What wine news is worthy of your attention? How should you warm up your (fine) wines in an emergency? What wines are really worth paying silly money for? And which wines should we have loved...but didn't? 

These are just some of the questions we dive into in this Listener Q&A episode, where we respond to your brilliant comments, feedback and questions.

And we field one other question too: are we even married to each other?!

No spoilers here... Suffice it to say that along this particularly fun ride we touch on subjects as diverse as Japanese wine anime Drops of God, wildfires in Chile, Michel Roux Jr, marriage counselling, Cahors, Malcolm Gladwell, alternatives to Grange, our infamous 20-20 wine rule, re-writing wine's ancient history, Leonardo di Caprio - and 'pan-gate'.

We also ask that most critical of questions: are you a wine cuddler...or a wine microwaver?

All details from this episode (including the juicy photos and tweets we refer to in this episode) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E17 - News & Views 1.

Given this episode is all about your comments and questions, please do keep them coming! We'd love to hear your views on our subscription plans too. Do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Chardonnay polarises people. But times change and this is a grape that's moved on - arguably nowhere more so than in New Zealand, which in recent years has started to deliver quality, diversity and great value in spades.

It's timely, too, given the supply shortages and booming prices of the wines from Chardonnay's motherland in Burgundy.

We're Chardonnay superfans and we've been licking our lips at how far and fast New Zealand Chardonnay has evolved lately. So it's exciting to hook up with New Zealand Winegrowers for this sponsored episode charting that dramatic evolution and exploring why there's more to the land of the long white cloud than Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

New Zealand wine superstars Michael Brajkovich MW (Kumeu River) and Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas give us the inside track, full of eye-opening insights and informed opinion. Including the following quote: 'I'm just gonna come out and say it: New Zealand Chardonnay can outclass Burgundy.'

There's a bit of geeking out about Chardonnay winemaking - from oak barrels to malolactic fermentation - all with the aim of better understanding this most shape-shifting of grape varieties, and why New Zealand is doing such a good job with it (clue: a cool climate is key).

We also dive into the fascinating topic of that much sought-after (and also misunderstood) character in Chardonnay sometimes referred to as, 'reductive', 'struck match', 'toasty' or 'flinty'. We wrestle with the vexed issue of how to refer to it and come up with an absurd but catchy alternative...

Along the way we touch on how the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle has impacted the country as well as vintage 2023. You can support by donating to the Cyclone Gabrielle wine relief funds or buying and drinking wines from the most affected areas like Hawke's Bay and Gisborne - which ties neatly into our theme given Chardonnay is the leading variety in both those regions.

Finally, we taste and recommend some favourite New Zealand Chardonnays including:

• Wairau Cove Chardonnay 2021, Gisborne
• Esk Valley Seabed Chardonnay 2019, Hawke's Bay
• Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2021, Auckland
• Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2021, Auckland
• Neudorf Tiritiri Chardonnay 2019, Nelson
• Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2021, Marlborough
• Greywacke Chardonnay 2019, Marlborough

All details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E16 - Ahead of the Curve with New Zealand Chardonnay.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Could it be true?! No more hangovers is a tantalising notion, a Holy Grail for many drinkers. But how could this happen, and what would it mean for the world of booze and wine?

Join us as we dive headlong into the enthralling world of hangover hacks (including at least one credible ‘remedy’) and explore the new breed of so-called functional drinks, which promise to deliver the buzz of booze without the bad effects.

But do these functional drinks and hangover hacks actually work? We put our bodies on the line in the name of research – and deliver our verdict.

Illuminating the subject is Professor David Nutt, an expert of global renown on the effects of alcohol on the brain who’s developing a novel synthetic alternative to alcohol (Alcarelle) as well as a range of functional botanical drinks (Sentia).

That said, he freely admits to enjoying a glass or two of full-bodied red at the weekend…and boldly identifies, ‘the best way to minimise a hangover’. Gold dust!

‘Alcohol is the ultimate social drug,’ comments Nutt. ‘But we can improve on alcohol…’

During the course of this intriguing discussion, we consider the role and effects of adaptogens as well as the vital but largely unknown GABA neurotransmitter and how the GABA system might be crucial to the new wave of functional drinks.

Somehow we also manage to touch on horse-riding, space ships, drunken rats, expensive spas, the Nobel Prize, protozoa, hyper-glutamatergic state, the microbiome and whipping yourself with a birch branch in a sauna.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic – be it hangover remedies or your experiences with functional drinks. Give us a shout!

