Wine Blast with Susie and Peter 4z1a5q

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 ing 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.' ing 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, ing 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 ing 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 ing 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 ing 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 ing us - and cheers to you!

We're not kidding. This is the ULTIMATE burger. Especially if you're a wine lover... Yes we've got the patty and the brioche bun. So far so straightforward. But the killer ingredients? A tawny port reduction ('wino's ketchup'). Blue cheese. Umami paste. And to top it all off? Truffle mustard mayo. So yes, in this fun episode we attempt to answer that HUGE question: what wine to drink with your burger?! After much research, thought and drinking of wine, Susie was inspired to create this recipe - the Umami Bomb. A burger designed specifically to appeal to wine lovers. We then set to work - the first challenge is eating the burger while talking (not straightforward). But of course the point of the exercise is to explain what wines work best with the burger and why - featuring some delicious bottles along the way. This was a fascinating and fun episode to put together, we hope you enjoy it. Wines featured in this episode: Definition Lodi Zinfandel 2019, California, USA, 14% (from £6.99) Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2013, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 14.5% (from £17.99) Piekenierskloof Heirloom Red 2020, Swartland, South Africa, 14.5% (from £19.99 or as part of the Grand Tour Wine Club case) 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 Umami Bomb burger is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E7 - Matching Food and Wine: The ULTIMATE Burger! Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

WOTY?! Don't mind if we do... Welcome to our TASTIEST show of the year (and that's saying something!) In 2022 we're focusing on value to give you some ideas of delicious but affordable wines to suit the season's revelry. No spoilers but we've got wines from , Spain, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, USA, New Zealand - even Austria and England. (We did start off with just one Wine of the Year but couldn't help ourselves throwing a few more outstanding wines into the mix...) Dive in to find out what we've chosen! But this show isn't just about wine recommendations. This year we're featuring some of your (often funny, always thought-provoking) and questions. We touch on whether Wine Blast sends babies to sleep, how a champagne-Sauternes cocktail is better than paracetamol, why a storage fire inspired better drinking habits, how we saved a listener's wine treasures, what ISN'T hipster wine and whether or not it's a good idea to let wines breathe. Not only that, but we discover - via a listener's brilliant question about what constitutes a 'silly money' wine - an entire Wine Blast episode that was never aired because.....we forgot all about it. We blame the wine. In the midst of all this chaos, Susie touches on the importance of ageing disgracefully, Peter talks tasting with giraffes, we weigh up an alternative career as agony aunts and somehow find time to recommend everything from a value cremant to a red that's like 'aged claret on speed'. There's even the odd magnum in the mix. As well as sherry. There's always sherry. Looking ahead, we'd love to hear your thoughts on subjects to tackle in our inimitable style in 2023 - so do get in touch! Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe. All links, photos, wines and more details can be found on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E6 - Our WINE(S) OF THE YEAR 2022! Thanks again for tuning in and ing us this year.

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 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, (from £16.99) Bruce Jack Ghost in the Machine Skin 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 Rio) 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 Rio 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 ing 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 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, (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! : 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%, (£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? This show is brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. Check it out!

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 ed for two thirds of the world's wine exports in the 1950s. Algeria was partly responsible for the development of '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.

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 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, 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, 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, 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 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 (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 , 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 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%