Whisky, Words and Wine

Whisky and wine were put back in their place at the top of the show – Canada and Italy feature this week, and one of them even spells whisky correctly. A little bit of disagreement in this week’s episodes on two viewing fronts – do plot flaws turn Nocturne into a snooze fest? (despite Stephen Graham’s chilling performance) and is Celebrity Traitors on the way down (also -why did Kenny blow himself...

Heavy reading and heavy viewing this week with Sylvia Plath’s “Bell Jar”, and Suzie Miller’s Inter Alia – both well worth a read. In viewing, a great tense ABC drama – “Dustfall”, and a chillingly disturbing Stephen Graham performance in “Nocturne” (move over Hannibal Lecter).  On the lighter side Ted Lasso finished up (to mixed reviews from the boys), as did Slow Horses (with a horrifying ending...

What would you take with you on a journey to Mars? Jack and Graham give you their entertainment packing lists, and it is eclectic! From Queen to Leonard Cohen, Ancient Mythology to Lord of the Rings Mythology, The Matrix to the Sound of Music (really!!), and Desperado to Einstein on the Beach . Join us on the Magical Mystery Tour to Mars. Tell us what you would take by emailing us at: Email us: ma...

Jack is back in Oz, and that means the WWaW pod is back to its former rhythm, - like many things in life you can do it on your own but it's better with another person. Jack was restricted to his top 5 travel experiences but left us wanting more. Graham read a listener’s recommendation, and Jack read the book of a play that is about to turn into a film. We watched a young man not getting old, the h...

Graham is the anchor, Jack is the roving reporter, Graham does Chateauneuf Du Pape, Jack does whisky and Guinness, Graham reads books, Jack reads signs, Graham watches SciFi TV, jack watches 4th tier Scottish football, Graham is stuck at home, Jack wanders the world. Jack wins!   Email us: mailto:whiskywordswine@gmail.com Youtube: @whiskywordsandwinepod   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF10pluXZ...

A special episode this week whereby our roving reporter, Jack, speaks with someone woo was actually at Wembley Stadium for the legendary Live Aid concert in 2025.  And what a tale she has to tell….. Thanks to Elaine for sharing her story with us (and making sure Jack survives Scotland unscathed). Email us: mailto:whiskywordswine@gmail.com Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF10pluXZFOnjKU...

Just when you thought it was safe to go to the bottlo/off-licence, Jack finds out we have all been drinking whisky incorrectly. Chew for 51 seconds and apparently it tastes brilliant!  Meanwhile both Graham and Jack have apologies for errors committed in past pods (hard to believe, we know….). We have new books, one Slow, another a sword and sandal epic – you might call it a gripper (IYKYK). Plent...

Jack pulls Gaham up on a simple historical inaccuracy involving the colour of the ground, and decides alarm clocks are not for him. We read about tennis and  glam rock, watch Deadpool rescued by Branagh, Bowie as you you’ve never heard him before, tornadoes, and that traditional Olympic sport – Break Dancing, and listen to the destruction of Pompeii, Bill Nighy being the inimitable Bill Nighy, and...

An indulgent week with great food, great wine and whisky, and a lot of fun. A little bit of reading, a little bit of listening , and a lot of watching – a mixed bag this week – some very good, others … well….meh.  Recommendations for The Whisper Man film (De Nero), Jam Café in Sydney and Zareh restaurant in Fitzroy, Melbourne. And the Slow Horses obsession continues with Mick Herron at the Sydney...

A favourite pod – Strangers on a Bench – comes to an end at its 100th episode – we are almost half way to that – will we put up with each other for another year? We have both started new books – one an Australian mystery, the other a whimsical Japanese reflection on how to make good decisions at the right time by reading (very) random books – (sort of like what we are doing in the pod….). Neither...

Graham and three friends head off on their annual cross country ski trip, - chaos ensues! Hear about their trip and their recommendations for things they have seen, read and heard. Seen:  Lucky (TV), Wellington Paranormal (TV) The Tudors (TV) The Sheep Detective (Film - Hugh Jackman). Read: "The Cake and the Rain" (Jimmy Webb Biography); Romantasy (Fantasy Porn), My life as a fake (Peter Carey) He...

Graham beat the elements and has returned from his backcountry ski trip but has saved the stories for a bonus episode to be published later. Meanwhile Jack has successfully returned from the wilds of the Southern Highlands and an extended visit to a distillery. It didn't stop him falling down a rabbit hole though and he has spent much of the week researching the aftermath of the 1980’s Live Aid co...

