Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

This show is brought to you in association with iDealwine. In fiction, Shangri-La was a mythical place of boundless human wisdom and agelessness. These days, after China re-named a city in north-west Yunnan Province, it's the backdrop of a potential game-changer for Chinese wine.This particular backdrop is forbidding. Think: precipitous mountain gorges above the raging Mekong River at nearly 3,000 metres altitude. A patchwork of small-holding vineyards cling to the hillsides. Prunings are fed to yaks. Tea, tobacco and mushrooms are Yunnan's historic crops. No wonder the wine potential in the Meili Mountain region long remained hidden.That is, until a particularly stubborn and resilient Australian winemaker, Tony Jordan, embarked on an arduous search on behalf of global luxury group LVMH to unearth a Chinese Grand Cru terroir. He found Shangri-La. But would his bet pay off?In this episode we discover the intriguing story of Ao Yun - how (on earth) it came to be, just how challenging this operation is to run, and most importantly - what's the wine actually like? At nearly £300 a bottle, it has a lot to live up to. We talk to winemaker Maxence Dulou, Chinese wine expert Janet Wang and Berry Brothers & Rudd Asia buyer Tom Baxter. We also deliver our verdict on the wine whose name means, 'soaring above the clouds'.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, including some eye-catching photos, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E21 - AO YUN: The Insider's GuideInstagram: @susieandpeterSponsors: iDealwine

This show is brought to you in association with iDealwine. It's not every day the world of wine is described in terms like: 'adrenaline rush,' and going 'crazy'. Welcome to the world of online wine auctions, particularly that of iDealwine (sponsors of this show). iDealwine is a treasure trove not only of wine goodies but also high-tech functionality - so in this episode we explore how these online wine auctions work and why they might be worth trying out if you haven't already.Whisper it - but apparently they're pretty easy, accessible (with prices starting at €1) and...fun.We talk about all this as well as analyse the wine market trends of today and tomorrow with iDealwine co-founder Angélique de Lencquesaing. We also hear from iDealwine customer Jordan O'Brien in Toronto as to why we should, in his words, 'dive right in.'Along the way we talk hidden gems, Japanese Pinot Noir, 4 o'clock starts, fake wine and 1965 vinegar...Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, including full listings of the wines, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E20 - 'Adrenaline rush': Wine Auctions and Trends with iDealwineInstagram: @susieandpeterSponsors: iDealwine

BREAKING: A titanic showdown between top champagnes and the best of the rest has been settled. The victors? Headline writers...This is an impromptu pod reflecting the momentous nature of this Battle of the Bubbles tasting, which took place at the London Wine Fair 2025. Sixteen top judges (including both of us); 26 top wines, including some of Champagne's most reputable (and highly priced) bottles - and some quite astonishing results.In this episode we give the lowdown on the results and reflect on what it all means. Including the intriguing undercurrents and subtexts, as well as our personal insights and conclusions. (And yes, we do disagree...) There are some great value recommendations in there too. Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, including full listings of the wines, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E19 - Battle of the BubblesThe video version of this podcast is available on our YouTube channel.Instagram: @susieandpeter

Where we selectively recap on the wine headlines in recent months (informative - but also fun) and respond to various questions, comments...and grumbles.We gaze into deep space in search of booze. We consider how global wine can be in the doldrums...but Essex is on the up. We hear a sad tale of vandals destroying scientific research, and a heartening story of how ancient Pompeii wine is set to be revived. Above all, we revel in the wise words of the recently deceased Pope Francis, who declared wine to be a 'gift from God', a 'healthy consumer habit' and, 'a true joy for the heart of man'. Apparently he told winemaker Ricardo Cotarella: 'You can't party without wine.' Our kind of Pope.We play our globally popular Guess the Missing Word in the Wine Headline game, this time featuring Bridget Jones, Bhutan, a wrestling superstar and various forms of wildlife. Just a trigger warning for anyone traumatised by the mention of Peter's pants from our previous episode on fake wine - Peter's pants feature again. Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E18 - News and Views 2025Instagram: @susieandpeter

Brilliant rogues counterfeit unicorn wine, fool the establishment and laugh their way to the bank. It's good story - so good that even The Simpsons have released an episode dedicated to wine fraud. But is this just a laughing matter?This is without doubt one of our FAVOURITE EVER Wine Blast episodes. It stars no less than Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr Burns, Waylon Smithers and Professor Frink. Together with The Simpsons co-writer Johnny LaZebnik and wine fraud expert Maureen Downey.Fraud is an ever-bigger issue for the wine world. It's nothing new (Pliny the Elder grumbled about it in Roman times). But in the wake of notorious fraudsters like Hardy Rodenstock and Rudy Kurniawan, it has become more professional and widespread, with organised crime moving into a profitable and low-risk venture. The implications are profound, as Maureen Downey explains.But that doesn't mean we can't have a laugh about it. So we get exclusive access to the hilarious animated world of The Simpsons to experience how they explore the theme of fake wine. Along the way we talk Robin Hood, queue-jumping, Jesus,  'cover-up' sex, how radioactivity helps detect fakes, and Peter's pants.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E17 - Fake Wine: A Laughing Matter?Instagram: @susieandpeter

Some people say you need loads of different wine glasses. Others say you need just one kind (known as 'universals'). There's money, reputation, even relationships on the line here. So what's the answer?!In this episode we share significant new research by Jackie Ang MW, hot off the press, that answers two key questions. Firstly, do different wine glasses make you taste and rate a wine differently? Secondly, which work better: 'universal' wine glasses, or grape-variety-specific glasses?We also hear strong views from two big hitters in the wine glass world: 11th-generation Austrian glassmaker Maximilian Riedel and renowned wine writer Jancis Robinson MW, co-creator of the 'Jancis' glass.Of course we also share our views on the matter, to help guide you through a subject that can be as complex and headache-inducing as a night on the fine wine. Along the way we touch on golf clubs, blindfolds, jet engines, shoe collections,  Marie Kondo - and how a measuring tape could help save you money...Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E16 - Do You Need More than One Wine Glass in Your Life?Instagram: @susieandpeter

Ridge is an iconic wine producer - not just in its homeland California, but in global terms too.But how and why did it attain this status in just 70 years? Is it really true their policy has been never to hire a trained winemaker? What is this 'pre-industrial winemaking' they champion? How have they managed to successfully buck the trend for opulence in California Cabernet? Which of their wines (whisper it) don't we like? And can you really be great at both Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, two grapes seemingly at opposite ends of the red wine spectrum?Answers to all these questions and more feature in this treat of a show to mark Wine Blast's fifth birthday (yay!) We hear fascinating insights and stories from Ridge Chairman Paul Draper as well as head winemaker John Olney before diving into Ridge's wines, including a vertical tasting of Lytton Springs Zinfandel back to 1976. (A Monte Bello Cab from 1977 pops up too...)These are wines that make you smile - then make you think. We hope Wine Blast performs a similar kind of magic! Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E15 - RIDGE: The Insider's GuideInstagram: @susieandpeter

