Sensing Up, with Valérie Henbest

Tea has quietly become one of the clearest signals of where wellness culture is heading, and Dilmah has spent forty years proving that an ethical, family-run business creating a superior product is a recipe for success. Dilhan Fernando returns to Sensing Up as Chairman and CEO of Dilmah, the Ceylon tea house his father, Merrill J. Fernando, built from a single conviction that tea should carry the name of its origin rather than disappear into a blend. Dilhan still walks the gardens and picks the leaf himself, understands the biochemistry behind a bright cup as fluently as the ceremony of drinking one, and holds an adjunct professorship in sustainability at Edith Cowan University alongside his role at the company. Underneath all of it sits a working philosophy Dilhan returns to more than once: value has to be created for people and for nature before a business has earned the right to create it for itself. Anything else, he says plainly, is parasitic. It is a hard line to hold in an industry built on margin, and rarer still to hear a CEO say it out loud. The tasting brought the two crafts together properly. Valérie poured Dilmah's Paradise Breakfast, a Ceylon black tea lifted with real turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger and a whisper of pepper, alongside a wedge of Reypenaer XO, a Gouda aged three years in Amsterdam until it turns to caramel, cognac and walnut. The spice in the tea met the cheese's sweetness somewhere in the middle, and what followed was less a pairing than a small proof of Dilhan's own argument, that when something is grown and made with attention, it doesn't need to compete with what sits beside it. Dilmah is a family-run Ceylon tea house specialising in single-origin tea, founded by Merrill J. Fernando and now led by his son, Dilhan. Tea in this episode: Paradise Breakfast: Ceylon black tea with turmeric, cinnamon and ginger https://shop.dilmahtea.com.au/collections/wellness/products/dilmah-paradise-breakfast-ceylon-black-tea-with-turmeric-ceylon-cinnamon-ginger-40-tea-bags Paired with Reypenaer XO, 36-month aged Gouda https://smellycheese.co/products/reypenaer-xo-36-months Valérie Henbest is a French-Australian cheese specialist born in Normandie. Imports 10+ tonnes of French cheese monthly, sells at Smelly Cheese Shop, Adelaide Central Market. French National Order of Agricultural Merit 2023. Inducted into Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, Paris. Sensing Up is a space to slow down, pay attention and let the senses lead. Shop: smellycheese.co | Instagram: smellycheeseco | Facebook: SmellyCheeseCo

Grenache spent the better part of a century in South Australia as the grape left on the vine until the Shiraz was in. That neglect, strangely enough, is part of what makes some of the oldest vineyards in McLaren Vale so prized today. Valérie sits with Paddy Gilhooly, co-owner of Thistledown Wines, the McLaren Vale project founded in 2010 by Master of Wine Giles Cooke and built on a patchwork of old Grenache vineyards that growers once struggled to sell. Edinburgh-born and now an Australian citizen, Paddy brings a perspective shaped equally by fine dining wine lists in the UK and a detailed knowledge of wine history. The pair discuss Grenache's uneven history in South Australia: its arrival with Scottish viticulturalist James Busby in the 1830s and its recent, deliberate return to favour among growers and winemakers willing to treat old, low-yielding vines as an asset rather than a burden. Paddy speaks to what a single vineyard, and at times a single row, can reveal about a place, and to the strange arithmetic of vines that produce less each year yet somehow grow more interesting for it. Valérie and Paddy taste together, a Rhône-inspired Roussanne Grenache Blanc named for a line of Rudyard Kipling's If , and an old vine Grenache from four vineyards in Blewitt Springs, paired with a cloth-bound cheddar matured close to thirty months in Valérie's own maturing room. What follows is a study in how the right acid and the right salt can lift each other into something neither reaches alone. Thistledown Wines is a small-batch McLaren Vale producer specialising in single vineyard, old vine Grenache. Wines in this episode: Walking with Kings Roussanne Grenache Blanc https://thistledownwines.com/our-wines/Walking-with-Kings-Roussanne-Grenache-Blanc-2024-p746740505 Fool on the Hill Grenache, Eden Valley https://thistledownwines.com/fool-on-the-hill-grenache The Vagabond Old Vine Grenache, Blewitt Springs https://thistledownwines.com/the-vagabond-grenache Paired with Cheese Culture 30-month Cloth Cheddar https://smellycheese.co/products/cheese-culture-4-year-old-cloth-cheddar Valérie Henbest is a French-Australian cheese specialist born in Normandie. Imports 10+ tonnes of French cheese monthly, sells at Smelly Cheese Shop, Adelaide Central Market. French National Order of Agricultural Merit 2023. Inducted into Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, Paris. Sensing Up is a space to slow down, pay attention and let the senses lead. Shop: smellycheese.co | Instagram: smellycheeseco | Facebook: SmellyCheeseCo

