Wine Blast PLUS with Susie and Peter

Oz Clarke has done most wine things you've ever thought of, and some you maybe haven't even imagined. But we're not here to dwell on sex in a Margaux vineyard (though we do, of course, ask the question). This is about Oz Clarke OBE the wine titan, the great storyteller, the acclaimed author and broadcaster, surely the most successful person who ever claimed to have spent his, '...

'Nobody thinks of wine as the villain in the climate story. But in fact we are.' So says When In Rome's Rob Malin, who spoke at COP26 about how shipping wine around the world in glass bottles leads to significant carbon emissions. 'We have to take this seriously because if we don’t do something about climate change, you can forget a lot of your nice wine producing regions,&apos...

Please join in the fun! For our Big English Wine Adventure , we've gone and made 3 one-off English wines, with all profits going to charity. Now the project is reaching its climax: the wines are going on sale on 25th November 2021. But we're no experts in making or selling wine. Our necks are on the line and we need your help... We have some BIG announcements in this episode, which featu...

Did you know Bordeaux used to be mainly white, not red wine? And that there's a universe of delicious diversity (and great value) to be discovered among the dry and sweet whites of Bordeaux (not forgetting the fizz)? This is the second part in our mini-series in association with the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) and we dive headlong into the fascinating world of white Bordeaux. We talk to the...

Are you a bargain hunter, a new-experience seeker, a drinker-in as well as taker-out, someone with thirsty friends or friends to impress? Whoever you are - we can help you buy wine better. Buying wine isn't easy. So much choice, so little time - but getting the right bottle, and the right experience, makes a big difference. To help inform, guide and hopefully inspire you, we draw not only on...

It's gone from a joke to world-class in just a couple of decades - but what does the future now hold for English and Welsh wine? Will it be a case of boom and bust, as some are predicting? Or will this be the success story that just keeps on rolling? We dive into this debate with plenty of facts and figures to hand, plus we hear from Dermot Sugrue (Wiston), Ruth Simpson (Simpsons), Sergio Ver...

Something a bit different to kick off Season 3...our first ever EXPLICIT episode! It's not what you're thinking. Just a few gentle sweary words. Because this one is all about Fake Booze : a bitter, twisted, dark and damp website stuffed full of satire lampooning the world of wine and drinks, whose strapline is, 'Like truth, but better'. It's the brainchild of hitherto resp...

We're BACK! We've unearthed the microphones from under all the empty wine bottles, fish and chip wrappers, and slightly damp Speedos, ready to hit the ground running with a fantastic Season 3 line-up. We can't wait to get going, partly because our first episode (coming very soon) is different from anything we've ever done before... So if you like wine chat, a bit of a laugh, gi...

The chief examiner for the Master of Wine (MW) tasting exam is a terrifying figure guaranteed to strike fear and despair into the hearts of all aspiring MW students. So we ask him how to pass the exam. And it turns out he’s actually pretty nice, and meditates in his spare time. A lesson to us all… Beyond that, we hear short sharp blasts of top-quality advice and insight from two of the most recent...

Goats, amphorae, Whatsapp, wine aged in space, terroir, bats, non-fungible tokens and sexual confusion all crop up as we look beyond the Bordeaux stereotypes in a sponsored episode with the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB). Sharing their expert views with us on the latest goings-on in the region are Bordeaux-based writer and critic Jane Anson (author of Inside Bordeaux ) and Yann Todeschini of Château...

What even IS a Master of Wine?! How do you become one? Which Jedi powers come with the title? Is it true the pass rate is under 10%? What’s the real cost, not just in financial but also time and emotional fallout? How diverse and inclusive is the MW body? Aren’t the days of ‘the expert’ numbered anyway?!  It’s a biggie. So we’re doing this in two parts – this first one is about our own experiences...

What's the difference between English sparkling wine and champagne? Why bother doing the Master of Wine qualification? What's the story behind Wine Blast, and why is podcasting so suited to wine? If we could be any wine, what would it be? What to do with a wine festival in lockdown? If we could share a glass of wine with anyone, who would that be?  We answer all these questions and more...