Wine. In a can. A hellish reality of tinny plonk? Or a convenient, eco-friendly, fun new format that's the future for wine? This is fun one, because our adventure starts with comedy legend (and proud French snob) Marcel Lucont. We're not only treated to an epic live rendition of his scabrous poem 'Wine in a Can' (compulsory listening for any wine lover) but also his delicious musings on wine and life more generally - including Beaujolais for breakfast.After picking ourselves up off the floor, we try to regain some dignity as we ask three questions: Is canned wine any good? Why should we buy it, if at all? And which ones are best?We exclusively reveal the results of a blind taste test by two Masters of Wine (ie us) to see if we can spot the difference between the same wine from a bottle and a can. And we report the highlights from a mega-tasting of 77 canned wines, giving a definitive verdict on this fast-moving scene.Along the way we hear from fellow Master of Wine Richard Kelley (The Liberator), Brixton Wine Club founder Louisa Payne and Morris Carr of 'craft winery' Attimo. And don't worry, we do ask the BIG questions. Like: is it OK to swig wine straight from the can? And is there a place for straws in this equation?!Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E14 - Wine in a CanInstagram: @susieandpeter

Appellations are wine regions with rules, normally associated with Europe. So how come an enviably free-wheeling, super successful region like New Zealand's Marlborough has felt the need to develop Appellation Marlborough Wine?We put this question and more to Ben Glover, renowned winemaker and proud Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) member. He talks about, 'ripping the beige quilt off Marlborough' and his distaste for 'mediocrity'. We also have fun playing around with AMW's jazzy new interactive wine map, tasting along to bring the geography to life through a set of delicious Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs. (You can do the same too!) Thanks to Appellation Marlborough Wine for sponsoring this episode and once again allowing us to taste and talk about one of our all-time favourite wine regions. We also touch on things as diverse as pastoral shows, the Model T Ford in black, springtime fireworks, scripture, swamps, growing pains, snow peas, 'corrupt acidity' and dancing a merry jig...Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E13 - Appellation Marlborough WineInstagram: @susieandpeter

Wine and other booze are under attack like seldom before, from many sides: moralists, the media, health authorities citing dubious studies... So it's high time we reminded ourselves why wine is important, the many values and benefits it has, and what we can all do to challenge these pernicious narratives.Don't worry. This isn't some dry treatise or frothy-mouthed rant. We are privileged to have acclaimed authority Karen MacNeil (author of The Wine Bible, no less) making the case for wine eloquently and persuasively. But Karen doesn't stop there. She's letting her actions speak louder than words by launching two global wine advocacy campaigns - Come Over October and Share & Pair Sundays - aimed at encouraging people to come together over a glass of wine and promoting conviviality, sociability and fun. For wine lovers, it's time to stand up and be counted. In this show we explore why, and also touch on things as diverse as jugs of vodka, joyful companions, The Simpsons, and just how useless Masters of Wine can be. French nun Sister André crops up - and we have some great pairing suggestions involving cheese on toast and fried chicken.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E12 - Why Wine MattersInstagram: @susieandpeterThe Profitable CreativeHey, Creative! Are you ready to discuss profits, the money, the ways to make it...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Western Australia's Margaret River is renowned as one of the world's foremost fine wine hotspots. But it only got started in 1967, so how has it built that reputation so fast? What makes this place unique? Why is it called, 'wine utopia' as well as, 'the best hangover cure known to man'?!Join us as we go behind the scenes with a star-studded list of Margaret River wine royalty, from Cape Mentelle to Cloudburst via Vasse Felix, Cullen, Moss Wood, Xanadu, Voyager, McHenry Hohnen and Larry Cherubino. We talk elegant Cabernet and savoury Chardonnay (plus the odd bit of Savagnin), also touching on things as diverse as Alfred Hitchcock, space invaders, Formula One, Tall Poppy syndrome, kangaroos, transparency, margaritas, radiometrics, raucous birds and short shorts. We even take a moment to appreciate a bit of opera...This is a sponsored episode in conjunction with Western Australian government and industry - the second in a two-parter mini series (check out our episode on the Great Southern to get the first instalment).Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E11 - Margaret River Finds its VoiceInstagram: @susieandpeter

What the hell...where the hell...is the Great Southern?! That's what most people say. Which is why Peter got on a plane and braved fires, snakes and Vegemite to bring you this story of what is arguably Western Australia's best kept secret.Remote? Undoubtedly. Rural? Positively. Hugely exciting for the elegant, refined, often under-valued Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Shiraz...even Grenache and Mourvedre?! You betcha. So join us on this thrilling journey of discovery, where we paint a soundscape as well as a taste map, and meet wonderful wine personalities who talk us through weird and wonderful things from cuddles to Wonderbras, emperor penguins, the X-factor, shade cloth, resplendence and knitting. Interviewees include Tom Wisdom, Mike Garland (Plantagenet), Erin Larkin, Guy Lyons (Forest Hill), Patrick Corbett (Singlefile), Matt Swinney and Rob Mann (Swinney), Marelize Russouw (Alkoomi), Larry Cherubino and Sid the dog. Our thanks to the Western Australian government and industry for sponsoring this mini-series, whose final and concluding episode is on Margaret River.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E10 - Don't Know Western Australia's Great Southern? You ShouldInstagram: @susieandpeter

Why does wine taste the way it does? Why does Cabernet smell like blackcurrant? Or Syrah like pepper? Or Beaujolais like...bananas?!In this intriguing show our genial, white-coated guide is wine chemist and sensory scientist Gus Zhu, the first Chinese Master of Wine. As he says, 'Behind every glass of wine, there is science.'In terms of chemistry, wine is one of the most complex solutions on the planet. Not only that, but human senses are notoriously complicated and variable. It all makes answering the question of why wine tastes the way it does...quite tricky.But do not fear - there's plenty to learn and enjoy in this episode, and we touch on things as varied as flowers, cigarettes, farting, petrol, AI, soap, saliva, whisky, urine and strawberry-flavoured yoghurt. NB: you can get 15% off Gus' brilliant new book (Behind the Glass: The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting) by using the code WINEBLAST15 at www.academieduvinlibrary.comThanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E9 - Lessons in Wine ChemistryInstagram: @susieandpeter

Is it a white? Is it a red?! Is it a rosé??!!Or is our WINE OF THE YEAR none (or all) of the above...because it is, quite simply, pure gold?Welcome to our Wines of the Year show, an annual favourite where we look back over the past year, not always entirely seriously, and raise many a glass in the process.We recap on key news, play Guess the Missing Word in the Wine Headline, share listener input...and then recommend the wines which have made the biggest impression on us this year, from a great value red and white pair, a left-field fizz, a hot-shot producer of the year...culminating in a truly epic Wine of the Year.Along the way we talk robots, beefing up Burgundy, tipsy shrews, BBQ sauce, dinosaurs, sherry trifle, Beethoven, childish protests and a long-dead Roman. Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E8 - Our Wines of the Year (2024)Instagram: @susieandpeter

There's a revolution going on in the vineyards. It's coming to a glass near you soon. And it could change the world of wine forever.We're talking super vines. Bionic vines. PIWIs. TEA vines - the new generation, 'assisted evolution' kit. Whatever you want to call them - there's a new breed of grape vines spreading fast all over the wine world, from Champagne to Piedmont, fuelled by the urgent need to reduce vineyard treatments and face up to climate change. In this show we talk to wine growers and researchers at the cutting edge of this fast-evolving field - Nicola Biasi, Dr Riccardo Velasco, Professor Mario Pezzotti and Hugo Drappier. If that isn't enough, we also have some BREAKING NEWS for you.The criticism often levelled at PIWI or resistant vines is that they don't make very nice wines. We challenge that notion with a tasting of our own - which includes some great value recommendations you can try out too.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E7 - The Vines of the FutureInstagram: @susieandpeter