Thomas Hardy arrived in South Australia in 1850, and what followed was the making of one of the country's most storied wine dynasties. One hundred and seventy-three years later, his sixth-generation descendant Bec Hardy is making wine in McLaren Vale with the same instinct for possibility. In this episode, Valérie is joined by Bec Hardy and her husband Richard for a conversation that moves freely between history and harvest, heritage and reinvention. Bec traces the arc from Thomas Hardy's improbable journey, through the branching of the family line, to the founding of Bec Hardy Wines in 2020 alongside the related but distinct Pertaringa label, now approaching its fiftieth year. Richard, a former financial services professional who came into the wine world via negotiation and a rather tax-efficient honeymoon, brings a sharp commercial instinct and an endearing candour about the business of wine. The conversation deepens over a glass of the Pertaringa Yeoman Shiraz, a single-vineyard wine drawn from vines planted in 1843, possibly on land once owned by Thomas Hardy himself. Bec describes the wine's intensity with precision: small berries, dark fruit, the beginning of secondary characters in the 2021 vintage. Valérie pairs it with a Burgundian Epoisses, and the result is, by any measure, compelling. Find the Pertaringa Yeoman Shiraz 2021 here: https://bechardy.com.au/products/pertaringa-yeoman-shiraz-2021 Find the Epoisses cheese here: https://smellycheese.co/products/epoisses Valérie Henbest is a French-Australian cheese specialist born in Normandie. Imports 10+ tonnes of French cheese monthly, sells at Smelly Cheese Shop, Adelaide Central Market. French National Order of Agricultural Merit 2023. Inducted into Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, Paris. Sensing Up is a space to slow down, pay attention and let the senses lead. Shop: smellycheese.co | Instagram: smellycheeseco | Facebook: SmellyCheeseCo

Australian wines have never been better, never more diverse, and the perception of them outside Australia has never been worse. It is a paradox that troubles David Gleave, and one he believes can only be undone through storytelling. Valérie sits with one of the most respected figures in the wine world: a Master of Wine since 1986, co-founder of Liberty Wines, and now the man behind Willunga 100, a small-production Grenache label rooted in the sandy soils of Bluett Springs, McLaren Vale. What unfolds is less an interview than an unhurried exchange between two people who have spent their lives paying close attention to what is in the glass and why it matters. The conversation turns to Grenache with a kind of inevitability. Once the most widely planted variety in Australia, it was largely torn out during the vine pull scheme of the 1980s, supplanted by varieties that suited a different moment. David sees its return not as nostalgia but as alignment. At Bluett Springs, where the vineyard sits at elevation above the Gulf of St Vincent and the sandy soils drain freely over a clay and limestone base, old vines produce fruit with a low pH and a natural acidity that needs nothing added. The sand, as David puts it, is the distinction. Valérie and David taste together, a white Grenache from the 2025 vintage paired with a brèbi rosé, the soft sheep's milk from the Béarn, and a red from the Trot Vineyard, with its iron-rich sandy soils and more pronounced tannin, alongside an Ossau-Iraty from the Basque Country. Two pairings that confirm what this podcast continues to find: that pleasure deepens in proportion to what you know, and that a little attention to provenance, to texture, to the particular acidity of a grape grown in sand, changes what is in the glass entirely. Willunga 100 is a boutique winery in Bluett Springs, McLaren Vale, specialising in old vine Grenache. The name draws from the historic Hundred of Willunga, an administrative area of 100 square miles established in 1839, three years after the first settlement of South Australia. In this episode: the 2025 White Grenache paired with brèbi rosé (soft sheep's milk, Béarn); the Trot Vineyard Grenache paired with Ossau-Iraty (sheep's milk, Basque Country). Both available through smellycheese.co . Valérie Henbest is a French-Australian cheese specialist born in Normandie. Imports 10+ tonnes of French cheese monthly, sells at Smelly Cheese Shop, Adelaide Central Market. French National Order of Agricultural Merit 2023. Inducted into Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, Paris. Sensing Up is a space to slow down, pay attention and let the senses lead. Shop: smellycheese.co | Instagram: smellycheeseco | Facebook: SmellyCheeseCo

