Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

Fancy tasting 18,000+ bottles of wine in a week? Humping and dumping 73,000+ bottles? Herding 250+ international wine judges? Dodging bottle crushers and giant wormeries?

And, after all that, the real question is: what's it all for?!

We go behind the scenes at the world's biggest wine competition, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), to tackle these very questions and issues.

What even is a wine competition? What's the point? What does it mean when you see a medal or award on a bottle? What really goes on behind the scenes? And how do you start minimising the environmental impact of a giant operation like this?

We dive in with the help of DWWA co-chair Michael Hill-Smith MW plus members of the Decanter team including Events & Awards Director Victoria Stanage, Head of Logistics Simon Wright and Awards Executive Shivani Tomar.

To spice things up, Susie references Peter's 'legendary stamina' (deep breath) and threatens divorce. There's also mention of anaerobic digestion, violent disagreements, a heart-warming wine story from Ukraine, the dirty topic of making money and the world's biggest ever party. All that, and some brilliant wines.

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

Here's the link to all the headlines & results from the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022. And to the Guardian piece on the Ukrainian winery that won gold.

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E23: The World's Biggest Wine Competition.

Cheers!

Wines mentioned in this episode

• Georges de la Chapelle Champagne Cuvee Nostalgie Brut NV, France
• Attis Embaixador Albarino 2018, Galicia, Spain
• Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Gran Reserva Rosado 2009, Spain
• Albert Bichot Hospices de Beaune Cuvee Cyrot-Chaudron Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2020, France
• Madame Veuve Point Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes 2019, Burgundy
• Mossi 1558 Impetuoso Classico Gutturnio Superiore 2019, Emilia Romagna
• Bulas Cruz Diwine Douro 2020, Portugal
• Domaine Verzier St Joseph Empreinte 2020, France
• Bisquertt Crazy Rows Carignan 2020, Maule, Chile
• Morrisons Gran Montaña Malbec 2020, Argentina
• Vagabond Wines Chardonnay 2020, Essex, UK

Armenia is not the first country to spring to mind in terms of wine.

But this is one of the most ancient winemaking cultures in the world. The broader Caucusus region - including Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, is where the winemaking vine is believed to have first been domesticated.

By way of proof, a 6,000-year-old winery was unearthed in the Areni-1 cave complex in the Vayots-Dzor region of Armenia. And the country may have anything up to 1,000 different species of vitis vinifera winemaking vines - testament to its longevity in wine terms (the vine tends to mutate naturally over time).

And yet...what do we know of Armenian wine?

Relatively little, if you're anything like us.

And that has to do with geopolitics as much as anything else - from the Armenian genocide to the Soviet occupation, the 20th century was hard on Armenia and its people. Its historic winemaking culture suffered, and it was shut off from the world.

Now, however, a new generation of Armenians are daring to revitalise this somnolent wine history. We talk to two of them - Aimee Keushguerian of Keush, WineWorks and Zulal. Also Juliana del Aguila Eurnekian of Karas.

They're brave because the region remains imperilled. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan has seen vineyards and farmers caught between warring factions. This is life or death stuff.

But, from the little we've dipped our toes in these particular waters, it's clear to us that there is huge potential in Armenian wine. In wine terms, Armenia is most certainly one to watch.

We hope you enjoy the programme! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter.

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E22: Armenia's Ambition.

Cheers!

Wines featured in this episode

• Keush Ultra Brut Nature 2017 Blanc de Noirs, 12.5%
• Zulal Voskehat Reserve 2018, Vayots Dzor, 13%
• Zulal Karmir Kot 2018 Reserve, Vayots Dzor, 15%
• Karas Family Wine Estates White Blend 2020, Ararat Valley, 13.5%
• Karas Orange Wine ‘Kraki Ktor’ 2020, Ararat Valley, 12.5%
• Karas Areni 2019, Ararat Valley, 13.5%
• Karas Single Vineyard Areni 2020, Ararat Valley, 13.5%

Some wines or vintages achieve legendary status. The 1982s in Bordeaux are a case in point. So what's it really like to taste a bunch of 1982 clarets, 40 years on - featuring some of the best wines of the vintage? 

1982 was a year that famously split opinion - the Brits copping the flak for labelling it too high-yielding, too ripe and 'Californian' in style, saying it would never age. On the opposing side was American wine critic Robert Parker, who championed the vintage and later went on to become one of the most influential wine writers of modern times. 

As for how the wines have held up... In this episode, we spill the beans, while also explaining the historical context as well as the nature of the vintage and the individual wines tasted. These include Chateaux:

• Mouton-Rothschild
• Pichon Comtesse
• Léoville Las Cases
• Léoville Poyferré
• Gruaud Larose
• Ducru Beaucaillou

Along the way we discuss the importance of storage, other vintages that can lay claim to being the, 'vintage of the century,' British Railways, current prices for these bottles - and which modern vintages may prove to be as great as 1982 in time.