This show's got everything. It's got deliciously unexpected wine discoveries. It's got live music. It's even got a donkey. You can't ask for more than that.As for how that all comes together...well, you'll just have to listen, won't you?! This episode's all about Portugal's white wines, the best of which are astonishingly good and different and worthwhile (and, relatively speaking, inexpensive). Join us as we explore why this is, from Vinho Verde to the Douro, Dão, Alentejo and beyond, with the help of top-notch producers Tiago Mendes and Daniel Niepoort, plus plenty of open bottles.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E6 - Portugal's Great WhitesInstagram: @susieandpeter

Ladybug poo. Cheesy feet. Mould. Boiled eggs. Cabbage. Drains. Vomit. Nail varnish remover. Dead mouse...Yes, you can find all these noxious aromas in a glass of wine. They are very real - and in this episode we put our bodies on the line as we blind taste through all these horrors and more, to answer the big questions and ensure you know your stuff. (Because life is too short for faulty wine.)So what are the main wine faults? How can you spot them? Is it true some are becoming more common? Why do they happen? What can you do about it? And dead mouse...really??!!The answers may surprise and shock you. We have Dutch sensory scientist Sietze Wijma in the hot-seat, serving us wines spiked with taints to bring these faults to life. We give our six Top Wine Taint Tips - and explain how to check your wine properly. Which, as we reveal, can actually be a matter of life and death.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E5 - Tainted Love: Wine FaultsInstagram: @susieandpeter

China has the world's third biggest vineyard and a long history with fermentation and booze. So what's Chinese wine like? Why do we not see more of it outside China? And why are some people predicting big things for Chinese wine in the future?Answers to all this and more flow thick and fast in this intriguing episode, the result of Susie's recent wine trip to China during which she sat down to record with expert insiders Li Demei and Natalie Wang. We also taste several Chinese wines and deliver our verdict on where the country's wines are right now. Ultimately, we ask: is this an inflection point for Chinese wine?Along the way we discuss things as varied as burying vines, baijiu, karaoke, geopolitical hot potatoes, Marselan, heavy bottles, 'half-juice', poetry, pandas, pigswill, pricing and horses on travellators...Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E4 - Chinese Wine: What's the Deal?Instagram: @susieandpeterTiny Bar ChatsChats with influential, inspiring, prolific and community oriented folks.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Consider this our call to arms for wine. Where we grapple heroically with the thorny issue of wine and health, calling out misinformation and over-reach, and learn that the truth is always complex, potentially positive - but often mis-represented. This makes us angry and frustrated. And you should feel the same too.You may also feel confused or jaded by this topic. Understandably so. But join us and we will hopefully clear things up AND imbue you with renewed vigour to fight the good fight. Because this is about things we all hold dear - freedom, fairness and our health and personal pleasure. For wine lovers, this is not a time to stay silent. Helping us shed light on this contentious topic are Christopher Snowdon from the Institute of Economic Affairs and Dr Laura Catena, former emergency physician in San Francisco, now head of respected Argentine winery Catena Zapata. Also cited are Tim Stockwell, Sir David Spiegelhalter, Kenneth Mukamal, Eric B Rimm and Edward Slingerland. Along the way we talk dogs, megaphones, the J-shaped curve, bacon sandwiches, zombie arguments and quantifying joy. We even find time to recommend some delicious wines. Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E3 - Life or Death? On Wine and HealthInstagram: @susieandpeter

A hop, skip and jump away from Sydney, the Hunter Valley is renowned as the birthplace of Australian wine. And yet this is far from ideal wine territory: hot, sticky, often stormy. So how did this tiny wine region come to play such an outsize role in Ozzie wine's history and evolution?Join us to find out why as we chew the cud with Hunter legend Bruce Tyrrell (sample quote: ‘I'm the luckiest man in the wine industry') and winemaker Xanthe Hatcher (‘The Hunter's a region of extremes…') We touch on everything from French pick-pockets to oysters and, 'oblivion for a dollar fifty'. We explore how Hunter Semillon became an idiosyncratic global classic whose naturally low alcohol, refreshing, distinctive and food-friendly style paradoxically mean it's well suited to the wine drinkers of today. (But it wasn't always going to be this way – at one stage the wines had enough acidity, ‘to take the enamel off your teeth!') And we also look beyond Semillon to other Hunter staples like Chardonnay and Shiraz as well as future bets like Fiano.Thanks to the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association and Wine Australia for sponsoring this episode. As ever, all opinions and recommendations are entirely our own. And thanks to you for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E2 - Hunter Valley: History to High JinksInstagram: @susieandpeter

It's a biggie. Our Chile Wines of the Year 2024 - a celebration and exploration of this slender South American nation's wines. And what's coming up may surprise you. So if you think you know Chilean wine - be prepared to think again.We discuss vineyards planted before the French revolution, sensational value Pinot Noir (the holy grail!), flor-aged Semillon, a Pinot Gris inspired by the great orange wines of Friuli, wines you 'eat' rather than drink and old-vine País made, 'as if it were the finest Pinot Noir from Burgundy'. We hear from Chilean wine luminaries including Felipe Marin, Ricardo Baettig, Ana María Cumsille, François Massoc, Eduardo Chadwick, Matías Ríos and Edgard Carter. (Told you it was big.) There's plenty of opinion, insight, top tips. Even the odd 'light-house wine' and inflection point.Oh, and we also blow our own trumpets a bit after this podcast WON THE 67 PALL MALL GLOBAL WINE COMMUNICATOR AWARD!!In case you're wondering, in this programme we also explain what this Chile Wines of the Year thing is. Essentially, we've chosen just over 100 wines to showcase just how diverse, delicious, fun, funky and fine modern Chilean wine is. We've also selected a few brilliant producers and wines for top awards.This episode is produced in association with Wines of Chile. Please do also check out the accompanying Chile Wines of the Year 2024 report, packed full of information, opinion, ratings and top tips, which is free to download from our website via this link: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E1 - Chile Wines of the Year 2024

Climate change is a worry. We get it. But how to do something positive about it, especially as a wine lover? After all, it's not easy knowing which wines to buy to support producers doing the right thing...Which is where the IWCA comes in handy - International Wineries for Climate Action. This is a bunch of conscientious wine producers who have signed up to stringent, science-based carbon emission audits and committed to reaching net zero by 2050. As well as sharing info and generally being responsible about the environment.It's ground-breaking stuff and in this episode we get the low-down on the IWCA and hear about ingenious schemes to combat climate change from Familia Torres president and IWCA co-founder Miguel A Torres (the legend!), Sogrape fourth generation member Mafalda Guedes and Ramuntxo Andonegui of Domaine Lafage in Roussillon. We also recommend our favourites from a recent IWCA 'low emission wine' tasting in London.The word 'extinction' crops up. But so do the words 'resilience', 'happy', 'friendly' and, 'delicious'. So that's nice.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including full wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E25 - Wines to Combat Climate ChangeInstagram: @susieandpeter

It's popular, it's pleasurable - and it's much misunderstood. Rosé is having a moment and yet the myths remain pervasive.That's our cue to ride to the rescue, busting a host of rosé myths as we go, shooting down cardinal sins from the hip, and urging a radical re-think of rosé all round. We hear from rosé experts Elizabeth Gabay MW and Ben Berhneim as well as fifth-generation producer Caroline Deforges of the world-famous Clos Cibonne estate in the south of France. Rosé is often patronisingly dismissed as simple and forgettable. Party plonk best drunk pool-side, ideally while wearing a bikini. And yet, alongside the rise of pink Prosecco and posh Provençal super-cuvées, there's a rosé revolution going on that you really don't want to miss. As one of our interviewees puts it: 'open your mind' and 'you will be surprised!' So here's to freeing our minds and drinking the sunset! We also recommend a bunch of brilliant rosé wines so you can join in the fun.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode including all wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E24 - We Need To Talk About RoséInstagram: @susieandpeter