Valérie Henbest sits down with Nick Ryan — senior wine writer for The Australian , contributor to The World of Fine Wine , Halliday Magazine and The Robb Report , and one of the most compelling voices in Australian wine today. Nick inherited the column previously held by James Halliday for four decades. It is, as Valérie notes, a big pair of shoes to fill — though Nick's feet are more than equal to them. Their conversation moves through the full arc of a life shaped by wine: from a childhood sip of Château d'Yquem at a cancelled dinner party, to King's Cross wine shops and backstreet Paddington newsletters, to the pressures and pleasures of judging hundreds of wines in a single sitting. Nick reflects on the difference between tasting deeply and expressing what you taste — and why the second skill is rarer, and harder, than it looks. The discussion turns to the future of Australian wine, and Nick is both clear-eyed and quietly optimistic. The industry is undergoing structural change, not merely a market cycle, and the wines that will endure are those that hold the line — old vine Barossa Shiraz, Coonawarra Cabernet, the finest Chardonnay coming out of the Adelaide Hills — while the era of bulk commodity wine recedes. Terroir, provenance and restraint are the story now. Voltaire wrote that writing is the painting of the voice. Listening to Nick Ryan, the line feels less like a metaphor and more like a job description. About Our Guest Nick Ryan is the senior wine writer for The Australian , a position previously held by James Halliday for over forty years. He also writes for The World of Fine Wine , Halliday Magazine and The Robb Report , and is a respected wine judge at competitions across Australia. Follow his writing at theaustralian.com.au . Try It at Home: Beppino Occelli with a Barossa Field Blend As the conversation winds down, Valérie produces a wedge of Beppino Occelli — a Piemontese cheese aged beneath chestnut leaves, dense with crystals and carrying a gentle, washed-rind salinity — alongside a pour of the Forage Supply Company's Baby Face field blend of Shiraz and Grenache from the Barossa Valley. The match is immediate. The bright red fruit of the wine finds the faint sweetness at the edge of the cheese; the wine lifts, the cheese opens. Nick reaches for more of both. As Valérie puts it: pure happiness, and it could be just around the corner for you. Seek out the Beppino Occelli at Smelly Cheese Co., and any bright, medium-bodied Barossa blend will do the rest. About Valérie Henbest & Smelly Cheese Co. Valérie Henbest is a French-Australian cheese specialist, educator and importer born in Normandie — the home of Camembert. She oversees the import of more than ten tonnes of French cheese each month, sourced from small producers across France, and sells from the counter of the iconic Smelly Cheese Shop at the Adelaide Central Market. A judge at major dairy shows, a masterclass presenter, and the recipient of the French National Order of Agricultural Merit in 2023, Valérie was also inducted into the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers in Paris. Sensing Up is the natural extension of all of it — a space to slow down, pay attention and let the senses lead. Shop online at smellycheese.co — find us on Instagram and Facebook .

In this sumptuous episode of Sensing Up, Valerie Henbest sits down with Guy de Saint Laurent — a Frenchman whose career has taken him from yeast factories and foie gras kitchens to the world's most exclusive caviar farms. Guy shares the remarkable journey of French farm caviar, the science and soul behind producing it, and why Australia's culinary scene is fast becoming one of the most exciting in the world. Bring your five senses — and perhaps a glass of champagne. We begin with foie gras — what it is, how it's made, and why it has become so controversial. Guy explains the natural origins of the gavage process, traces its history back to migrating birds, and shares why champagne, not Sauternes, is his preferred pairing for cutting through that signature richness. From there, Guy walks us through his unlikely career — starting as an export manager for Le Saf, one of the world's largest yeast producers, before moving into foie gras with Rougier and eventually finding his way to the world of premium caviar with Sturia. It's a journey that took him from Normandy to Africa, Paris to China, and ultimately to the Gironde river in Bordeaux. The heart of the episode is the fascinating, little-known history of French farm caviar. After the Bolshevik Revolution, White Russian exiles living near Arcachon watched local fishermen throw away the eggs of the native Gironde sturgeon in disbelief — and taught the French how to make caviar. That tradition survived until overfishing forced a ban on wild sturgeon in 1982, which eventually led to the birth of France's first caviar farm and its first harvest in 1996. Guy walks us through the extraordinary effort behind every tin — from hatching and hand-sexing 20,000 fish a year via X-ray, to biopsy, firmness testing, hand-salting with 300-metre-deep mine salt, and the philosophy of postponing or cancelling a harvest entirely rather than releasing anything less than perfect. Nothing is wasted: the flesh goes to restaurants, the skin becomes leather or collagen for medicine. We also explore how caviar has changed. today 's farm caviar is low-salt, mineral and delicate — a world away from the over-salted Caspian product of the 1950s that demanded vodka as a palate cleanser. That shift has opened up extraordinary new pairings: caviar on burrata with a drizzle of olive oil, caviar folded into beef tartare with a Bordeaux Merlot, and an unforgettable silent-table moment with a Château Palmer 1967. Finally, Guy reflects on Australia's booming culinary scene — a "pays de la cocagne," or land of plenty — and why caviar is a natural fit for a country blessed with world-class produce from every coastline and climate. About Our Guest Guy de Saint Laurent is an international luxury food specialist based in France. He began his career as an export manager for Le Saf before moving into premium food products — first foie gras with Rougier, then farm caviar with Sturia. Since 2017, Guy has led the international development of Sturia, a pioneering caviar producer based in the Gironde region of Bordeaux. He is a passionate advocate for unexpected pairings and a firm believer that Australia is one of the most exciting food destinations in the world. Try It at Home: Burrata with Caviar This is the showstopping yet simple dish Valerie and Guy served at their Cheese, Champagne & Caviar masterclass. Take a fresh burrata and cut it in half. Place each half skin-side down on a small plate and drizzle generously with a good extra virgin olive oil. Using a mother-of-pearl spoon — never metal, as caviar reacts to it — place a small quenelle of caviar on top. Serve immediately. Trust us. Connect & Learn More Find out more about Sturia Caviar at sturia.com . Follow Sensing Up for more episodes exploring food, wine and luxury gastronomy, and keep an eye on Valerie's channels for upcoming masterclasses and tasting events.