NB: Wine Blast Live is a video-podcast and you can find the video on our YouTube channel

It's also over on our website, where you can find the full Show Notes for Tasting 1982 Bordeaux podcast on susieandpeter.com

Did you know that sugar and brandy can be added to sparkling wine? Were you aware that champagne was originally a sweet fizz? And that it regularly had things like port, cognac, elderberry, kirsch and raspberry brandy added to it?

Now there’s a plucky English wine producer adding all sorts of fun things to his fizz – from Sauternes to Sherry, Madeira and Tokaji – to see what’s possible. His aim? To potentially help create, ‘a new category in wine’.

Welcome to the world of dosage. That small addition that’s commonly popped into to the world’s very finest sparkling wines – but which people don’t talk about very much. 

Think of it as a ‘good’ wine additive. Yet producers don’t tend to be particularly adventurous in terms of trying new things to add in their dosage. 

Until now. 

Our story starts with us trying these bold, experimental new English sparkling wines before launching into fascinating conversations with their maker, English Master of Wine Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, as well as sparkling guru Ed Carr of Accolade and Champagne Louis Roederer chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon.

Along the way we explain what dosage actually is, why it’s used and delve excitedly into its history and future. We look into why people describe dosage as, ‘seasoning’ for fine fizz, and what role oaked wine, brandy and various types of sugar play in its make-up. 

Some wine pros use the term dosage as shorthand for the level of residual sugar in a sparkling wine. But, as we discuss, that’s an over-simplification that misses the bigger picture and purpose of dosage.

We consider the trend for zero-dosage wines and explain why we’re not fans of this category – despite Susie having written her Master of Wine dissertation on the topic.

‘When it's done well, dosage can help a wine  taste sublime,' says Susie. 'The art of dosage needs more respect and awareness...and more winemakers need to do it properly.’

We hope you enjoy the programme! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter.

As ever, all wine details, links and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E20: Adventures in Dosage.

Wines featured in the episode:

• Hart of Gold English sparkling wine Brut, 12%
• Louis Roederer et Philippe Starck Brut Nature Champagne 2012, 12%
• House of Arras Cuvée 1601 Brut Elite, 13%
• Bollinger RD 1976 Champagne Extra Brut, 12%

What's this about the world's first 'pet nad' wine? Why has a wine-list-free restaurant been told to, 'stop being so bloody stupid'? Who is releasing the latest cynical glassware range?

And, STOP PRESS: hot-cross-bun gin??!! 

Yes, this is your latest audio instalment of the riotous, ridiculous world of Fake Booze, the entirely made-up news site focused on the world of alcohol. Consider this your critical update on world affairs from a parallel universe, which involves Alldie supermarket, goats and Yoda. Cheers!

WARNING: features a few sweary bits and rude topics. Definitely not one to listen to if you're easily offended. Or you're a sommelier.

To support Fake Booze, give to their Patreon here.

For more quality Fake Booze material, check out the website.

Show notes are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E19: Fake Booze 2.

You can also say hi over on Instagram or Twitter.

So what exactly IS natural wine?

How to define it - or is that even possible? What does it taste like? Why are we seeing so many natural wine bars, shops and events springing up? Natural wine remains niche yet it seems to be influencing mainstream wine - but how exactly? And why does natural wine get everyone so darn hot under the collar..?!

Join us as we tackle all these burning questions and more with natural wine luminary and RAW WINE founder Isabelle Legeron MW, plus Mel Xenaki from natural Greek wine producer Tetramythos. We find time to taste and recommend a couple of natural wines (though Susie does ask if one wine, 'really is safe to drink?!')

Isabelle talks about receiving hate mail, the difference between a 'living wine' and 'a lifeless product', why 'only natural wine can be great', plus why natural wine means, 'we have to re-frame our expectation of wine.' She calls for more transparency in wine, including ingredient labelling, so people can have the choice, 'to decide: this is what I want to put in my body, or this is not what I want to be drinking.'

Mel admits, 'it's hard to introduce yourself as a natural winemaker - because it can be offensive to the mainstream.' She describes her approach as, 'ethical', and calls for legislation to define and regulate natural wine.

We hope you enjoy the programme! Do let us know your thoughts on natural wine or beyond - contact us via our website or over on Instagram or Twitter.

As ever, all wine details, links and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E18: Natural Wine.

Check out RAW WINE - the global community for natural wine producers and lovers. They have upcoming events in LA and London, among others. You can also find more details about Isabelle's book on natural wine and their new subscription wine club in the US (plus a cheeky discount code).

Tetramythos in Greece has some delicious natural wines we recommend in the show.

Here's the link we mention in the show to the Decanter piece on how wine lovers can help with the crisis in Ukraine.

This episode is dedicated to the people of Ukraine. 

We talk to two leading figures in the Georgian wine scene - John Wurdeman (Pheasant's Tears) and Irakli Cholobargia (National Wine Agency) - to get a sense of what the feeling is in the region, and what wine people are doing and can do to help.

Georgia, like Ukraine, is a former Soviet nation on the Black Sea that has had part of its territory occupied by the Russian military. These people are uniquely qualified to comment on the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine.

