So: the big question. What to drink when you're not drinking?! In this short Wine Blast Live, we share our favourite non-alcoholic concoction, one which goes some way to replicating the joy of wine. It's based on Aecorn Bitter, which is made using (unfermented) English sparkling wine grapes mixed with botanicals, mixed with Fever Tree Aromatic tonic plus ice and orange. We also share a few other options. Including ways to be 'damp' rather than dry - eg by choosing naturally lighter alcohol wines...
Jan 13, 2022•6 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Wine investment is booming - particularly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Regular headlines champion it as giving greater returns than not only the major equity indices but also other so-called 'alternative' investments like gold, cars and handbags. But what exactly is wine investment? Why do it? What are the potential gains and pitfalls? What kind of returns and time-scales are we actually talking? How to get the most out of it? And what does the future hold? In this sponsored episode...
Dec 17, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 9
At this time of year, we get asked two things. What wines we'd recommend. And will we wear silly Christmas stuff. So here you go - the double whammy, all wrapped up in a brand new format: Wine Blast Live , a 5-minute video-podcast, for your delectation. Listen (or watch) as we try to gloss over our absurd festive attire while recommending our three top wines of the year, including a bargain option, the best wine we've ever tried out of a can (a white, as it happens), and a gorgeous red that repr...
Dec 09, 2021•6 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Oz Clarke has done most wine things you've ever thought of, and some you maybe haven't even imagined. But we're not here to dwell on sex in a Margaux vineyard (though we do, of course, ask the question). This is about Oz Clarke OBE the wine titan, the great storyteller, the acclaimed author and broadcaster, surely the most successful person who ever claimed to have spent his, 'whole life avoiding getting a proper job.' We try not to slur as we work our way through a bottle of 1985 claret and dis...
Dec 03, 2021•46 min•Season 3Ep. 7
'Nobody thinks of wine as the villain in the climate story. But in fact we are.' So says When In Rome's Rob Malin, who spoke at COP26 about how shipping wine around the world in glass bottles leads to significant carbon emissions. 'We have to take this seriously because if we don’t do something about climate change, you can forget a lot of your nice wine producing regions,' says Oli Purnell of canned wine startup The Copper Crew. WTAF stands, in this case, for Wine Traders for Alternative Format...
Nov 19, 2021•48 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Please join in the fun! For our Big English Wine Adventure , we've gone and made 3 one-off English wines, with all profits going to charity. Now the project is reaching its climax: the wines are going on sale on 25th November 2021. But we're no experts in making or selling wine. Our necks are on the line and we need your help... We have some BIG announcements in this episode, which features plenty of drama, intrigue and jeopardy. We reveal our brilliant charity partner as well as the name for ou...
Nov 05, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Did you know Bordeaux used to be mainly white, not red wine? And that there's a universe of delicious diversity (and great value) to be discovered among the dry and sweet whites of Bordeaux (not forgetting the fizz)? This is the second part in our mini-series in association with the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) and we dive headlong into the fascinating world of white Bordeaux. We talk to the brilliant Laure de Lambert Compeyrot of Chateau Sigalas Rabaud as well as 'renegade' winemaker Olivier Ca...
Oct 22, 2021•49 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Are you a bargain hunter, a new-experience seeker, a drinker-in as well as taker-out, someone with thirsty friends or friends to impress? Whoever you are - we can help you buy wine better. Buying wine isn't easy. So much choice, so little time - but getting the right bottle, and the right experience, makes a big difference. To help inform, guide and hopefully inspire you, we draw not only on our personal experience ( confession: we buy too much wine ) but also Peter's experience of chairing the ...
Oct 06, 2021•53 min•Season 3Ep. 3
It's gone from a joke to world-class in just a couple of decades - but what does the future now hold for English and Welsh wine? Will it be a case of boom and bust, as some are predicting? Or will this be the success story that just keeps on rolling? We dive into this debate with plenty of facts and figures to hand, plus we hear from Dermot Sugrue (Wiston), Ruth Simpson (Simpsons), Sergio Verillo (Blackbook) and Josh Donaghay-Spire (Chapel Down). We talk about climatic challenges, the 'nightmare...
Sep 30, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Something a bit different to kick off Season 3...our first ever EXPLICIT episode! It's not what you're thinking. Just a few gentle sweary words. Because this one is all about Fake Booze : a bitter, twisted, dark and damp website stuffed full of satire lampooning the world of wine and drinks, whose strapline is, 'Like truth, but better'. It's the brainchild of hitherto respectable drinks journalist Chris Losh and it's painfully funny, so we wanted to get Chris on the show to bring us bang up to d...
