Deep in the Weeds - A Food Podcast with Anthony Huckstep · A Deep in the Weeds Production

Over a Glass: Joch Bosworth (Battle of Bosworth, McLaren Vale) - crafting high quality organic wines

·39 min·2 clips

Bosworth says the first three years of organic farming proved “the sky didn’t fall in.”

The episode opens with an acknowledgement of the Kaurna people and a warm introduction to Jock Bosworth. Jock explains that he never really moved far from where he started. He grew up on the property that now holds the cellar door, winery, and vineyards. He is still living in the house his folks renovated in the early 1970s, which left him with no real desire to do up houses himself. The conversation uses that family property as the entry point into the story of Battle of Bosworth. Jock and Louise Hemsley-Smith are making high quality organic wines in McLaren Vale, and the discussion stays close to the practical world of wine, property, and brand-building. It moves from where he grew up into how the business found its name. Jock says the original plan was to call the winery Bosworth, but Zah Brooks from Dandelion told him that was boring and suggested Battle of Bosworth instead. Jock took the advice and the name stuck. The conversation then turns to the early wines and how the winery positioned itself in the market. Jock says they did not want to lead with the word organic because, back in the 90s and early 2000s, organic wines probably had a bit of a bad reputation for quality. Instead, they wanted to make premium McLaren Vale wine that happened to be organic. That meant keeping the organic detail on the back label rather than the front. The episode treats that as a strategic choice at the time. The host then broadens the conversation to the range of wines the business now makes, including preservative-free wine and what it means when customers ask about it. The talk stays grounded in explanation rather than hype. It reflects the show's usual hospitality style, where one practical question opens into a wider conversation about how wine is made and how it is described to drinkers. Across the exchange, the emphasis stays on consistency, character, and soul. The closing praise frames Battle of Bosworth as a brand with a strong identity and asks listeners to go out and find a favourite bottle. The episode ends with good wishes for the vintage, the busy January season, and the year ahead.

As heard by us

A patient story of place, conviction, and the long game of organic wine.

The episode gives Battle of Bosworth a grounded, patient shape, tracing how Jock Bosworth built a winery from the ground up without losing sight of place, family, or craft.

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Why you'd press play

You want a grounded South Australian wine story with real family roots.

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