In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David is joined by Alejandro Galaz - head winemaker at Tara - to talk about the enormous challenge of making wine in one of the driest places on earth, Chile’s Atacama Desert, and finds out why it is worth all the effort. Drinks featured: Tepaluma Patagonian Distillery - Tepaluma Gin (gold) Casas del Bosque Pequeñas Syrah 2020 (silver) Concha y Toro: Trio R...
Oct 21, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 80
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Billed as the world’s biggest celebration of cocktails, David is joined by the founders of London Cocktail Week, Hannah Sharman Cox and Siobhan Payne, to talk trends, cocktail villages - and the world’s most rubbish bar. Drinks featured: 1800 Milenio Tequila Extra Anejo Proxima Spirits (gold/trophy) 400 Conejos Artesanal Mezcal Joven (gold) Bacardi Rum 10 Y...
Oct 14, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 79
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. To mark the release of Club Oenologique’s inaugural ‘Champagne Report’, its influential author Essi Avellan MW joins David to talk about the state of Champagne, the impact of rising demand on quality, where to find the finest examples and also the perils of ‘light strike’. Piper Heidsieck 2014 Brut in magnum (gold and trophy) Rare Champagne Brut 2008 (gold)...
Oct 07, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 78
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. To celebrate Rioja Wine Month, David is joined by Jane Parkinson, wine expert on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen to learn more about this beautiful region, its food culture and, of course, its world famous wines. Drinks featured: La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva 2016 (gold) Rioja Vega Colección Tempranillo 2020 (silver) El Coto de Rioja, El Coto de Imaz, Gran ...
Sep 30, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 77
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David celebrates Austria’s fine wines with Michael Moosbrugger, director of historic Schloss Gobelsburg and President of the Österreichische Traditionsweingüter, plus he catches up with The Wine Society buyer Freddy Bulmer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 23, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 76
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David talks to Victoria Mason, Waitrose wine buyer for South Africa and Italy, to learn more about how wines get from the vineyard to the shelves, the current trends in the sector and where we should look for the most exciting wines. Drinks featured: Gabrielskloof, The Landscape Series Cabernet Franc 2020 (gold) Mullineux Great Heart Red Blend 2019 (silver)...
Sep 16, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 75
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. What’s in a glass? A lot more than you might imagine, if Daniel Primack is to be believed. He tells David why he’s completely obsessed by glassware, explaining how retro-nasal olfaction dictates wine flavour perception and how you can enhance your wine, with the right choice of vessel. Drinks featured: Tenuta Casenuove 2018 Chianti Classico (gold) Saint Ver...
Sep 09, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 74
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David talks to the legendary Hugh Johnson, one the best-loved names in wine writing, to talk about his autobiography The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson. Drinks featured: Champagne Piper Heidsieck 2014 Brut in magnum (gold/trophy) Champagne Jacquart Mosaïque Rosé Brut NV (silver) Marks & Spencer L'or du Ciron 2018 Sauternes (gold) Aldi Château Moulinet 2...
Sep 02, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 73
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David reflects on the highlights of the sixth season, including England’s Irish winemaking star Dermot Sugrue, former Savoy head bartender Shannon Tebay, Chateau Galoupet’s sustainability pioneer Jessica Julmy, Petaluma’s new winemaker Teresa Heuzenroeder, Exton Park’s Corinne Sealy, The Wine Society’s Italy buyer, Sarah Knowles MW, and Olivier Ward, gin ex...
Aug 26, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 72
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. The freshest form of Sherry, Manzanilla comes from Sanlucar de Barrameda, where the Atlantic influence gives it a unique character. Fresh from a visit to the Sherry Triangle, David is joined by Fermin Hidalgo, one of the eighth generation at family-run Hidalgo, famous for La Gitana. Drinks featured: La Guita Manzanilla En Rama NV (silver) Aldi Specially Sel...
Aug 19, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 71
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Celebrating Prosecco Day, David talks to expert Neil Phillips and Villa Sandi’s export director, Flavio Geretto, to find out more about Prosecco, what’s made it such a storming global success story and how best to enjoy it. DOC Prosecco featured: Villa Sandi Rose Brut Millesimato 2021 (silver) Biasiotto Andrea Brut 2021 (silver) Morrisons The Best Brut NV P...
Aug 12, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 70
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David talks to The Wine Society’s Italian buyer, Sarah Knowles MW, covering the length and breath of Italy to find out about the history and also the latest innovations in Italian wine and where to look for the best bottles. Wines featured: Tenuta del Buonamico Cercatoja 2017 (gold and trophy) Anna Spinato Brut NV Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Di Cartizz...
Aug 05, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 69
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Her winemaking pedigree is distinctively French - her first job was at Château Lynch Bages - and Corinne Seely has made wine all over the world, yet she has chosen to make England her home. David hears why Exton Park is her calling. Drinks featured: Lyme Bay Winery Pinot Noir 2020 (gold and trophy) Coates and Seely La Perfide, Blanc De Noirs Brut 2014 (silv...