Sep 23, 2021•30 min•Season 3Ep. 1
We're BACK! We've unearthed the microphones from under all the empty wine bottles, fish and chip wrappers, and slightly damp Speedos, ready to hit the ground running with a fantastic Season 3 line-up. We can't wait to get going, partly because our first episode (coming very soon) is different from anything we've ever done before... So if you like wine chat, a bit of a laugh, giveaways, fascinating guests, top wine tips, competitions, the odd recipe (did we say FREE WINE?) and the constant chance...
Sep 16, 2021•4 min•Season 3Ep. 1
The chief examiner for the Master of Wine (MW) tasting exam is a terrifying figure guaranteed to strike fear and despair into the hearts of all aspiring MW students. So we ask him how to pass the exam. And it turns out he’s actually pretty nice, and meditates in his spare time. A lesson to us all… Beyond that, we hear short sharp blasts of top-quality advice and insight from two of the most recently crowned Masters of Wine: Jacky Blisson from Montreal and the first Italian MW, Gabriele Gorelli. ...
Jul 16, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Goats, amphorae, Whatsapp, wine aged in space, terroir, bats, non-fungible tokens and sexual confusion all crop up as we look beyond the Bordeaux stereotypes in a sponsored episode with the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB). Sharing their expert views with us on the latest goings-on in the region are Bordeaux-based writer and critic Jane Anson (author of Inside Bordeaux ) and Yann Todeschini of Château Mangot in St Emilion. We discuss everything from sales to sustainability via soils, biodynamics, bi...
Jul 02, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 19
What even IS a Master of Wine?! How do you become one? Which Jedi powers come with the title? Is it true the pass rate is under 10%? What’s the real cost, not just in financial but also time and emotional fallout? How diverse and inclusive is the MW body? Aren’t the days of ‘the expert’ numbered anyway?! It’s a biggie. So we’re doing this in two parts – this first one is about our own experiences of becoming Masters of Wine (MWs), and we don’t shy away from detailing the brutal lows as well as t...
Jun 23, 2021•59 min•Season 2Ep. 18
What's the difference between English sparkling wine and champagne? Why bother doing the Master of Wine qualification? What's the story behind Wine Blast, and why is podcasting so suited to wine? If we could be any wine, what would it be? What to do with a wine festival in lockdown? If we could share a glass of wine with anyone, who would that be? We answer all these questions and more in an interview conducted expertly by Natalie MacLean and originally featured on her Unreserved Wine Talk podca...
Jun 04, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Our story - as told (in slightly roundabout fashion) to Natalie MacLean on her Unreserved Wine Talk podcast. Beans are spilled...apologies issued...we reveal our career low points as well as what wine has done for our relationship (Susie skates on thin ice). Also why Peter makes a bad Santa and what we think of the fancy dress tendencies of your average French marathon runner. Among other things. So yes, this is a re-run of 'Having a Wine Blast with Susie Barrie and Peter Richards', Episode 117 ...
May 28, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 16
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world's most dramatic success stories. It went from zero to hero in the 1980s and 1990s, stunning the world with its uniquely extrovert character, and paving the way for an entire nation's wine fortunes to be revolutionised. Some people are a bit snobby about Kiwi Sauvignon - too easy, too obvious, too samey, they say. But the truth is that Sauvignon can be every bit as diverse, complex, age-worthy and fine as other great white grape varieties. In t...
May 07, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 15
We wanted to revisit this (our second ever episode) partly to laugh at our presenting style back then, and also because it's so full of enthusiasm, helpful tips and, most importantly, tales of young people (especially young women) seizing opportunities and forging brilliant careers in wine. And the odd second career too. We're also slightly amazed at how much we managed to shoe-horn into an episode in the early days of the podcast, because we also rustled up some student classics - spicy sausage...
Apr 30, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 14
How do you fancy getting a name of your choosing on a wine label, benefitting a charity that’s close to your heart…and winning some delicious, unique English wine in the process?! That's exactly what's up for grabs in this episode, in which we discuss our Big English Wine Adventure , chat with superstar UK winemakers Liam Idzikowski (Danbury Ridge) and Emma Rice (Hattingley Valley), get excited about Essex Pinot and Hampshire Meunier...and throw around some wine puns on the theme of The Simpsons...
