Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

This is not just any old fish pie. This is LUXURY fish pie. And we've got some properly luxuriant wines to match...

There's nothing worse than a dry, eggy, potato-drenched fish pie. Our version uses smoked fish, chunky prawns, mustard, cream and cheddar - so we need some seriously high octane wines.

No sense fooling around: this is rich white wine territory. One of our favourite styles of all. We choose two classic grape varieties that work really well across a range of styles - Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc - including a skin contact white (is it an orange wine?!) plus a leftfield white Cinsault just for fun.

We've pushed the boat out with the wines because this is a treat of a dish (a good option around Christmas time too, for what it's worth). Enjoy!

Wines featured in this episode:

• Thorne & Daughters Menagerie Chardonnay 2020, South Africa (from £19.99)
• Rijckaert F Rouve Saint Veran Haute Cuvee 2020, France (from £16.99)
• Bruce Jack Ghost in the Machine Skin Contact Chenin Blanc 2022, South Africa (from £12.99)
• Stellenrust The Apprentice White Cinsault 2020, South Africa (from £18.99)

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic.

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our smoky fish pie is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E5 - Matching Food and Wine: Fish Pie!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

A new report predicts climate change will see English red wine becoming the norm rather than the exception as part of a global shift that will upend the world's wine map as we know it.

It's a tough one to get your head around.

On the one hand, these are exciting times for English winemakers.

On the other, climate change represents an existential threat to humanity. Plus, although rising temperatures making wine more viable and diverse in the UK, climate change is also bringing unpredictability, extreme events, and new pests and diseases, among many other challenges.

It's also proving a major threat to existing wine regions, especially warmer, drier ones.

In this bumper episode, we cross-examine the report's author, viti-climatologist Dr Alistair Nesbitt, in a fascinating interview.

We then follow up with some uncompromising views from the vineyard courtesy of Gusbourne's Charlie Holland, Balfour's Fergus Elias, Tillingham's Ben Walgate and Adrian Pike of Westwell.

We keep things chipper and upbeat as we discuss the everything from climate change to the torrid 2022 vintage, the prospect of 'great English Riesling', rosé, the future of appellations (and the controversial Sussex PDO), wine in Scotland, qvevri...and of course the thorny issue of price.

Along the way we somehow manage to turn the episode into an extended movie pitch for various concepts, from a wino's Dr Who to a Riesling Show-Down and even a 'wild western'. It's....refreshingly different (and all makes sense once you listen).

Click here to link through to Dr Alistair Nesbitt's paper: Climate change projections for UK viticulture to 2040: a focus on improving suitability for Pinot Noir

All details from this episode, together with photos to help set the scene, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E4 - Red Dawn: English Wine and Climate Change.

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Either way, thanks for popping in. This show is for everyone. Cheers to you!

It's a mid-week classic. But the BIG question is: what wines work best to make your spag bol taste like MAGIC?!

We tackle this weighty issue like the true gannets we are, featuring some delicious Italian reds (Montepulciano + Valpolicella Ripasso) as well as more quirky pairings, from a South African Syrah to a Chilean Pais. 

All the while talking through WHY things work as much as the specific wines themselves. (Oh, and there's mention of Pinky and Perky too - listen to find out more...)

Pairing wines with everyday dishes is really fun. Have a go yourself! Let us know what weird and wonderful discoveries you make.

Meantime, here are the wines featured in this episode:

• Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2019, Italy, 13.5% (from £9.99)
• Villa Borghetti Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2020, Italy, 13.5% (from £10.99)
• Radford Dale Antithesis Syrah 2017, Stellenbosch, 13.5% (from £18.99 or in the £199 Wine Club by Majestic Grand Tour case)
• Spier Field and Flutter Cinsault 2021, Swartland, 13.5% (from £9.99 or in the £99 Wine Club by Majestic Discovery case)
• Morandé One to One Pais 2019, Maule, 13% (from £7.99)

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic.

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our spag bol is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E3 - Matching Food and Wine: Spaghetti Bolognese!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Fancy joining us as we break into the Fort Knox of wine?!

It's an old mine and former munitions dump in the middle of the English countryside that now holds over 9 million bottles and £1bn+ of stock. It's one of the biggest such storage facilities in the world and one (whisky) bottle stored there recently sold for £1.2m.

Only downside? Security is tight. And you have to climb up 157 steps to get back out. Good thing Peter was actually invited in - and had a 'sustaining' lunch before the journey back up into the real world (including Cheval Blanc 1949, Krug 1996, Domaine Fourrier Clos St Jacques 2005 and Coche-Dury Meursault Genevrières 2010).