Wine can seem tremendously unimportant at a time of war. At what is a torrid time in the Middle East, we wanted to check in with three winemakers - from Palestine, Israel and Lebanon - and ask: can wine really be a source of positivity during troubled times?What we hear in this episode may surprise you. It's a departure from our regular format - a bonus extended edition - because we wanted to give proper airtime to these powerful, nuanced, important interviews. Wine has more history in the Levant than in almost every other place on earth, bar the Caucasus. Its revival in recent years has been intriguing and exciting. So what is its place now that conflict is raging?Wine is a conversation starter. There is value in talking. We wanted to take the time to listen - and so we thank Sari Khoury (Philokalia), Eran Pick MW (Tzora Vineyards) and Faouzi Issa (Domaine des Tourelles) for taking the time to talk and share their forthright views with us.Here are a few sample quotes: 'We have so many things to do in this beautiful world rather than killing people,' 'I'm extremely confused - we're in shock, a post-traumatic period that we don't have any solution,' 'The biggest challenge is to make wine during war,' 'Survival comes first,' 'We're quite minimalistic with our expectations,' 'I'm sure wine could bring people together - it's a fact,' 'I'm making the wine - but the wine is making me in the process,' 'Try to taste our wines - and understand the story from all sides,'  'Let the wines speak.' Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E23 - Wine and War: Palestine, Israel and LebanonInstagram: @susieandpeter

Wine brings pleasure. But for some it can also prove painful. Red wine is particularly problematic for a proportion of the population, with just a few mouthfuls bringing on swift and excruciating headaches.Now scientists think they may finally be on to why. In lab experiments, they've identified a compound in red wine that impedes the breakdown of alcohol by the liver and causes a build-up of toxic acetaldehyde in the bloodstream. Human trials are still needed for confirmation - but these are exciting findings.In this episode, we discuss these results with the scientists behind them: Professor Andrew Waterhouse and Dr Apramita Devi from the University of California, Davis. As for the BIG question - which red wines might be safer for sufferers - there's good news. The experts actually recommend cheap rather than pricey red wines. Yes, you read that right: the boffins are endorsing the bargains! We explain why as well as providing some top tips for bargain basement reds - we also touch on the tantalising prospect of how this research may help us understand hangovers too.A final note: research like this costs money and yet neither governments nor big companies want to fund it (a crying shame). As a result, the team at UC Davis has launched a Crowdfunder. If you'd like to contribute, or find out more, click here: Red Wine Headaches ProjectThanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E22 - Red Wine Headaches: A Eureka Moment?Instagram: @susieandpeter

If Rías Baixas is famous for one thing, it's characterful, invigorating white wine based on the superstar Albariño grape - described in this episode by one winemaker as a variety that can take you, 'from the swimming pool to the Michelin-starred restaurant.' Its blossoming popularity over recent decades has given rise to imitators all around the wine world - so what is it that makes Rías Baixas Albariño special, and why? Is there more to the story than just Albariño here? Who's doing exciting things? And what does the future hold?In this second and concluding part of our two-parter, sponsored by DO Rías Baixas, we ask the big questions of key growers including Vicky Mareque (Pazo Señorans), Isabel Salgado (Fillaboa), Lúcia Barbosa (Adegas Galegas), Lucia Freire (Santiago Ruiz) and Natalia Rodríguez (Señorío de Rubiós). We also feature a number of outstanding wines, from Fillaboa's 1898 to Selección de Añada (2014 and 2003) by Señorans.We cover everything from terroir, subzones, blends, experimentation, oak, climate change, competition and more. Peter goes on a breathless wander and at one point comes up with the line: 'You've been Albariñoed!' You need to listen to get the full context...Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E21 - Rías Baixas: Albariño with AttitudeInstagram: @susieandpeter

What do bagpipes, rain, witches, pilgrimage, lampreys and Albariño all have in common? Not much really - but they are all featured in this episode on Rías Baixas, the intriguing wine region in north-west Spain famous for its seafood, verdant landscapes and refreshing, brine-tinged white wines.Historically, this was always a remote region of hardy fishermen and misty hillsides. But since the 1980s a wine revolution has been taking place, majoring on a distinctive style of Albariño we wine drinkers have lapped up, and propelling the official appellation vineyard from a tiny 237 hectares in 1987 to 4,480 hectares today.In this first instalment of a sponsored two-parter with DO Rías Baixas, we get a feel for the place, its people, history, food and wines. We explore the region's famous whites, recommending some as we go, but also explore the lesser known reds and sparkling wines. Peter has a run-in with a sea urchin and a particularly pungent lamprey stew, and we hear from Stephanie Schilling (Santiago Ruiz), Susana Pérez (Pazo San Mauro), Fernando Oubiña (Mariscos Laureano), Natalia Rodríguez (Señorío de Rubiós), and Lúcia Barbosa (Adegas Galegas).Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E20 - Rías Baixas: Mists, Myths and MariscosInstagram: @susieandpeter

How and why is the global wine scene in a bit of a state? Why is wine threatened by weight-loss drugs and smartphones? Does drinking high quality wine make you happier - and does light drinking increase longevity? This is our periodic programme where we catch up on the more intriguing wine news,  pondering everything from weighty matters (as above) but also touching on lighter-hearted fare. Such as an Italian restaurant  offering diners free wine in exchange for locking away their phones, an airport planning to build a vineyard on its roof, and  whether cling film removes cork taint...We also play our very fun 'Guess the Word in the Wine Headline' game (sommeliers,  divorce and Merlot in the bath feature this time round). Plus, we recap on all the reaction and headlines following our Light Strike pod. And we hear your views and questions, which lead us to talk about Ukraine, a potential Wine Blast cookbook, orange wine and the SWEATS (not what you think - but still scandalous).Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Particularly since in this episode we ask you what quirky wine slang you use in your house (and what it means) and what wine you'd pair with which household activity (the quirkier the better). Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E19 - News & ViewsInstagram: @susieandpeter

There's a new wave of English and Welsh wine producers disrupting the neat and tidy order of the classic UK wine scene. Guerrilla producers - cool kids who aren't afraid to go off-piste and craft dangerous, divisive wines packed full of quirks and kinks. Their attitude? It's better to be naughty than nice. As one winemaker says - he wants to make, 'wines with a cheeky smile.'In this wide-ranging episode we dive headlong into this world of creativity, experimentation and free thinking. Our journey takes us from wines made under a London railway arch to sheep savaging vines in a Welsh hillside - and we taste everything from orange wines to pet nat, col fondo, 'grower' English fizz and, 'purple Welsh bubbles.'Interviewed in this episode are Tommy Grimshaw (Langham), Susan and James Kinsey-Jones (Whinyard Rocks), Jose Quintana (Vagabond) and Sergio Verrillo (Blackbook). Also featured are producers Domaine Hugo, Westwell, The Wharie Experience and Ancre Hill.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E18 - UK Wine's CountercultureInstagram: @susieandpeter

