr. José Vouillamoz, one of the world’s leading grape geneticists and co-author of Wine Grapes. José is internationally known for his pioneering work using DNA profiling to trace the origins of grape varieties, revive forgotten heritage vines, and help wineries plan for a climate-challenged future. Across five questions, José distills decades of research into an engaging look at where wine comes from, where it’s heading, and why grape diversity matters now more than ever. What You’ll LearnHow José became a global authority on grape DNA and originsWhy climate change and declining consumption threaten the wine worldTwo underrated wine regions: Switzerland & ArmeniaWhy José pushes back on certain trends—natural wine flaws, no/low-alcohol wines, and the “denormalization” of wineHis most meaningful recent wine experience and international recognition Episode Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to the Vint Wine Podcast 00:19 Welcome to Five Questions 00:44 Meet José Vouillamoz: A Leading Oenologist 00:51 The Role of an Oenologist 03:14 Challenges in the Wine Industry 04:38 Underrated Wine Regions 07:20 Controversial Wine Trends 10:12 Memorable Wine Experiences 11:02 Conclusion and Farewell The Vint Wine Podcast is hosted and produced by Billy Galanko. For more content follow Billy on Instagram @BillyGalanko_wine_nerd and for partnerships and collaborations please email billy@sommeliermedia.com. Cheers!