It's quite the adventure: something of a wine pilgrimage, which makes for a fascinating episode diving into professional wine storage, why some wines and people need it, wine investment...and of course an insight into how those very rare and special wines are tasting.

Very much related to the last point, this episode also features the audio treat of Peter trying his best to make sense while the wrong side of multiple delicious glasses and 100 feet under the Wiltshire turf in cavernous tunnels stuffed with millions of bottles of the world's finest wines. It's worth the listen, even if solely for comedy value.

All details from this episode, together with photos to help set the scene, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E2 - Inside the Fort Knox of Wine.

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Either way, thanks for popping in. This show really is for everyone. Cheers to you!

First up: what on earth is a GREEN PIZZA??!!

Well, it's a summer vegetable tart. But we couldn't quite bring ourselves to have that as our title. So we ran with 'green pizza'. Which it...almost is. 

What it definitely is, is utterly delicious comfort food. As well as going superbly well with a whole range of wines. So our kind of dish. 

It cries out for a fresh, crisp white. Particularly those made from  Sauvignon Blanc...but not exclusively. Here's what we went with:

• Villa Maria Taylor's Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand (from £13.99)
• Zewenwacht Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2022, South Africa (£99 as part of the 12-bottle Discovery case from Wine Club by Majestic)
• Domäne Wachau Weissenkirchen Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2021, Wachau, Austria (from £14.99)

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic.

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our 'green pizza' is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E1 - Matching Food and Wine: 'Green Pizza'!

Do send us in your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you! What do you think of our choices? What are your favourite food-and-wine matches?

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Susie and Peter are back! Still Masters of Wine, still married (the wine helps) and still serving up thrills and spills for your general delectation.

Season 4 dives right back in where they left off,  and promises tons of great wine content, thought-provoking angles, top guests, listener questions answered, opinion, food, recommendations - and of course a lot of fun too…

So welcome back - or welcome. This podcast is for everyone with an open mind and a healthy thirst. No need to catch up, just hop on board, make sure you subscribe to enjoy the ride, then tell all your friends (as well as leaving a nice rating and review!)

Susie & Peter's aim is always to entertain - so they thought, rather than do a boring old standard Trailer, they'd put together a 'best bits' highlights reel featuring some of the fun and games from Season 3. To give you a taster of what's in store for Season 4 (as well as a reminder of some very fun times, and how worthwhile it is dipping into the back catalogue).

Enjoy!

ps More details as ever on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 Trailer

pps Give us a shout over on Instagram or Twitter. Or, even better, send us a voice message via Speakpipe. We love to hear from you!

So: what wine to pair with your roast lamb?

Our answers might surprise you.

Lamb is a classic in the wine matching pantheon. But it's not as easy as it may first seem. In fact, we'd argue a lot of supposed matches are way off the mark.

Lamb is a very delicate red meat so needs a specific kind of wine to get the best out of the combination. Sometimes (in fact, really quite often) the best style of wine to pair with lamb is.....white.

Failing that, an elegant red - but beware even the so-called classic pairings, because they don't all work, as we explain.

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic:

• Domaine Maire Heritage Chardonnay 2018, Côtes du Jura, France (from £12.99)
• Borsao Tocado Garnacha 2020, Campo de Borja, Spain (from £7.99 or £99 as part of the 12-bottle Discovery case from Wine Club by Majestic)
• Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2018, Spain (from £13.99)

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our 'roast lamb with a twist' is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E27 - Matching Food and Wine: Lamb!

Do send us in your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you! What do you think of our choices? What are YOUR favourite matches with roast lamb?

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Curry. We all love it. So what's the best wine to drink with it?!

Here be answers. As well as a bit of chomping (sorry), mention of whipping (no idea how that came up) and of course delicious wines all in the mix.

This is a short-form Live episode, the first in our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic.

It's also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The curry in question is a very simple and very delicious chicken tikka massala. So we're finding wines to match the aromatic spices, tangy tomatoes and creamy richness.

We come up with a classic match, a slightly left-field match and then a wild card option. All the way explaining our thinking so if you can't get hold of these exact wines, you can no doubt find similar versions to suit you.

The recipe we're using is inspired by our friend and brilliant food writer Jo Pratt, developed as part of our What Food What Wine competition. It's available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, here: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E26: Matching Food and Wine: Curry!

Remember: fight heat with sweet! Also: it's not always the wines that taste the best on their own that end up going best with the food.