Not many wines ascend to the status of 'icon'. But Sassicaia is one of them. The beauty is that it's not a flashy wine - quite the opposite ('old school' might be a more appropriate description). What's more, its ascent to the wine stratosphere is largely accidental - this scented, elegant Bordeaux blend from Bolgheri in coastal Tuscany was only ever intended as a quaffing wine for friends and family on the Tenuta San Guido estate, a farm initially dedicated to breeding horses, growing crops and a wildlife reserve.How times change. In this episode, we peek behind the scenes of Sassicaia, asking what really makes this fine wine tick, talking to the key people, tasting the top vintages, busting myths and asking the difficult questions. Price is one - it's gone up significantly of late. Fraud is another - Italian police recently broke up a gang running a fake Sassicaia operation to the tune of €2m. Priscilla Inchisa della Rochetta, Brett Flemming and Nicolas Clerc MS shed light on all these issues and more.Along the way, we recommend our all-time favourite Sassicaia vintages, and touch on things like the 'secret' Sassicaia, The Divine Comedy, sommeliers kissing each other, Desperate Dan, World Cup penalties, Italian stallions and lobster pie.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E17 - Sassicaia: The Insider's Guide.Instagram: @susieandpeterSmall Ways To Live Well from The Simple ThingsGet a six week suggestion box of things to note and notice this spring.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

It's called 'The Grenaissance'.This exhilarating revival of the grape variety known as Garnacha in Spain and Grenache in France, once the world's fourth most widely planted wine grape, which has gone from workhorse to show pony in the blink of an eye. How come? What's changed? Who's leading the charge and fuelling the new wave? And what's this we hear about inherent suitability vis a vis climate change?!We ask all these questions and more, focusing on the epicentre of Grenache renaissance: Spain. We hear from leading Spanish wine lights Sara Perez, Fernando Mora, Alvaro Palacios and Norrel Robertson, among others. A fair few delicious recommendations litter the chat, during which we also dwell on love, diamonds, mastication, stems, Samurai - and the will of the cosmos.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more info, together with all details from this episode including on the wines, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E16 - Going Gaga for Garnacha.Instagram: @susieandpeter

From big brand to fine wine - it's no exaggeration to say that grower champagne has changed the notion of what champagne can and should be.Pioneers like Francis Egly of iconic grower champagne Egly-Ouriet have invested huge amounts of time and money prioritising their vineyards, relentlessly focusing on quality and terroir expression in their wines - and ultimately going up against the big Champagne houses. It's a brave move, but one that is reinvigorating the region and attracting many converts to the cause.In this episode we chat with Francis Egly and his daughter Clemence to hear their thoughts on why it's important to harvest their grapes ripe, age their bottles extensively and see the process through from growing grapes to selling their wine. We also hear from Charles Lea, owner and director of respected London wine merchant Lea & Sandeman, on how a lockdown trip to Champagne saw him move away from the 'boring' big production houses and embrace the growers' cause.Along the way, we provide the context and analysis, and taste through a number of quite stunning grower champagnes - including an exclusive taster of a new Egly-Ouriet wine that's not yet been released on the UK market... This episode is sponsored by Lea & Sandeman. We're very grateful to them - and to you for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more info, together with all details from this episode including on the wines, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E15 - Grower Champagne with Lea & Sandeman.Instagram: @susieandpeter

Light strike is probably the biggest wine fault you've never heard of. Bigger than cork, bigger than oxidation or anything else. That pretty-looking bottle of rosé perched on the bright supermarket shelf in a clear glass bottle? Probably knackered. If it's been exposed to light for a while, it may end up smelling of boiled cabbage, drains, or wet dog. At the very least, its character will almost certainly have been degraded from what its winemaker intended. And that's not what you're paying your hard-earned money for.It's nothing less than daylight robbery. In this episode, we explain what light strike is, how fast it happens, and which wines are most at risk. We hear from experts, including the co-author of an illuminating recent research paper, and rage against the fact that the problem seems shockingly prevalent, but so little is being done. We even carry out our very own applied research experiment (featuring bottles, funnels, argon gas and a blindfold) which gives unequivocal results. We call for wholesale change - from producers, distributors, retailers - and give clear advice on what we normal wine drinkers should do about all this (barricades, tyre burning and civil unrest are proposed...but not necessarily endorsed).In this episode we hear from  Panagiotis Arapitsas, Deepika Koushik, Liz Gabay MW, Brad Greatrix and Tom Stevenson. Our thanks to them - and to you for tuning in.  We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more info, together with all details from this episode including on the wines, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E14 - Light Strike: Wine's Not-So-Secret Scandal. Instagram: @susieandpeter

Deep in the wilds of south-west France there's a vineyard that was planted over 200 years ago with unknown vines that may hold the secret to fighting climate change.Join us as we head (virtually) out to Gascony to peer into the mists of wine history and see what lessons it holds for the future. Olivier Bourdet-Pees of the dynamic Plaimont cooperative is our genial, beret-wearing guide, introducing us to grape varieties we've never heard of and explaining how this region has been reinvigorated after making some of, 'the worst wine in France 40 years ago'.This episode is sponsored by AOC St Mont and features a number of wines including Plaimont's iconic Vignes Préphylloxeriques bottling.  We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more info, together with all details from this episode including on the wines, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E13 - Ancient Vines to the Rescue in St Mont. Thanks for tuning in!Instagram:@susieandpeter

So - orange wine. Is it any good? What qualifies a wine to be 'orange'? Does it sell? And who's going to win our argument about one particularly divisive orange wine?!Dive into the controversial, topical and intriguing subject of orange wine with us as we chat with Saša Radikon of iconic orange wine producer Radikon (who gives us an exclusive revelation about a new project) and nautral wine guru Doug Wregg of Les Caves de Pyrene. We taste (and largely disagree about) orange wines from Mlečnik, Vagabond and Dario Prinčič. Peter also gets very excited about his, 'lamb litmus test'.This is the second and final episode in our epic two-parter on orange wine. You don't need to listen to the first episode to enjoy this one, they stand alone. But Episode 1 features Mateja Gravner and Simon Woolf, author of the brilliant book Amber Revolution (click here to get it at a 20% discount).We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below). All details from this episode, including full listings of all the wines featured in the show, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E12 - ORANGE WINE Part 2: Gimme Some Skin. Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!Instagram:@susieandpeter

'Please can you do an episode on orange wine?' pleaded listener David.'It's not just hipster wine! These are some of the finest wines in the world...'How could we resist?Orange wine is topical, misunderstood, controversial...It's also an intriguing story featuring a wine style lost in the mists of time being painstakingly resurrected by a handful of brave pioneers in the face of stiff opposition.So we leap headlong into this arena, asking the all-important questions like: what even IS orange wine? Where did it come from? Why is it misunderstood and controversial? How does it relate to natural wine? And ultimately: is orange wine actually any good?!In this first instalment in a two-parter on orange wine, we talk to orange wine expert Simon Woolf, author of the brilliant book Amber Revolution: How the World Learned to Love Orange Wine. (On which we have a juicy discount code to share!) We also hear from Mateja Gravner of the iconic Friuli-based orange wine producer Gravner. And we recommend a couple of good value orange wines:Santa Tresa Insieme Orange 2022, SicilyBurja Estate Zelen 2022, Slovenia Look out for the second and concluding part of our orange wine 'fest' (out on 26th Jan) when we talk to natural and orange wine guru Doug Wregg of Les Caves de Pyrène, and renowned orange wine producer Saša Radikon. Plus we get into a fight over a particularly divisive orange wine...We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode, including full listings of all the wines featured in the show, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E11 - ORANGE WINE Part 1: The ResurrectionThanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