Jack is sampling another Scotland/France combination – distilled in Scotland, aged in France (although this is but a juvenile so doesn't qualify as whisky…). We plan a “research” trip to Tasmania – home of the world’s best whisky, spectacular pinot noir, and a nude swim at the winter solstice. As part of the research Jack is reading about a killer big cat in the wilds of Tasmania. Graham is watchi...

A bit of follow up from last week’s pod regarding Sam Neill (from whom we borrowed the title for this episode) and more on the Odyssey film and its amazing production (no CGI!). And somehow Jack slips in his one impression – this being - Connery, Sean Connery - (who always sounds like Sean Connery - even when playing a 13century Italian monk). We watch way too much this week, but have to recommend...

The Odyssey - What a film! But that has to wait until we have got the World Cup Football off our mind and Jack justifies drinking French Whisky While we discuss the cinematic sword and sandals phenomen that is The Odyssey which has been at the forefront of our minds since we each saw it, but we have also read and listened to other stuff. Graham is revisiting Slough House and a fearsome Tchiakovsky...

The pod starts well with the usual dip into a whisky and a wine, but Graham gets apoplectic about restaurant wine-list  cheating and thereafter loses the plot completely when he talks about the TV series called Beef, but really means the series called The Bear, which, just to add to confusion, runs a lunch shop called “The Beef”. Who can blame him – the first two letters are the same after all…….A...

Half the title of this episode is a whisky and the other a wine – but don't mix the two. Words follow. The Football World Cup rolls on, with or without political interference, but that didn't stop Graham actually finishing reading a book and delivering a big recommendation for it. Meanwhile, we wait for the verdict on the book about Johns. Graham loves a good Beef (and a good Capture) while Jack l...

This week an Italian waiter called Hamish upsold Jack on a whisky that he poured over ice-cream (he was having a tough day). And Jack claims a different whiskey as his own. Meanwhile Graham goes to a friend’s coronation. Nothing cerebral on the watch list this week - World cup football has been occupying our minds and viewing times but Graham still had time to watch a loooong list of films and TV...

Excited about a few things – firstly, we are in the same place for the first time in our podcast (we are normally a few hundred kilometres apart), and we have our new theme song – written and performed by Jack, Jack gets a whisky-related recommendation from an Italian waiter called Hamish, and finds out the reason for the size of whisky hipflasks – which prompts a reframed drinking game. Meanwhile...

Scurryfungeing around The Scotsman goes Irish (Whiskey) while the Australian drinks a Jack Rabbit.  Word of the week: Scurryfunge - both have admitted to doing this at various times. Jack reads John (not of the Bible, but of John), Graham finishes Norwegian Wood (though didn't sleep in the bath to do so). ***Exciting News!!! – we have our own Theme song, “Whisky, Words and Wine” which is played in...

World Cup Fever is afflicting both Jack and Graham - great starts by both Australia and Scotland buoying the spirits – hope lives eternal and already they are looking forward to the knockout rounds. So many great individual and team performances and it is only the first week of the greatest show on Earth. And the antics of the fans always entertain. Lots of TV and podcasts fill in the small gaps b...

Graham likes bubbles – who knew? (actually several wineries in the King Valley now know). Two words of the week – Galloway (relating to the height of horses), and Aptronym – a name which accords with the profession or other attribute of the named person. Both are getting through their respective books but are not fast readers. Jack recommends a movie that teaches you  the difference  between a fal...

Graham may (or may not) have been wrong about where Aran knitwear comes from, but Jack is certain that the whisky he is drinking this week is from Lochranza on The Isle of Arran. Jack has stopped taking his phone on walks - not because he forgets where he has put it but it is actually a life choice (Mennonites rejoice!).  As usual, each go down a couple of rabbit holes – Graham’s involves railway...

Graham and Jack are  in the same country again, and we cut through the whisky haze to round off Jack’s travels, while plutons and googlewhacking make an appearance. Graham is recovering for the devasting spygate scandal (only a true football fan will understand the depths of despair this creates). Jack is reading about London Falling, while for Graham it is Moscow. Graham has found a new favourite...

Tonight is the second of this week’s podcasts featuring a cautionary tale about not drinking wine soon enough, childhood clothing trauma, and large sweaty men grappling with each other. Please listen to the Sumomainichi podcast – it is a blast - hosted by Dave and Amy, (and one episode this week by Graham), and go onto Youtube and watch some bouts – it is an awesome sport.     Send us feedback and...