Our story - as told (in slightly roundabout fashion) to Natalie MacLean on her Unreserved Wine Talk podcast. Beans are spilled...apologies issued...we reveal our career low points as well as what wine has done for our relationship (Susie skates on thin ice). Also why Peter makes a bad Santa and what we think of the fancy dress tendencies of your average French marathon runner. Among other things. ...

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world's most dramatic success stories. It went from zero to hero in the 1980s and 1990s, stunning the world with its uniquely extrovert character, and paving the way for an entire nation's wine fortunes to be revolutionised. Some people are a bit snobby about Kiwi Sauvignon - too easy, too obvious, too samey, they say. But the truth is that...

We wanted to revisit this (our second ever episode) partly to laugh at our presenting style back then, and also because it's so full of enthusiasm, helpful tips and, most importantly, tales of young people (especially young women) seizing opportunities and forging brilliant careers in wine. And the odd second career too.  We're also slightly amazed at how much we managed to shoe-horn int...

How do you fancy getting a name of your choosing on a wine label, benefitting a charity that’s close to your heart…and winning some delicious, unique English wine in the process?! That's exactly what's up for grabs in this episode, in which we discuss our Big English Wine Adventure , chat with superstar UK winemakers Liam Idzikowski (Danbury Ridge) and Emma Rice (Hattingley Valley), get...

You like wine. But you don't have lots of space at home. So what's the best way to go about starting (or improving) your wine collection? Listener Steven from Belfast asked the question, which was our cue to spring into action, doling out handy tips and advice, even doing a mini stock-take of our own at-home collection (with eye-opening results...) We talk to Nathan Hill, chairman of win...

Sommeliers. SO MANY QUESTIONS! What even IS a sommelier - or a Master Sommelier? What makes a great sommelier? How have sommeliers been affected by the pandemic, when hospitality has been devastated? What's all this about the lack of diversity among sommeliers? What of the very serious scandals that have played out in very public and traumatic fashion at the Court of Master Sommeliers-America...

For some people, wine is a pain. Up to 10% of the population suffers adverse reactions from drinking wine - and often sulfites are blamed. But what if, in most cases, the exact opposite were true? That sulfites are actually the unfairly maligned hero of the piece, and there's another culprit to blame? More tantalisingly, what if proper action on this front could help many drinkers enjoy wine...

What wine goes best with ketchup (or sweet chilli) crisps? What's 'ice cuvée fizz'? How to pair Netflix with wine? How good is Canadian wine, and which are the best ones to buy? Most importantly, how can you win prizes up to the value of CA$400 (or £260)?! It's all here, a small wine universe in a podcast. We're talking to globally renowned wine communicator and proud Cana...

Time to spread the wine love! First up, we asked you lovely lot for stories about how and when you first fell in love with wine - so we not only have some brilliant stories to share but also have a WINNER taking away £125-worth of Balfour Winemakers' Collection wines. This is a sponsored episode in partnership with Majestic Wine, so we have some delicious recommendations from their range for...

A wine lover's guide to (relative) sobriety... What DO wine lovers do when we want time off the booze? What's the best lifestyle approach to minimise intake but maximise enjoyment? What are the best wine alternatives out there? Inspired by a question sent in by listener John, in this episode we look beyond wine and explore how to make the most of not drinking. We talk to Stuart Elkington...

It's hard not to hang on every word of Mounir Saouma's. He's a Burgundy grower with a difference - someone who's not afraid to go against the grain and challenge the easy stereotypes. He doesn't mince his words, which makes for a provocative listen as we talk climate change, pricing (sample quote: 'It's a disaster!') and the 2019 vintage. He even manages to...

To kick off 2021, we dive right into the fascinating, frustrating, compelling wine world that is Burgundy. Iconic - certainly. Over-priced? Plausibly. At great risk from climate change? Undoubtedly. We explore these issues and more across two special episodes - and in this first part we quiz our fellow Master of Wine and renowned Burgundy expert, Jasper Morris, as well as buyer Rebecca Palmer from...

Is champagne a good match for fried chicken? (Or marmite?!) How do you make the perfect Christmas wreath...OUT OF CORKS? What are the best wines to enjoy during the festivities beyond the classics but including Pinot Noir? What seasonal clothing item of Peter's does Susie describe as, 'tasteless'? How to rustle up the most DELICIOUS sausage rolls at home, ideal for those pandemic-er...