Wine. Food. Merriment. And a touch of southern French sun.That just about sums up this episode.We're exploring Occitanie - the sun-kissed southern French region that stretches from the western Rhone through Languedoc and Roussillon into South West France.Taken as a whole, it's the world's largest vineyard and makes around 5% of global wine output.In the past, these regions have been criticised for focusing on quantity over quality and being out of touch with the modern wine world.But things have changed significantly in recent decades, as the vineyard has been drastically shrunk and successful producers have focused on quality, innovation, value, indigenous varieties and the future.And that's not all this part of the world is known for. It also boasts a mighty fine gastronomic scene. So yes, you guessed it: we couldn't resist. In this episode we're serving up six dishes inspired by southern French ingredients: mushroom arancini, Mediterranean shellfish stew, cod with beurre blanc and winter ratatouille, Toulouse sausage casserole, duck shepherd's pie and Roquefort.Then we find Occitanie wines to pair with those different dishes, neatly illustrating the diversity of the region in the process, from elegant sparkling wine to lusciously sweet Vin Doux Naturel via a brand new style of Picpoul de Pinet that we didn't know about.Along the way we hear from expert Matthew Stubbs MW plus growers Jean-Claude Mas (Les Domaines Paul Mas) and Pauline Nadal (Domaine Nadal Hainaut).Somehow we touch on manure, fried brians (yes, you read that right), Asterix, bootcamps, touchy-feely labels, wines with soul and a nitrogen generator.Thanks to the Occitanie Region for sponsoring this podcast. Just a few of the wines we feature in this episode are:Sieur d'Arques Crémant de Limoux Blason Rouge Brut NVRoc des Angles Llum 2022, Côtes CalanesLes Vignerons de Florensac Picpoul de Pinet Selection 2020Château Estanilles Vallongue rosé 2022, FaugèresCalmel & Joseph Les Terroirs La Fabrique 2021, Côtes du BrianClos d'Elpis Elpis Route 2021, Côtes CatalanesDomaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel 1998We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode, including full listings of all the wines featured in the show, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E10 - A Southern French FeastThanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!Bad Attitudes: An Uninspiring Podcast About DisabilityA less-than-inspiring exploration of disability from someone who is actually disabled....Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Our Wines of the Year format has grown into this riotous, rollicking rollercoaster of a show which we humbly offer up for your amusement and delectation.This is no shopping list. Nor is it a chest-beating exercise in showing off how #wineblessed we are.This episode is the story of a year in wine: a celebration of special bottles and special times, set against the backdrop of news, views and a lot of laughter.Featuring in this wine-soaked adventure are Dutch nuns, kiwis, Homer Simpson, talking corks, Susie in a balloon suit, gravy, Nigel the dog, a broom-brandishing Greek grandmother, Jesus and Peter's pants.We discuss wine news including the latest wine fraud hoo-ha (and a new AI tool to fight wine fakery), why Bordeaux may be uprooting 10% of its vineyard, how major foreign investment is boosting English wine and the latest research offering the tantalising prospect of solving the mystery of red wine headaches.Your listener feedback and questions get an airing, touching on English fizz, Portuguese wine, the dream of owning a vineyard in Italy, breathless Colorado winemaking - and what we do with our leftovers.Wines featured range from an Essex Sauvignon Blanc to a Japanese Pinot Noir via an 'aromatised wine-based drink' that's considerably tastier than its official designation. To cap it all we announce our BIG GONGS, which this year we've expanded to include Producer of the Year, Value Wine of the Year and, in the constant quest for ever more fun, Leftfield Wine of the Year.Atop this particular tree, though, is just one wine: our Wine of the Year. What in the world could it be?!This episode is dedicated to the memory of Phil Tuck MW, who loved nothing more than sharing great wines with friends. An inspiration to us all. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode, including full listings of all the wines featured in the show and more (particularly the good value bottles) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E9 - Our Wines of the Year (2023)Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

Odessa Black.It's the name of a (Ukranian) grape variety. But it could almost be code for the desperate times the people of Ukraine are living through.In this episode, we explore the history and current context of Ukraine, hearing first-hand insights from Tania Olevska of the Ukrainian Wine Company and Svitlana Tsybak of the Beykush winery.Despite the chaos and devastation in Ukraine, wine represents a point of hope, an expression of Ukrainian culture, terroir, identity and resilience.Although what is Europe's second largest country has a long relationship with the vine, quality wine isn't one of Ukraine's most emblematic products. That started to change after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and since 2010 there has been a quality revolution as a new wave of craft winemakers captured the public attention.Then came full-scale war with Russia in early 2022. But Ukraine's winemakers are refusing to be cowed. They soldier on, ministering to their vines as the relentless rhythms of winemaking insist they must. Despite the shells and rockets overhead. Despite the mortal peril that has already cost so many lives, including many from the wine community.'We didn't pay money for our PR; we paid [with] the lives of Ukrainians for our PR,' says Tania, grimly.And yet celebrating and savouring Ukraine's new wave wines is an act of joy, resistance and solidarity in its own right.In this episode, we raise a glass for exactly this reason, and hear many an eye-opening, heart-warming story along the way.  Wines we recommend include:Shabo Telti Kuruk Reserve 2022, OdessaBiologist Sukholimanskiy 2022, KyivBeykush Lerici Timorasso 2021, MikolaivKolonist Odessa Blanc 2021, BessarabiaWe love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E8 - Ukraine: Wine not WarThanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

Languedoc is a wine region on the move.Sure, it's a huge region with plenty of history, some of it troubled.But there are things happening in Languedoc wine now that are innovative, surprising, intriguing and...well, delicious. In short, it's well worthy of our attention.In this episode, sponsored by AOP Languedoc, we chat to writers Rupert Millar and Rosemary George MW, and we also hear from wine growers Benoît Bertrand (Domaine de Malavieille) and Jenia Vermillard (Domaine Ampelhus).We hear of ambitious attempts to revive long lost grape varieties from the verge of extinction, and ingenious solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.We explore the region's renown for good value in its wines, consider its historic ups and downs, and look to what the future might hold.Along the way we somehow feature feather boas, Lithuania, a stray dog, the Romans, shrinking pains, finishing school, architecture, Assyrtiko, violins, agroforestry and ratatouille. Oh, and a love story.And of course it wouldn't be a normal episode of Wine Blast if we didn't taste and recommend some brilliant wines. These beauties are all AOP Languedoc wines:Chateau de Lascaux Garrigue Blanc 2021 Paul Mas Jardin de Roses Traviata 2022 Bergerie du Capucin Les 100 Pas du Berger Rouge 2020 Domaine de Roquemale Les Grés 2020 Domaine Ampelhus Languedoc Grés de Montpellier 2022 Clos des Nines L'Orée 2020 Domaine Les Aurelles Solen 2000 We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E7: The New Face of LanguedocThanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