Do send us in your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you! What do you think of our choices? What are YOUR favourite matches with curry? Any curry-related drinks disasters to relate?!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Wines featured in this episode (all from Majestic):

• Definition Mosel Riesling 2019, 10.5%, Germany (£7.99)
• Nero Oro Rosé 2021, 12.5%, Sicily (£8.99)
• Casal Sta Maria Reserva Branco 2019, 13.5%, Portugal (£199 as part of the Grand Tour case in Wine Club by Majestic)

This show is brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. Check it out!

Some people say choosing the right wine for your food (or vice versa) is too complicated. Or that it's all nonsense, so not worth bothering with - just go with whatever you fancy.

We beg to differ - in the most strident of ways.

We've both spent more than 20 years matching wines to food on TV, radio, events, podcasts and print. We know food is one of the best ways to make sense of wine, to learn more and to get beyond the pretentiousness - by focusing on basic flavours and personal pleasure.

Finding out what works best for you and yours takes a bit of time and an open mind, though. So let us help you!

This episode is the first in a mini-series (in association with Wine Club by Majestic) focusing on food and wine pairing. In this one, we sock it to the naysayers and serve up our 7 top tips to match wine and food successfully, illustrating the basic logic by pairing a series of wines to a cheese board. (The results are almost certainly not what you'd expect).

We also grill Majestic buyer Elizabeth Kelly MW on her favourite food and wine matches, guilty pleasures and top tips - and we hear briefly from Louis Roederer cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon and gastrophysicist Professor Charles Spence.

All that, AND we answer a question from Jonathan in New York about whether his wine fridge is ruining his treasured bottles...

Following on from this appetising entrée will be a series of short-form video pods, in each of which we'll take one dish and find a wine or two that works as a delicious pairing. Again, explaining the logic as we go along, and having a bit of fun along the way.

We hope you enjoy the episode! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Wines featured in this episode to match with cheeses (all available from Majestic):

• Chateau de Crezancy Sancerre 2021, 12.5% (£17.99)
• Marques del Atrio 2 Cepas Rioja Blanco de Guarda 2019, 13% (£199 as part of the Grand Tour Wine Club case)
• St Veran Haute Cuvee 2020 Rijckaert F Rouve, 13% (£16.99)
• Definition Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2017, 12.5% (£14.99)
• Castelanu de Suduiraut 2014, 13.5% (£12.99 for half)

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E25: Why Bother Matching Food and Wine?

Aghi Ourad is a Brit of Algerian descent who wants to change the way we think about wine from the 'Arab world' (his phrase).

Places like Algeria and Lebanon, where wine production has a surprisingly long history but currently operates in a challenging environment for religious, social or economic reasons.

Such wines from Muslim-majority countries, in Aghi's view, are under-appreciated and yet offer great interest and value for wine lovers. So he's set up a business, The Other Grape, to sell these wines and tell the stories of the people and places that make them.

Aghi has written movingly about suffering personal humiliation as a result of his 'Muslim appearance' and suffering from imposter syndrome with his own, European society. He's also very honest about the 'schizophrenic' attitude to alcohol in Muslim-majority countries like Algeria.

We quiz Aghi about the relationship between Islam and alcohol, as well as the wines from Algeria and Lebanon today. We also dive into the fascinating wine history of these countries - did you know, for example, the following factoids?

• Algeria was once the fourth-biggest wine producer in the world.
• Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia accounted for two thirds of the world's wine exports in the 1950s.
• Algeria was partly responsible for the development of France's famous appellation contrôlée system.

Peter also reflects on his recent trip to Lebanon, to film for his new wine and travel show, The Wild Side of Wine, and shares his insights into the wine scene there.

We talk indigenous grapes and unique wines, sampling a Lebanese Obeidy (white), an Algerian red blend from the Monts du Tessala, and a tiny-production Syrah from the Batroun hills of coastal Lebanon.

There's also poetry in this episode, as well as talk of big guns, power cuts, Islamophobia, drones, phylloxera and what exactly constitutes an, 'angry wine'.

We hope you enjoy the episode! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Wines featured in this episode:

• Chateau Oumsiyat Obeidy 2018, 12.5%, Lebanon
• Saint-Augustin Monts du Tessala AOG 2017, 13%, Algeria
• Sept Syrah 2019 Batroun, 14.5%, Lebanon

Links

Aghi's wine business we discuss in this episode is The Other Grape - you can get 10% off if you use the code SP10.

Here's a link to see the trailer and find out more about Peter's new TV series, The Wild Side of Wine

This is Alex Rowell's book Vintage Humour: The Islamic Poetry of Abu Nuwas

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E24: Wines from the Arab World.

Finally, do check out our previous episode on Lebanon (S1 E22) to hear from Chateau Musar's Marc Hochar and Lebanese wine expert Michael Karam.