The Drinking Hour: With David Kermode - FoodFM

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. Celebrated for sparklers and more recently for still wines too, Tasmania is David’s focus as he explores the terroir of this enchanting Australian island with Tom Wallace, winemaker at Devil’s Corner. Drinks featured, all from Tasmania: Hellyers Road Distillery 21 YO American Oak (Cask 2283.01) Cask Strength Sin...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David chats to Steve Lohr, whose father Jerry was a pioneer in Paso Robles, the California region that’s attracted a legion of fans for the quality and value it offers. They talk terroir and why Cab remains ‘king’, but also the other varieties to have on your radar. Drinks featured, all from California: Junipero...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David talks to House of Hazelwood director, Jonathan Gibson, and blender, Eilidh Muir, about the latest unique collection of aged Scotch whisky amassed by the Gordon family and now offered to discerning collectors. Drinks featured (all gold medal winners): Aerstone Sea Cask 10 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky  Milto...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David talks to the Chief Winemaker Tim Shand, at pioneering Margaret River winery Voyager Estate, established in 1978. Tim talks about his winemaking journey across Australia, what makes the region so special, and the challenges and rewards of going organic.  Wines featured: House of Cards Ace High 2023 (gold) F...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. Only the 8th cellar master in Perrier-Jouët's 200-year history, the first woman to occupy the role, Séverine Frerson joins David to celebrate the Maison Belle Époque, the elegance of Chardonnay and the importance of a sensory relationship with nature. Wines featured (all gold medal winners from Champagne): Champ...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David reflects on the latest series, including Eduardo Chadwick, on the anniversary of the Berlin Tasting, Sukhinder Singh reminiscing about a life of whisky collecting, Robin Kick MW on the wines of Bourgogne, the head of Austrian Wine, Chris Yorke, Chris Carpenter on sustainable winemaking and Rodolfo Bastida...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. For the second of his special editions dedicated to Chablis, David continues his visit to the region’s producers and talks to Robin Kick MW about Petit Chablis, a wine that offers an exciting, affordable entry point to the region’s world famous wines. Wines featured, all silver medal winners: La Chablisienne Les...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. For the first of two special editions dedicated to the wines of Chablis, Rosemary George MW joins David to talk about this special region’s distinctive terroir and he meets producers to find out more about a region that’s a global brand in itself. Wines featured, all four of them gold medal winners at the ’24 ju...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. To celebrate English wine week, one of the country’s rising stars, Zoe Driver, winemaker at the critically acclaimed Black Chalk, joins David to talk about her own winemaking philosophy and the reasons behind English sparkling’s stellar success. Wines featured: Wyfold Vineyard Rosé Brut 2018 (Gold) Roebuck Estat...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David visits Sicily’s Mount Etna region to explore the ancient civilisation of pre-phylloxera old vines, from indigenous grape varieties, and meet the winemakers toiling on its volcanic slopes to craft distinctive wines. Drinks featured:  Amaro Amaranca (silver) Bisol1542 Cartizze Dry 2022 (gold) BiancaVigna Riv...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. A traditional wine nation that still offers a voyage of discovery for the wine lover, with its indigenous grape varieties, family winemakers and great value fine wines. David travels to Vienna to experience VieVinum, the largest showcase of Austrian wines, and speaks to the Austrian Wine CEO, Chris Yorke. Wines...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. Chief winemaker at Rioja’s Ramón Bilbao, Rodolfo Bastida, is David’s guest as the winery celebrates its centenary and he toasts his 25 year tenure, to talk altitude winemaking, grape varieties, the pursuit of purity and the future for the region. Wines featured: Beronia Gran Reserva 2015 (gold) Bodegas Ramón Bil...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. A special episode dedicated to Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. David meets Te Mata’s boss, Nick Buck, as well as winemakers Steve Smith MW at Smith & Sheth and Craggy Range’s Ben Tombs as he explores what defines this historic region and its wines. Wines featured: Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Syrah 2020 (gold) Missio...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. For the second of two special editions dedicated to the wines of Bourgogne, David visits the region to meet winemakers in Viré-Clessé, Mercurey and Ladoix to learn how they are evolving and adapting to new challenges, while respecting history. Wines featured: Château de Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2020 (go...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. For the first of two special editions dedicated to the wines of Bourgogne, Robin Kick MW joins David to talk about the region’s intricate patchwork of plots, its signature grape varieties and the styles of wine that have won acclaim around the world. Wines featured: La Chablisienne Château Grenouilles 2019 (gold...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. Renowned whisky collector, Sukhinder Singh, joins David to talk about his journey, with brother Rajbir, from family off-licence to The Whisky Exchange and building their own distillery, plus his plans for the year as IWSC ‘Industry Champion’. Drinks featured (all gold medal winners): Elixir Distillers, Elements...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. To mark Earth Day 2024 David is joined by Christopher Carpenter, winemaker for Jackson Family Estates’ Napa properties, to talk about leading the transition to organic, as well as regenerative viticulture, cutting carbon and reducing water use. Wines featured: Capensis Wines, Silene 2021 (gold and trophy) Torres...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. To launch the new series, David’s guest is Eduardo Chadwick, representing the sixth generation of the family behind some of Chile’s finest wines including Viñedos Chadwick and Seña, he’s celebrating twenty years since the Berlin Tasting, which saw his wines beat some of the great names and helped change percepti...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. Includes Oz Clarke OBE; Nyetimber’s chief winemaker, Cherie Spriggs; Stephen Duckett of Hundred Hills winery; Romain Ott of Château Léoube, Emanuel Pesqueira, group head of wine for Gordon Ramsay restaurants and Hannah Crosbie, author of ‘Corker’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. From pouring wine in a restaurant at 17 years old to being profiled in Vogue, it has been quite a journey for writer Hannah Crosbie, who joins David to talk about her debut book ‘Corker’, billed as “a deeply unserious wine book”. She tells him about ripping up the old rules and how to match wines to some of life...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. A special episode dedicated to New Zealand’s biggest wine region, Marlborough. Oz Clarke OBE recalls the moment he first tasted its signature Sauvignon Blanc - which went on to be a global phenomenon - and David meets leading winemakers, including Cloudy Bay’s Daniel Sorrell, to find out what makes the region sp...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. South Africa’s dynamic, constantly evolving wine scene is the focus as David chats to Master of Wine Dirceu Vianna Junior and Sophia Longhi, to reflect on judging wines in South Africa for the IWSC last summer. Wines featured: Mont Rochelle Miko Chardonnay 2018 (gold and a trophy winner) Capensis Silene 2021 (go...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. To mark International Women’s Day, David revisits some of his conversations with pioneering women in the world of wine and spirits, including Dr Laura Catena, Dr Rachel Barrie, Sarah Pidgeon, Louisa Rose, Corinne Seely, Cherie Spriggs, and Jancis Robinson OBE MW. Wines and spirits featured (all from the women wi...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. The Ott name is Provence rosé royalty, but Romain Ott chose to forge his career on a neighbouring estate, Château Léoube, a stunning stretch of the Côte d’Azur, where, as head winemaker, he crafts organic wines. He chats to David about rosé’s revolution in quality and how he crafted a ‘Super Tuscan’… in Provence...

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. How to select wines for pairing fine dining, and how to make the best use of a sommelier’s incredible skills? These are among the questions David poses, as he chats to Emanuel Pesqueira, influential group head of wine for Gordon Ramsay restaurants, which include 1890, Pétrus and the Savoy Grill. Wines featured:...