We're going full-on Moses mode in this episode, nailing down the ten wines you should always have at home.Of course, personal taste plays a part. You want to have wines to hand you're going to reach for - which means your favourite styles.But beyond that, it helps to have some expert insight into the bigger picture in order to always have delicious, affordable and useful wines when you need them.Our primary objective is joyous everyday drinking. But also: what works best with food, versatile wines to serve guests, give as gifts, wines that get better over time if you buy a few, ideal wines for those impromptu celebrations, wines for both summer and winter...we even introduce the notion of, 'emergency wine'.So we define our top 10 'go-to' wine staples. We're aware this is potentially controversial territory. But we also hope it's helpful too.Helping us out in this challenging task are the fine people at Waitrose, who are sponsoring this episode.Waitrose do a fine line in wine and, as we focus on these indispensable wine categories, we've chosen individual wines from their range to illustrate our decisions.What makes the whole thing even tastier is that Waitrose has a special offer on - 25% off when you buy 6 or more bottles from £6-100 - until 7th Nov 2023. So you can save hard-earned cash while stocking up on the essentials!But even at the non-discount prices, these wines still represent great quality and value.So what are the ten wines never to be without? Tune in to find out... The wines featured in this episode are:Hattingley Classic Reserve Brut NV, England (£33.99-£25.49)Saint Clair Wairau Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022, New Zealand (£15.99-£11.99)Bouchard Finlayson Crocodile's Lair Chardonnay 2021, South Africa (£19.99-£14.99)Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Kabinett 2022, Germany (£13.99-£10.49)Muga Rioja Rosé 2022, Spain (£11.99-£8.99)Joseph Drouhin Chorey-Les-Beaune 2020, France (£24.99-£18.74)Baron de Ley Club Privado Rioja Reserva 2018, Spain (£13.99-£10.49)Terre di Faiano Puglia Primitivo 2021, Italy (£10.99-£8.24)Chateau Oumsiyat Mijana 2019, Lebanon (£9.49-£7.12)Crociani Vin Santo di Montepulciano 2017, Italy (£21.99-£16.49 for 375ml)Florent Rouve Arbois Chardonnay 2020, France (£19.99-£14.99)Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino 2016, Italy (£29.99-£22.49) We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E6: The Ten Wines Never to be WithoutThanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

English sparkling wine. We all know it's good. But how well does it age? And could this be the secret to unlocking even greater quality from what are already exciting wines?We do our best to answer these questions and more with the help of several large glasses of very fine mature English fizz - and top winemakers Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix (Nyetimber) and Corinne Seely (Exton Park).We also hear the views of Clément Pierlot, cellar master at Champagne Pommery and its English offshoot, Louis Pommery England.We explore what makes an ageworthy sparkling wine (busting a few common myths along the way). And talk about how best to get ahead of the game...We recommend some of the finest examples of mature English fizz we can get our hands on - from the likes of Nyetimber, Sugrue South Downs, Hattingley Valley, Breaky Bottom, Wiston, Exton Park, Chapel Down and The Grange. Along the way we discuss magnums, lees ageing, dosage, vintage, variety, yields, storage, balance - and the value of patience. What's more, Peter gets called 'Mr Humper Dumper' by Susie and shares one of his more insightful tasting notes, which simply reads: 'GIVE ME THE MAGS!'We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E5: Ageing English Fizz - How, Why and WhatThanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

It's a wine region variously described as, 'dynamic', whose wines are undergoing a quality 'revolution', and memorably compared to South Africa's uber-cool Swartland.It's also got a big old mountain on its picture postcard. Not to mention truffles galore.This is Ventoux. And we want to take you on a journey of discovery, to meet the people, explore the places, get a feel for the wines...and generally understand why Ventoux is worth your time and attention.The mountain, it turns out, is important. It makes this one of the coolest appellations in the southern Rhône, giving the wines freshness and vitality. Peter slogs (metaphorically) up to the peak to prove the point.It also helps in the ongoing efforts to adapt to climate change.As for the wines...we dive in, exploring the region's unique whites, rosés and reds, the latter constituting the majority of production. And we explore ways in which the wines are changing and evolving with the future in mind.We ask why so many outsiders have gravitated to Ventoux, experimenting and collaborating along the way. And we explore the region's value-for-money credentials.The discussion also touches on lycra, beetroot, Cinsault, wine as theatre, joy and butterflies. Oh, and did we mention truffles?This episode is sponsored by AOC Ventoux. The following producers are featured:Domaine du TixDomaine AymardMarrenonChateau UnangDomaine de FondrècheChêne BleuChateau PesquiéClos du TriasWe love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E4: Ventoux - Next Century WinesThanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

What are the wine books every wine lover should own?We thought about it. We argued. We drank some wine. Argued some more...And then we decided: let's go for it. No messing around: choose just the six BEST books every wine lover needs, whether enthusiastic newbie or jaded expert.It wasn't easy. But this is the DEFINITIVE listing. A lot of thought and research went into this. Even some reading. Along the way we came across some bits that stopped us in our tracks. Like Hitler's secret wine cellar, 'freak' wines, the link between a dentist's drill and the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold, fish finger sandwiches, some cheeky poetry, the 'one-night-stand' of wines...And of course the quote about the salad and the sex toy

This is a tale of deception, daring, disaster...and deliverance.It also features skinny sheep and wine robots.It's the story of Marlborough, the iconic New Zealand wine region which is celebrating its 50th wine birthday, after vines were planted by Frank Yukich in August 1973.Yukich had risked personal financial ruin getting to this point. 'Wines from here will become world famous!' he declared. Shortly after which most of the vines died from drought.But no adventure story is without its supreme setbacks. And this story features everything from the Queen to gut-rot via shiny tractors.On the wine front, it's sobering to think just how far Marlborough has come in 50 harvests, from a shaky start to sensational Sauvignon Blanc and much more besides. It's a region helping set the global agenda for the wine of the future - and a tribute to the imaginative, resilient Kiwi spirit.This is a sponsored episode in collaboration with New Zealand Winegrowers. We taste and recommend the following wines from Marlborough:Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2022Brancott Estate Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2015Hans Herzog Zweigelt 2017Hans Herzog Spirit of Marlborough 2016Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2022Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2021Lawson's Dry Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2021Blank Canvas Reed Chardonnay 2022Villa Maria Seddon Pinot Gris 2020Wairau River Pinot Noir 2021We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E2: Marlborough at 50Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

'My wife suggested we make wine. I think in the hope of cutting down our wine bill...'It's classic John Malkovich. The wit as dry as his aged Provençal Pinot Noir rosé (yes, you read that right). In this epic episode, we get to know John Malkovich the famous actor of stage and screen - but also John Malkovich the fashion designer, the theatre director, and most importantly John Malkovich the wine producer.This truly is a man for all seasons. But Malkovich seldom abides by convention - and his wine venture in the south of France, Les Quelles de La Coste, typifies this approach. He's planted atypical wine grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere - and (whisper it) Pinot Noir. He's even blending them together...For the wine classicists, this is nothing short of vinous heresy.So the big questions are: Is this just another cookie-cutter celeb wine project, or is it different? What are the wines actually like? Come to that, what's John Malkovich actually like? Join us as we pose the tricky questions, hear from the man himself and give our verdict on the wines.Along the way, John advises wine producers how best to launder money, defines what talent is, explains why he doesn't 'do' pride, identifies the greatest honour of his working life and tells a horror story of how he lost his 'spectacular' 2017 Cabernet. We also touch on topics as diverse as the Marquis de Sade, fabric collecting, beer chugging, 'boom boom' wines, the importance of details, and how making wine can break your heart.As the man says: 'I don't consider anything I do particularly provocative. It's just what I do. Which just seems to provoke people...'We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E1: The John Malkovich EXCLUSIVE.Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!Foot note: This episode, and the entire Season Five of Wine Blast, is dedicated to the memory of Phil Tuck MW.