Jul 29, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 68
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Is the gin renaissance still flourishing and where should we be looking for the latest innovation? Self-confessed ‘gin nerd’ Olivier Ward, editor of Spirits Beacon, a member of the IWSC spirits judging committee and the gin expert on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, gives David the lowdown. Gins featured: Opihr Aromatic Bitters Gin, Quintessential Brands (gold an...
Jul 22, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 67
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. The former Commercial Director of Krug, Jessica Julmy, talks to David about her latest project, overseeing the renewal of Provence Grand Cru Classé estate Chateau Galoupet, purchased by LVMH in 2019, putting sustainability front and centre. Drinks featured: Domaine la Chautarde 2021 Coteaux Varois (silver) Famille Ravoire Manon 2021 Cotes de Provence (silve...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 66
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David is joined by one of Australia’s most respected winemakers, Teresa Heuzenroeder, who moved from Yalumba to become the new senior winemaker at Petaluma last year, to talk about making wine in the Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra and the Clare Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 08, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 65
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Drinks entrepreneur Tom Gamborg, the founder of Van Hunks, joins David to talk about creating a successful new brand with Cap Classique bubbles and also why he thinks sparkling mead could be the next big thing. Plus, Freddy Bulmer of the Wine Society is back for an insight into life as a wine buyer. Featured drinks: Bacardi 10 Year Old Gran Reserva Diez Rum...
Jul 01, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 64
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. He’s been described as ‘the best winemaker in England’, An Irishman, Dermot Sugrue has changed the face of English sparkling wine. First at Nyetimber, then Wiston Estate and now with his own Sugrue South Downs project. Sugrue interrupts his honeymoon to chat to David about what makes England’s bubbles so special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Jun 24, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 63
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. It is one of the world’s most heat-tolerant and versatile varieties and also South Africa’s signature white grape, despite its origins in the Loire. David celebrates Chenin Blanc day, with Richard Duckitt, winemaker at Bellingham, and also hears about South Africa’s groundbreaking Old Vine Project. Plus, news of the winners from the IWSC’s South African win...
Jun 17, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 62
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Until recently, head bartender of The American Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel, Shannon Tebay made her name at New York’s celebrated Death & Co and is now Beverage Director at Outernet London and head judge for the IWSC’s spirits and mixers category. She tells David how she went from the role of pastry chef to master of mixology, her role as a pioneering wo...
Jun 10, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 61
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Rosé is on a roll! David catches up with Master of Wine Dirceu Vianna Junior, an expert on rosé wines who oversees the category for the IWSC, to find out why we’re all sinking the pink, whether colour really matters and the wines we should all be watching out for, including the first IWSC wine winners from the 2022 awards. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
May 27, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 60
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David reflects on the fifth series of the Drinking Hour, to select his favourite moments, including a tribute to Steven Spurrier, veteran drinks writer Susy Atkins, Yalumba Chief Winemaker Louisa Rose talking Viognier, Alistair Cooper MW on Chile’s renaissance, Madeleine Stenwreth MW on altitude wines in Argentina and an intro to New York’s Finger Lakes fro...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 59
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David talks to entrepreneur Elwyn Gladstone, a great, great grandson of Queen Victoria’s Prime Minister, who has made a name for himself as an innovator in the drinks world, launching brands such as Malfy Gin, Hotel Starlino and his latest creation, Gladstone Axe Scotch Whisky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 13, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 58
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David talks to Master of Wine Madeleine Stenwreth, international winemaking consultant, expert on Argentina and specialist on the impact of altitude on winemaking, to explore the country’s most exciting wines and styles, including her latest project, Bemberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 06, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 57
David talks Chile with Master of Wine Alistair Cooper, consultant and member of the senior judging committee at the IWSC, who believes innovation is now the driving force in the country with “things changing at a spectacular rate”. David finds out which are the wines, regions and producers you should try. In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...
Apr 29, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 56
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. To celebrate International Viognier Day, David is joined by Louisa Rose, chief winemaker at Australia’s oldest winery Yalumba, a pioneer who has worked with the variety for thirty years, earning the accolade ‘the Queen of Viognier’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 22, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 55
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David is joined by Club Oenologique spirits columnist, author and IWSC spirits judging committee member, Joel Harrison, to talk about what makes Cognac so special, from its terroir, to barrel ageing, blending and beyond, into cocktails. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 15, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 54
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. What difference does the shape, colour or size of the glass make to the experience of fine Champagne? And how does what we see, smell or taste impact what we think of it? David seeks to answer the question with Laurent Fresnet, chef de cave at GH Mumm. Plus, The Wine Society’s Freddy Bulmer is back to chat about life as a buyer. Learn more about your ad cho...
Apr 08, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 53
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David takes the Drinking Hour on the road, to upstate New York’s Finger Lakes to find out what makes this cool climate, emerging wine region one to watch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 52
In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. David talks to Susy Atkins, wine editor of Delicious magazine, Sunday Telegraph wine critic and author about her thirty years at the heart of the drinks trade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 25, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 51