Here are the functional cocktails we taste in this episode:

• Edi Spirited and tonic
• Sentia Sun
• Livener Bellini
• Sentia Spice

All details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E15 - The End of the Hangover?

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Every wine lover craves great Pinot Noir. Burgundy is ever pricier and scarcer. So where to look?

Australia might not seem the obvious destination for Pinot Noir. It’s better known for hefty reds (think: Shiraz, Cabernet), historic styles like Hunter Semillon or its heroic ‘stickies’ (sweet and fortified like Rutherglen). 

And if there’s a Burgundian variety closely associated with Oz, it’s Chardonnay.

And yet…over the last few years, Ozzie Pinot Noir has come on leaps and bounds to capture the zeitgeist and become the grape everyone’s talking about. From Tasmania to Yarra, Mornington, Adelaide Hills and beyond, this is a grape helping re-define modern Australian wine and offering wine drinkers a glimpse of wine nirvana.

In this sponsored episode with Wine Australia, we talk to writer Matthew Jukes, grower Mac Forbes and sommelier Jane Lopes to tell the story of how and why Australian Pinot Noir has gone from zero to hero, and what the future holds. 

We talk terroir, regionality, climate change, sustainability, winemaking – and tackle the elephant in the room, value for money. (There’s also mention of tomato throwing, UV, the Holy Grail, stomping, the God complex, DNA – plus Susie admits she loves a wine more than Peter...)

As ever, we taste and recommend some favourites which capture the impressive diversity and sheer thrill of Ozzie Pinot Noir, including:

• Heirloom Vineyards Pinot Noir 2021, Adelaide Hills, 13.5%
• Ben Haines 'Colour Block' Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, 11.5% 
• JC’s Own Morialta Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020,  Adelaide Hills, 14.5%
• Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, 13.5% 
• Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Coal River Valley, Tasmania, 13.5%

This episode contains the memorable quote: 'Why fart around with Burgundy when you can buy this?!'

All details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E14 - Australian Pinot Noir Comes of Age.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

This podcast is GOOD FOR YOU! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise...

In this mind-blowing episode we have an exclusive interview with the world-famous Professor Tim Spector, expert in the human microbiome - this population of friendly microbes that lives inside all of us and which acts almost like an extra organ, boosting our immune system, fighting disease and even influencing our mental health.

According to Spector, these microbes are so numerous and influential that we're all effectively, 'half human, half bug.'

Spector has studied how what we eat and drink influences our gut microbiome and thus our health - and the good news is that red wine drunk daily in moderation can definitely boost our microbiome in beneficial ways. Hallelujah!

So, it's a case of: Eat, Drink Red and Be Merry. But not too merry...

This is an episode not to miss! Other questions we explore include:

• Why red wine is better for our health than white wine or other forms of booze
• How much is too much when it comes to wine and health
• Why we may need to re-think the concept of 'hazy' wine or decanting (to take wine off the sediment) given it's thought that even dead yeast cells can be good for us 
• How fermentation is key to health benefits because it increases the complexity of polyphenols 
• Why wine could be the source of the ultimate health drink
• Why drinking as many different red grape varieties as possible is a good idea because each will nourish different microbes, and diversity is key for health
• Why we need to take official government health advice (and those peddling supplements) with a pinch of salt
• How people playing around with precision fermentation, microbes and other modern techniques will revolutionise wine and beer in the next few years

Along the way we talk natural wine, polyphenols, wild ferments, sweet spots, long lunches, hangovers and Big Ben. As ever, we find time to enjoy and recommend a few bottles of wine (and benefit our microbiome while doing so). In this episode we have:

• Clos Basté Madiran 2019, France
• Château Montus Madiran 2016, France
• Plaimont L'Empreinte de Saint Mont rouge 2018, France
• Catena High Mountain Vines Malbec 2017, Argentina

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E13: Wine and Your Microbiome - A Recipe for Health?

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can get in touch via our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you! 

Stuff is going down in Beaujolais.

Natural wine is a hot trend. Beaujolais Nouveau is re-inventing itself. The top sites have never made better wine. A new generation is revitalising the scene. Geological research has revealed eye-opening results. And growers aren't afraid to throw caution to the wind (Côte Rôtie barrels and Sciacarello anyone?!)

Phew.

It's also newsworthy: the region is submitting its first ever application for the top sites to be designated Premier Cru, the highly-prized status afforded only to some of the finest vineyards in Burgundy.