This bonus episode may be the last in the current season (4) but it's also a first - the first time we've ever recorded the pod in front of a live audience!A lovely bunch of people came together in our home town of Winchester to drink a glass or two of fine Hampshire fizz and bombard us with searching questions, from which wines we'd recommend for a large and varied dinner party crowd to the implications of climate change for wine.They even asked us what were the most pretentious wine descriptions we'd ever used. I mean, the cheek of it...We also touched on issues ranging from 'sulfite-free' wine to no/low alcohol, our favourite Chardonnay and rosé, which are the best wine regions to visit, the rise of English wine, multi-vintage versus vintage sparkling wine - and what wines you should ALWAYS have at home.In our introduction we also feature some recent listener feedback from a Napa wine grower questioning how he should explain terroir to visitors to a professor on how microbes (yeasts) can influence a wine's mouthfeel.We also feature a plug for our sensational value charity sparkling wine - please click here if you'd like to buy a bottle or two of Hope & Glory to help us raise funds for the brilliant Marine Conservation Society.As for the live Q&A format, we could get used to it. You have been warned. Wine Blast on Tour may be coming to a speakeasy near you soon...All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E25: LIVE Q&A (Winchester).Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

This episode opens by linking Oppenheimer, Covid-19 and wine - and proceeds to go big by focusing on the small stuff.Microbes. The invisible world of yeasts, bacteria and beyond.We're just starting to understand how important microbes are in terms of defining wine style and quality. Sure, yeasts ferment grape sugars into alcohol. But they also do a whole lot more, as fascinating new research is revealing. Previously, many definitions of 'terroir' (what might be defined as a wine's 'sense of place' or perhaps 'distinctiveness') were limited to the role of soil and climate. If you were lucky, human influence garnered a passing mention.Now it's becoming clear that biology - and in particular microbiology - has more of a say in how a wine turns out than what was previously thought. Time for the textbooks to be re-written...In this episode, we talk to world-leading researchers Professor Matthew Goddard and Ignacio Belda, to get to the heart of the latest thinking and science. Turns out there is such a thing as, 'the microbial face of terroir' - even single vineyards have unique microbial signatures, and there's a proven percentage we can put to how much a wine's chemistry is influenced by that microbiome from the vineyard to the fermentation and beyond.In short, wine is the product of invisible bugs as much as it is the product of human hand or climatic and geographical phenomena. The implications are profound. Not just regarding how we define terroir. But also in terms of how winegrowers should farm to protect their unique vineyard microbiomes, how winemakers should best manage their fermentations, even how we wine drinkers should appreciate our wines (while protecting our own human microbiomes - the two can work together!)There's even talk of synthetic yeast being developed that can not only craft specific flavours in wine but also inform a winemaker when a fermentation needs to be checked...This is a fascinating field of research, one currently reaching fever pitch right now, so we report on and discuss the latest findings, which will be sure to make you think about wine in a new light.We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E24: The Microbial Face of Terroir.Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Did you know that Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world?Or that one in three Riesling vines in the world grow in German vineyards - and much of these are making dry, increasingly terroir-driven wines these days?There's much that's surprising, or perhaps unexpected about German wine right now.For long the sector under-performed - but a series of changes since the late 1980s (a process that's still ongoing, accelerated by climate change) has re-invigorated German wine, redefining its possibilities and forging a bright new future.There's even talk of the wines being, 'sexy' and of, 'pulling power'...All of which, plus the fact we're just back from Germany (and have had an intriguing listener question in), is the perfect excuse to explore German wine.We hear from Master of Wine and German specialist Alison Flemming plus Stefan Doktor, MD of the world-famous Schloss Johannisberg. Along the way we talk terroir, global warming, food matching, GG and the rise of dry Riesling, why 'succulent' is such a good tasting term, PIWIs, and why a swimming pool was important for a 1964 Auslese...Our thanks to Wines of Germany for sponsoring this episode and helping source some fantastic bottles for us to try and recommend. They are:Frey Pinot Blanc 2021, RheinhessenMaximin Grunhaus Maximin Pinot Blanc 2021, MoselKlein Riesling S Trocken 2021, PfalzRobert Weil Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken 2021, RheingauPauly Lieser Niederberg Helden Kabinett 2021, MoselShelter Winery Spätburgunder 2020, BadenWe love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E23: Germany's Pulling Power.Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

It's a wine word almost everyone uses - but no one really knows what it means, what causes it, or where it's come from.It makes some people angry, it leaves others mystified - but some adore the term and can't get enough of it. Is this yet another example in wine of (as one listener calls it), 'superstition, witchcraft and myth' that is nothing more than, 'absolute b*llocks'?!Welcome to the big 'minerality' mystery.In this episode, we dare to dive headlong into the snakepit of confusion, ambiguity and downright mystery that is the notion of 'minerality' in wine.But we're not alone. We've recruited the likes of sensory scientist Dr Heber Rodrigues and writer Meg Maker to enlighten us with the latest research and thinking on this intriguing topic.We ask questions like: what makes a wine mineral? What do people mean by the term? Which wines in particular tend to show mineral characteristics? Is it a good or a bad thing? Is it a vineyard or winemaking phenomenon? Ultimately - should we get rid of it, or cherish it?We taste two wines in order to put our own language under the microscope. There's an element of mud-slinging and mutual recrimination before we manage (more or less) to define what we mean by minerality.We also give a final judgement on whether, in our view, minerality should be part of the wine lexicon or not. The result...may surprise you.Wines tasted in this episodeUVC Chablis Premier Cru 2010, Esprit de Chablis, 12.5%Anhydrous Afoura Santorini Assyrtiko 2021, 14%We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E22: The Mystery of Minerality.This episode is dedicated to Dr Wendy Parr, a leading light in the world of sensory perception and wine.Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

We all know port. But there's a whole universe of fine Portuguese table wine out just waiting to be explored. It's far less known but certainly no less exciting…so we dive in.Peter's fired up after a recent trip to host a masterclass in Porto, where he tasted wines back to 1978 and recorded with a selection of Portugal's top wine talent, from Dirk and Daniel Niepoort to Sandra Tavares, Luis Pato, Susana Esteban and Tomas Roquette.Once back, he made sure to call in some special wines to taste and share on air, including the legendary Barca Velha, Portugal's most famous red – a wine that launched a thousand bottles… It's not a wine you get to see very often, let alone taste, so this is a privileged insight.Let's not beat around the bush: this is a tasting featuring a healthy amount of disagreement. These are undoubtedly fine, characterful, often intriguing wines – but they can (clearly) polarise opinion. We explore the reasons why.Also featured in this episode are (sometimes anguished) listener feedback about our Santorini mini-series, the ‘Porta 6 effect', Maserati, roof-hoping, Javier Bardem, field blends, ozone, and a €1,000 magnum. Peter gets a blind-wine challenge live on air – and we also touch on how to lose €10m with one word…Wines tasted in this episodeLuis Pato Vinhas Velhas Branco 2022, Bairrada, 13%Susana Esteban Procura Branco 2020, Alentejano, 13%Niepoort Redoma Branco 2021, Douro, 11.5%Meandro do Vale Meão 2020, Douro, 14%Mouchão Tonel 3-4 2013, Alentejo, 14.5%Barca Velha 2011, Douro, 14.5%We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E21: Portugal's Fine Wines - Here Be Treasures.Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!