Valerie Henbest talks with chocolate royalty, Kirsten Tibballs, about her path from teenage apprentice to gold-medal-winning pastry champion and MasterChef Australia favourite. They unpack the pressure of live competitions, the making of The Chocolate Queen TV series and how terroir, fermentation and farming shape the future of chocolate. Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School In 2002, Tibballs founded Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School. Tibballs cited the local Australian market as "lagging" compared to the European market and so wanted to open an institution that offered the resources for Australian pastry chefs who could not afford to travel to Europe. As the owner and director of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School, Tibballs runs the business. The school teaches a variety of classes on chocolate and patisserie. In 2013, Kirsten Tibballs expanded the Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School by launching an online platform featuring video tutorials designed for a global audience.[6] By 2024, the Savour platform hosts a comprehensive library of over 550 online classes. Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School has hosted numerous world renowned, industry-leading guest chefs who have conducted both hands-on and online classes. https://savourschool.com.au/about/ The Chocolate Queen Television Show The Chocolate Queen, a show aimed at home bakers, features accessible recipes along with innovative chocolate tips and techniques. The series, hosted by Kirsten Tibballs, premiered in 2018 and was broadcast both in Australia and internationally. Its success led to four additional seasons and the show was broadcast across 89 countries. https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-chocolate-queen Cookbooks Kirsten Tibballs has authored three cookbooks. In 2012, she self-published Chocolate to Savour, which won the Best Photography Cookbook of 2012 award from Gourmand in the UK. In 2016, Tibballs released her second cookbook, Chocolate. In 2023, her third book, Chocolate All Day, was published. https://www.amazon.com.au/Chocolate-All-Day-Recipes-indulgence/dp/1922616885

A conversation that sits at the crossroads of diplomacy, agriculture and pure pleasure launches Season 4 of "Sensing Up". Valerie speaks with guest, Vincent Hebrail, the French Embassy's Counsellor for Agricultural Affairs in Canberra, about what it means to be French in Australia today—professionally and at the table. Vincent describes his work strengthening ties between the two countries across agriculture, food, forestry and fisheries, and reflects on how welcome he and his family have felt since arriving. Together, they celebrate the quality of Australian raw ingredients while acknowledging what is still missing from a French point of view, especially when it comes to charcuterie and raw-milk cheeses. Listeners will hear about the long lobbying battle that enabled Roquefort to enter Australia, the technical and financial barriers facing other raw-milk cheeses, and why market demand must justify the extra effort. The conversation then turns to the French system of geographical indications and how Australian regions—from the Barossa to Kangaroo Island—could harness similar ideas to tell stronger stories about their food and wine. Throughout, themes of carbon footprint, food waste and sustainable farming surface, reminding us that behind every bite of cheese and sip of wine lies a complex global system that can, and must, evolve.