We get the low-down on all of this courtesy of dogged investigative work (yes...we do include drinking wine under that heading...) as well as interviews with leading growers Grégoire Hoppenot and Xavier Thivolle plus Caroline Santoyo of Inter Beaujolais and David Roberts MW of Goedhuis & Co.

We also throw in some factoids. For example, did you know that until World War II, a bottle of good Moulin-à-Vent Beaujolais cost the same as a bottle of Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru?! Or that Beaujolais is considered to be one of the original heartlands of natural wine, home to a 'viticultural prophet'?

This is a sponsored episode with Inter Beaujolais - it's a topic we've been longing to cover for a while so fantastic to have an opportunity to catch up with the latest from what is a dynamic and multi-faceted region.

Topics under discussion include Gamay, gobelet, Beaujolais as an alternative to ever-pricier Côte d'Or Burgundy, lieux-dits, The Last of Us, pink granite, the ten famous Beaujolais 'crus' and carbonic maceration.

And after all that we're in need of refreshment so taste and recommend a selection of truly outstanding Beaujolais wines (details in full show notes), including:

• Les 3 Madones Beaujolais-Villages 2021, Cave du Château des Loges 
• GAM Beaujolais-Villages 2021, Domaine Lathuilière-Gravallon 
• Fleurie Roche Guillon 2019, Domaine de Fa 
• Morgon Côte du Py 2020, Jean-Marc Burgaud
• Fleurie 2021, Julien Sunier
• Morgon Eponym 2021, Jean Foillard

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E12 - The New Beaujolais.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you! 

Has Burgundy gone bonkers?!

Off the back of a nightmare 2021 season, wines are in shorter supply than ever - so prices have gone through the roof.

Again.

The wines are unquestionably good. That's what Burgundy does. But as the region's wines gradually become ever-more scarce and atypical - and ever-less affordable - how long will wine lovers stick with Burgundy? Will we look back in 20 years and say: that was the tipping point when Burgundy finally lost touch with reality?!

These are just some of the no-nonsense questions we're posing in this fresh take on an archetypal wine region where bucolic tradition is increasingly on a collision course with fast-moving  reality. 

We explore the 2021 vintage as a springboard to discussing the bigger picture in Burgundy - in which climate change looms large, as does the issue of pricing (with a bit of mysterious vine death along the way). Stardust gets a mention.

As for the wines - will we see Chardonnay being replaced by the likes of Savagnin, and Pinot Noir being supplanted by Gamay, Syrah, or even Nebbiolo.?!

We grill Burgundy experts David Roberts MW (Goedhuis) and Jason Haynes (Flint Wines), as well as growers Florent Rouve and Caroline Drouhin of Domaine Drouhin-Laroze in Gevrey-Chambertin.

What's more, we give our verdict on the 2021 wines and give some top tips both from that vintage and more general (but still delicious) drinking Burgundy we've discovered lately. (Also some ideas on alternatives to Burgundy.) You can find a full list of our recommendations in both these categories on our website (link below) - meantime the highlights we recommend in the pod are:

• White: Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Viré-Clessé 2021 (c£28 per bottle, J&B): nutty, gorgeous white
• Red: Jean-Pierre et Vincent Charton Bourgogne Rouge Champ de Perdrix 2021 (c £19-20, Goedhuis): more funky natural style but sappy and savoury, grippy, perfumed
• Red: Drouhin Laroze Gevrey Chambertin Dix Climats 2021 (£58 per bottle, J&B): splashing out, but beautifully fragrant and classic red Burgundy

General drinking Burgundy

• White: Lequin-Colin Bourgogne Chardonnay 2020 (£19.50, Stone Vine & Sun)
• Red: Domaine Vaudoisey Bourgogne Rouge 2020 (£19.25, Private Cellar)
• Red: Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rouge 2018 (£23.50, Wine Society) OR Domaine Derey Freres Marsannay Champs Perdrix 2018 (£23.50, Lea & Sandeman)

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E11 - Burgundy: The Tipping Point?

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for joining us - here's to the joys of wine, and cheers to you! 

Self-improvement - via a wine glass. With a side helping of 'vinous Kama Sutra'. 

But we're getting ahead of ourselves...

In our last episode we explored what we wine lovers want from the year ahead. In this programme we flip the camera round and take a look how we can be better wine lovers.

Suggestions like 'drink better' inevitably crop up. But so do more thought-provoking tips such as, 'Pair food with wine, not the reverse,' 'Give a bottle of wine that we love to someone who isn’t expecting it,' and 'Listen. Encourage. Celebrate.'

