The Wine list

In which Oliver and Richard take a deep dive into the subject of smell and taste; the underlying biological mechanisms of both (Oliver discovering his olfactory bulb), and how this relates to successful wine tasting. Oliver is thrilled by Richard’s introduction of the WSET level 2 Systematic Approach to tasting – bringing, in Oliver’s opinion, some much needed objectivity to the wildly subjective nature of wine aromas and flavours. Oliver and Richard discuss music appreciation and speculate whether this parallels an insight into better wine tasting.

In which Oliver becomes anxious about the thought of being a grape farmer, and Richard explains some of the techniques and tricks inside the winery that can have a huge influence on wine style. They both discuss (from personal experience) the merits of older age and corollaries with old vines and wine quality; Oliver realises that the light, fruity style of Beaujolais Villages is more his cup of tea than some of the heftier red wines tasted earlier in the Series.

In which Oliver tells Richard all about the 1976 Judgement of Paris, and how this rocked the wine world; Richard goes on to talk about the wine export revolution from Australia which started in the 1980s, and what effect this has had on making the old world of wine up its game in more recent years. Oliver puts on a reasonable Australian accent and Richard plays an amusing clip from a visit to his first ever winery tour in the Hunter Valley back in 1999.

In which Richard and Oliver enjoy a romp through wine history, and where Richard has Georgia on his mind as the cradle of wine civilisation around the 6th century BC; this inspires him to get his fiddle out. Oliver ponders what went on for centuries during the dark Ages and is horrified to hear about phyloxera which devastated the wine world in the late 19th and early 20th century.

In which Oliver discovers the delights of Chablis and Chablis Premier Cru; but can he tell one from the other in a blind tasting, and once he knows which is which, can he recognise and understand the difference in wine quality and price? Later, and with increasing confidence, Oliver compares two contrasting wine styles from one of Richard’s favourite regions: the southern Rhone. And it is in this episode when Oliver first gets to grip with the elusive concept of “Terroir”.

Season 1 Teaser by Oliver Turnbull & Richard Lane

In which Oliver introduces his idea for a podcast to help people like him who like a glass of wine, but who often feel intimidated by not knowing what is on a wine list. He introduces his friend of more than 30 years, Richard, who has recently passed WSET Diploma in Wines. Richard is just starting out in a new career of wine education. Oliver likes the familiar and exuberant taste of the aromatic sauvignon blanc, and later being transported back to family Sunday lunches in Yorkshire in the 1970s where his father would always open a bottle of ‘good old claret’.

A geographical theme, in which Oliver and Richard discuss natural factors and how they influence the ability of grapes to grow and of wine to be made. Oliver opens up the 30-page Chez Bruce wine list and starts to sweat; later he spins his globe and studies the ’30-50’ latitude strips of the northern and southern hemispheres, with Richard explaining why these numbers are important for making wine. Richard talks about good vintages and the effect of our warming planet on vintages in traditionally marginal climates like the Loire Valley and Burgundy. They then taste a chardonnay from a cool desert region of Chile (close to ‘30’) discuss the ‘Anything but Chardonnay’ movement, before landing on plump fruit and haunting aromatics in a Loire Chinon (close to the ‘50’). Oliver learns the value of swirling his glass and overcoming his belief that such behaviour is pretentious.