In this Season 4 trailer of Sensing Up , host Valerie Henbest invites you to listen with your 5 senses on high alert. To live life more fully. In short, she is on a mission to awaken and enhance pleasure in your life by simply paying more attention to it, using each and every one of your senses as often as possible. She also believes that " the more you know, the better it tastes. " This new season features conversations with chefs, winemakers, food innovators, and artisans who turn the craft of making good food, good wine, and traditional products into a true art of the senses . Sensing Up is your invitation to be more present, trust your intuition, and let the flavours of each conversation linger a little longer, enriching your connection with the world around you. Season 4 is coming very soon — subscribe now on your favourite podcast platform and get ready to live life in every sense.

Join Valerie Henbest as she chats with Mary Hamilton, the 6th-generation CEO of Hugh Hamilton Wines - one of Australia's oldest wine families. Mary shares the fascinating 185-year journey from her great, great, great grandfather, Richard Hamilton, who established the first vineyard in South Australia in 1837, to the modern, innovative brand it is today. Discover how Mary, with a fierce sense of legacy and an unshakeable drive to innovate, is leading Hugh Hamilton Wines into a bold new era where heritage meets creativity and tradition is reinvented. Learn about the brand's unique 'black sheep' moniker, their wines with personality and Mary's key to success: "Being real and true to yourself."

Join Valerie Henbest in this episode of Sensing Up as she chats with Sam Allison, Director of Global Sales & Marketing at Sartori Company. Valerie recounts her first encounter with Sartori cheeses at a Fancy Food Show in Washington DC back in 2011, where an initial hesitation turned into a decade-long love affair with their exceptional range. Sam elaborates on the unique and inspiring journey of the Sartori adventure - from its roots in 1939 with Italian immigrant Paolo Sartori in Wisconsin, to its current status as a thriving family-run business known for its commitment to crafting the best cheese in the world.

Valerie Henbest welcomes Dilhan Fernando, CEO of Sri Lanka's iconic Dilmah Tea, to reflect on 40 years of family-led innovation and integrity in the global tea industry. From his father's pioneering legacy to adapting for future generations, Dilhan shares the sensory journey of tea, the challenges of climate change and how ethical business can drive meaningful impact.

From actress to entrepreneur, Tori Dixon-Whittle has built a life defined by creativity, resilience and reinvention. In this episode of Sensing Up , she joins host Valerie Henbest to share her extraordinary journey—from the stage to hospitality, design and now writing. With honesty and energy, Tori reflects on motherhood, building businesses and the art of turning life's chaos into purpose.

Duncan Welgemoed is not your average chef. A rule-breaker with a passion for bold flavours, he's worked in Michelin-starred kitchens, reinvented Adelaide's dining scene and cooked for rockstars. In this episode, Valerie sits down with Duncan to uncover his journey from South Africa to the UK and ultimately, to Africola. From his early days in high-pressure kitchens to shaping South Australia's food culture, this conversation is full of energy, insight and a little bit of chaos - just like his food.

Award-winning chef and restaurateur Karena Armstrong has spent over a decade celebrating South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula through her food. As co-owner of The Salopian Inn and co-director of Tasting Australia, she champions the three Ps—place, produce and people—while crafting fiercely local, seasonal cuisine. In this episode, Valerie explores Karena's food journey - from working with industry icons to shaping one of the state's most respected dining experiences.

Renowned as the Father of Fusion Cuisine, Cheong Liew has shaped contemporary Australian food with his bold flavours and cultural storytelling. In this episode, Valerie Henbest delves into Liew's journey—from his Malaysian roots to pioneering fusion cuisine in Australia. Discover how a self-taught chef blended Greek, Malaysian, and European influences to redefine the culinary landscape.

Join host Valerie Henbest, renowned cheese expert and owner of the Smelly Cheese Shop - in the famous Adelaide Central Market - for a curated selection of Season 2's most compelling moments. A recipient of the French National Order of Agricultural Merit Award, Valerie brings her extensive expertise in cheese importation and aging to these insightful discussions with industry pioneers and artisanal producers.

Join Valerie Henbest as she explores the Adelaide Hills with renowned chef Kane Pollard. From foraging unique botanicals to mastering century-old cooking methods, Kane shares his journey in sustainability and seasonal cooking at Ondeen and Tasting Australia.

Step into a world of wine, cheese and culture with Pierre-André Imbert - French Ambassador to Australia. The episode today, toasts the 100th anniversary of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine and the unique ties between French and Australian terroirs and traditions.

Travel back to the origins of Paris's legendary Berthillon ice cream with Muriel Delpuech. Discover the secrets behind the family business that's been enchanting taste buds since 1954. From creamy classics to vibrant fruit sorbets, learn how Berthillon continues to craft some of the world's best ice creams.