Supporting climate action is high on the agenda. 'Drink only wines from sustainable farming,' is one view, another is: 'Take a stand against wine in overly heavy bottles!'

Firm opinions are expressed on everything from shopping local to keeping an open mind (to other people's views as well as to unfamiliar wine styles), trusting your own palate, being humble, supporting small producers and retailers, pouring Pinot Gris down the sink, giving new things a go - and putting wine on the table not a pedestal.

In short, this is a largely heart-warming, occasionally challenging, certainly thought-provoking episode that will hopefully get us thinking about what it is to be a wine lover, and how we can each get the most out of this glorious liquid. 

Into this engaging mix are thrown the usual hodge-podge of random elements, from lobster mac'n'cheese to 'Naked on Roller-Skates' and artificial intelligence holding forth on 'wine tasting in the style of the Kama Sutra'. You've been warned.

We pair this zesty wine chat with a couple of special bottles to tie in with the discussion:

• Ata Rangi Lismore Pinot Gris 2009, Martinborough, New Zealand
• Ridgeview Sparkling Red Pinot Noir NV, Sussex, England
• Bride Valley Pinot Noir 2018, Dorset, England

Thanks to wine writer Libby Brodie, Master of Wine Peter McCombie and Master Sommelier Gearoid Devaney - as well as a host of wine lovers all around the world - for sharing their views for this episode.

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E10 - How To Be a Better Wine Lover.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Thanks for joining us - here's to the joys of wine, and cheers to you!

So what do we all want from wine in the year ahead? What's top of our wish list for wine in 2023?

For some it's drinking better (or simply more) wine. If possible, for less money.

Others are hoping Pinot Noir proves to be a miracle cure and will be prescribed by doctors...

More realistically, combating climate change, responsible political engagement with wine and an end to the war in Ukraine inevitably feature.

And what of no-alcohol wine? The rise of organic and biodynamic viticulture? The quest for fresher wines, with moderate alcohol? Greater diversity and inclusivity in wine? Wine in cans? The growth of English wine? A return to travel? Wines with 'added value' (and less marketing nonsense)? And supporting independent wine merchants?

In this frank, opinionated episode, we take in a whole host of views from around the world and also hear from Master Sommelier Gearoid Devaney, wine writer Libby Brodie and Master of Wine Peter McCombie, among others.

Somehow, we also touch on poor taste in jumpers, serendipity, Damp January, the wine fountain of Irache, undies and their openings - and algorithms.

This episode paves the way for the subsequent programme entitled: How to Be a Better Wine Lover.

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E9 - The Year Ahead: A Wine Lover's Wish List

We'd love to hear what you want from the year ahead, or how to be a better wine lover (or indeed to receive any pics of 'cool' wine jumpers) - 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 joining us - and cheers to you!

Wine is good. We want a good future for wine - and the planet. But wine has been described on this pod as, 'the villain in the climate story.' So what gives - and how to turn this around?

One UK wine retailer has sent out a rallying cry - aiming to be carbon neutral by 2024 and net zero across its entire business by 2040.  This retailer wants, ‘to be the most sustainable, ethical and responsible wine retailer in the world.’ 

These are big aims - and they belong to The Wine Society. So Peter, ever wary of greenwashing and over-hype, heads over to their HQ in Stevenage to poke around behind the scenes and ask the hard questions like: how on earth can this be done, what are the key challenges to overcome, how much will it cost, will the wines change as a result, and what even is a 'sustainability scorecard'?

Along the way we talk insetting (as opposed to offsetting), right-weighting, the demonisation of plastic, solar power, heavy bottles and saying goodbye to capsules.

Even forklifts, sweet shops, Mars, bees, alpacas, Elon Musk, leftover wine and lunch get a mention. That, and growing wine in a greenhouse in space...

The world around us is changing - wine included. This glimpse into a potentially brighter future of course comes with the usual side-order of wine, as we recommend some delicious drops from sustainable producers stocked by The Wine Society, including the following:

• Lubanzi Chenin Blanc 2021, Swartland, South Africa (£3.95 per 250 ml can)
• Dog Point Chardonnay 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand (£22.50)
• Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas 2018, Paso Robles, USA (£20)

All details from this episode, together with photos to help set the scene, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E8 - Selling Net Zero Wine: Pipe Dream or In The Pipeline?

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 joining us - and cheers to you!