There's talk of tension, anger, fear, boycotts and suffering. Wurdeman dubs the conflict, 'fratricide,' but notes Georgians are forced to mute their opposition for fear of reprisals by Russia. Before the war broke out, 70% of Georgian wine exports went to Russia and Ukraine. That will have serious implications.

But it's not all doom and gloom. There is talk of kindness, solidarity, peace and generosity. 'You can see the flags of Ukraine all over Georgia,' says Cholobargia. Winemakers in Georgia are sending wines to Ukrainian importers to help them fund humanitarian efforts.

What's more, Wurdeman's UK importer Les Caves de Pyrene is funding transportation for Ukrainian refugees to stay with winemaking families across Europe. 'So hopefully we can have a little bit of love in an otherwise big nightmare,' says Wurdeman.

We also find time to touch on how and why Georgian amber (or orange) wine is so well suited to food matching, and how Georgia's ancient wine history is informing its present evolution. 

A final thought from John Wurdeman: 'The Georgian format for feasting is where you have an elected toastmaster and different subjects are touched upon: love, parents, children, nature, God, neighbours and so forth. And everyone’s encouraged to expand upon it and have a dialogue. It’s a wonderful way to get to know people, and a wonderful way to solve problems as well. It certainly seems to be more effective than NATO or the UN today! So maybe these international organisations should adopt the Georgian feasting model and we would find peace more quickly.'

If you'd like to support the excellent initiative by Les Caves de Pyrene, click here to access the crowdfunding (JustGiving) page to relocate Ukrainian refugees with winemaking families.

To learn more about Georgia, check out Peter's brand new wine & travel series - The Wild Side of Wine on WineMasters.TV It features everything from neolithic picnics in the middle of a thunderstorm to a winemaking centre for a ghostly cave city. Via Stalin, power cuts, a 400-year-old-vine, a vineyard with 400+ wine grape varieties - and a feast of wine, food and song.

The trailer for this show, plus all the usual details from this episode, are on our website: Georgia 4 Ukraine show notes on susieandpeter.com

Scooter basket. Pet coffin. Vinyl shelves. Zoom stand. Veg storage. Bird box. Fire starters. And, if you're the Prime Minister - for making models in which passengers are, 'enjoying themselves on this wonderful bus...'

Yes, all of these are the creative (sometimes baffling) uses to which wooden wine boxes have been put by creative wine types. 

But why do some wines come in wooden cases in the first place? What are their purpose - and, perhaps more importantly, their implications and their future?

This short & sweet Wine Blast Live version of our podcast is a response to this question from listener Andreas in Switzerland.

We feature input from leading wine producers, including breaking news from Château Langoa Barton in Bordeaux that they will be moving their entire 80,000-bottle production from wooden to cardboard boxes. They may even offer their customers the choice - with a surcharge for wooden boxes going to an environmental charity.

It's a tangent - yes, but a fascinating and fun one. Cheers to tangents!

For the photos (well worth a look) check out the link to our show notes: Boxing Clever on susieandpeter.com

NB: Wine Blast Live is a video-podcast and you can find the video either on our website show notes or on our YouTube channel

You can also connect with us on social media: via Instagram or Twitter.

At one point, it looked like Covid was going to be the death-knell for Champagne. And then...the bubbles bounced back. Big time.

But things aren't quite the same as they were - in intriguing ways...

In this fascinating episode we catch up on all the latest hot topics from this famous and historic fine wine region in northern France with none other than legendary winemaker Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon of Louis Roederer (and Cristal).

And he tells us: 'The 21st century is changing everything.'

So what exactly is the 'new' Champagne all about? On the one hand, it's about admitting mistakes (sounds like the 60s and 70s have a lot to answer for). It's also about risk and the potential rewards for pioneers.

We make sure to have a couple of glasses of delicious Champagne wines to hand - entirely for educational purposes, of course.

There's talk of drinking glass pyramids, still wines, scallops, happiness, a tornado and the move from non-vintage to multi-vintage (yes, we do explain).

Life is too short for bland champagne! Do you agree?!

More details, photos and recommendations are on our site: The New Champagne with Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon show notes

Say hi on social media: Instagram or Twitter.

Everything you need to know about the Burgundy 2020 vintage - in just 5 minutes!

It's a pretty special vintage (at least something good came out of that otherwise catastrophic year...)  But is it better for white or red wines? Was it warm or cool, big or small, what styles of wine can we expect? And, most importantly, what of the prices?!

In this quick-fire Q&A, Peter puts Susie on the spot, challenging her not only to sum up the wines in just 5 words but also to drink (Burgundy, of course) while she thinks - sometimes even while she's talking. 

And Susie has some quite eye-opening responses...

More details, photos and recommendations are on our site: Burgundy 2020 Brief show notes

This podcast is also available as a video: Burgundy 2020 Brief on YouTube

Reach out to us on social media: via Instagram or Twitter.

Listen to our previous (full) episode on Burgundy here: Burgundy in 2021