In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. To celebrate English Wine Week, David is joined by the country’s top winemaker, Dermot Sugrue, of Sugrue South Downs, who’s celebrating one of the highest scores at the IWSC this year for his cuvée ‘The Trouble with Dreams’ from the 2009 vintage.  

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David chats to Tamlyn Currin, wine writer for JancisRobinson.com, sustainability expert and Fortnum & Mason 2024 ‘drinks writer of the year’, famed for her vivid tasting notes, her passion for old vines and her penchant for Madeira.   

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. This week, some highlights from series 18, Mumm’s new cellar master Yann Munier, Sunny Hodge on his cynics guide to wine, Andrew Caillard MW on the Australian Ark, Ian Hongell talks Barossa, Elaine Chukan Brown on California - and Alex Watson on Renais Gin… 

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. In 2015, when Champagne Taittinger announced it was teaming up with its importer, Hatch Mansfield, to launch an English sparkling wine, it caused a sensation, and now, a decade later, Domaine Evremond is on the market.  David visits the winery, at Chilham in Kent, to meet co-founder Patrick McGrath MW. 

IWSC English gold medal winners featured: 

Sugrue South Down The Trouble with Dreams 2009 in magnum

Bride Valley Reserve Brut 2018

All Angels Ten Year Anniversary Classic Cuvée Brut 2014

Gusbourne Single Vineyard Commanders Chardonnay 2022

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David talks to Elaine Chukan Brown, author of The Wines of California, telling the story of the state’s wine industry, from its establishment by indigenous peoples, through Prohibition, to the pioneers who created today’s wine map, while looking to the challenges Californian wine faces in the future.   

Plus, David has news of the IWSC wine judging results for 2025, announced this week, featuring the three highest scoring wines: 

The Trouble With Dreams Magnum Brut 2009 by Sugrue South Downs

Verdelho 2001 by D’Oliveiras

Old Premium Rare Muscat NV by Morris Wines

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David’s guest is Ian Hongell, chief winemaker at Torbreck, one of Australia’s most celebrated names, celebrated for its Barossa Shiraz from dry-farmed, old vines descended from those planted in the mid 19th century.

IWSC medal winners featured:

Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Muscat NV (gold and trophy winner)

Morris Old Premium Rare Muscat NV (gold)

Peter Lehmann 8 Songs Shiraz 2021 (silver) 

Soumah Chardonnay 2023 (silver)

Fourth Wave Wine Little Giant Single Vineyard Cabernet 2021 (silver)

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David chats to Master of Wine, Andrew Caillard, winner of the IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year award, about his epic three volume work ‘The Australian Ark’, the story of the country’s wine industry, from its origins to the present day.

IWSC medal winning wines featured, all gold medal winners:

Dandelion Vineyards Firehawk Shiraz 2022

Golden Amrita Sunshine Hill Shiraz 2021

Ponting Wines The Pinnacle Shiraz 2022

Levantine Hill Katherine's Paddock Chardonnay 2021

Orlando Wines Lyndale Chardonnay 2021

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David chats to Alex Watson about Renais Gin, the brand he has founded with his actor sister, Emma Watson, a premium gin produced from the skins of grapes, from the vineyards of Chablis where their father is a winemaker.

IWSC gold medal winning gins featured: 

Three Engineers Oy 3E Gin 

North of Eden Admiral Navy Strength Gin

Karu Distillery Affinity Gin

Enceladus Distilling Company Limited

Astra Premium New Zealand Gin

Vinha Alta Balancal Barrel Rested Gin

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. England’s nascent still wine scene gets ever more exciting, with premium cuvées now taking the limelight. David chats to the co-owners of Whitewolfe, Clare Whitehead and Luke Wolfe, to hear about their self-funded project to create a trio of wines from Chardonnay, grown at Kit’s Coty in Kent.

IWSC winning wines featured, all silver medals :  

Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Coeur De Cuvée Extra Brut 2016

Louis Pommery England Brut NV 

Hattingley Valley Wines Blanc de Blancs Brut 2015

Denbies Wine EstateCubitt Blanc De Noirs Brut 2015

Vagabond Wines Pinot Noir 2022

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In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. Lisbon, Portugal’s beguiling capital, is also an enticing wine region stretching north for 130 kilometres along the country’s Atlantic coast. Libby Brodie chats to David about the terrain, climate, grapes and gastronomy of the Lisboa region.  In this episode, the wines tasted are: Adegamae Vinhas Velhas 2020 (Grape variety: vital): Adegamae Vinhas Velhas 2020 – Banquist, Morgado de Santa Catherina Arinto Reserva (Grape variety: arinto): Buy Morgado de Santa Catherina Arinto Reserva Online at Hic! and Cas'Amaro’s Vinho Tinto Falatório Bastardo 2021 (Grape variety: bastardo): 2021 Falatório Bastardo tinto.

Wines featured, all IWSC silver medal winners from Lisboa:

Quinta Do Conde Galodoro 10 Barricas Reserva 2022

Aveleda, Mandriola De Lisboa 2022 

Aluado Reserva Alicante Bouschet 2020 

Casa Santos Lima Quinta Do Espírito Santo 2021 

M&S Lisboa Bonita 2021

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