Apr 23, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 13
You like wine. But you don't have lots of space at home. So what's the best way to go about starting (or improving) your wine collection? Listener Steven from Belfast asked the question, which was our cue to spring into action, doling out handy tips and advice, even doing a mini stock-take of our own at-home collection (with eye-opening results...) We talk to Nathan Hill, chairman of wine club/merchant Honest Grapes and himself an avid amateur collector when starting out, and Alexander de Valle ...
Apr 09, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Sommeliers. SO MANY QUESTIONS! What even IS a sommelier - or a Master Sommelier? What makes a great sommelier? How have sommeliers been affected by the pandemic, when hospitality has been devastated? What's all this about the lack of diversity among sommeliers? What of the very serious scandals that have played out in very public and traumatic fashion at the Court of Master Sommeliers-Americas lately?! Ultimately: what does the future hold for sommeliers, this proud and historic profession that ...
Mar 26, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 11
For some people, wine is a pain. Up to 10% of the population suffers adverse reactions from drinking wine - and often sulfites are blamed. But what if, in most cases, the exact opposite were true? That sulfites are actually the unfairly maligned hero of the piece, and there's another culprit to blame? More tantalisingly, what if proper action on this front could help many drinkers enjoy wine without having to worry about the side-effects?! We're taking a dive into the fascinating world of biogen...
Mar 12, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 10
What wine goes best with ketchup (or sweet chilli) crisps? What's 'ice cuvée fizz'? How to pair Netflix with wine? How good is Canadian wine, and which are the best ones to buy? Most importantly, how can you win prizes up to the value of CA$400 (or £260)?! It's all here, a small wine universe in a podcast. We're talking to globally renowned wine communicator and proud Canadian Natalie MacLean, who hosts the excellent Unreserved Wine Talk podcast (among MANY other things), and recommending a rang...
Feb 26, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Time to spread the wine love! First up, we asked you lovely lot for stories about how and when you first fell in love with wine - so we not only have some brilliant stories to share but also have a WINNER taking away £125-worth of Balfour Winemakers' Collection wines. This is a sponsored episode in partnership with Majestic Wine, so we have some delicious recommendations from their range for you to get stuck into (and which also spread the love, eg to South Africa and California: wine regions th...
Feb 12, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 8
A wine lover's guide to (relative) sobriety... What DO wine lovers do when we want time off the booze? What's the best lifestyle approach to minimise intake but maximise enjoyment? What are the best wine alternatives out there? Inspired by a question sent in by listener John, in this episode we look beyond wine and explore how to make the most of not drinking. We talk to Stuart Elkington, founder of Dry Drinker, who shares some great stories and insights, as well as to the makers of Chilean booz...
Jan 29, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 7
It's hard not to hang on every word of Mounir Saouma's. He's a Burgundy grower with a difference - someone who's not afraid to go against the grain and challenge the easy stereotypes. He doesn't mince his words, which makes for a provocative listen as we talk climate change, pricing (sample quote: 'It's a disaster!') and the 2019 vintage. He even manages to bring Churchill into the debate... Meanwhile, we do a swift tasting featuring everything from a cheap Spar Bourgogne Blanc to a £360 red, an...
Jan 22, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 6
To kick off 2021, we dive right into the fascinating, frustrating, compelling wine world that is Burgundy. Iconic - certainly. Over-priced? Plausibly. At great risk from climate change? Undoubtedly. We explore these issues and more across two special episodes - and in this first part we quiz our fellow Master of Wine and renowned Burgundy expert, Jasper Morris, as well as buyer Rebecca Palmer from Corney & Barrow, agents for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (among other things). We give our summa...
Jan 15, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Is champagne a good match for fried chicken? (Or marmite?!) How do you make the perfect Christmas wreath...OUT OF CORKS? What are the best wines to enjoy during the festivities beyond the classics but including Pinot Noir? What seasonal clothing item of Peter's does Susie describe as, 'tasteless'? How to rustle up the most DELICIOUS sausage rolls at home, ideal for those pandemic-era outdoors meet-ups? These are surely the most pressing existential questions facing the human race right now, so w...
Dec 23, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 4
So where does the humble glass bottle fit into the bigger picture of wine? Some are decrying its impact on the environment, citing the carbon footprint of smelting glass and shipping heavy, space-inefficient bottles around the planet. But glass has one of the highest recycling rates of any packaging and has served wine well for centuries, an inert container that has no interaction with its contents and allows wine to age and develop over time (or retain its fizz). As energy inputs include ever-m...
Dec 18, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 3
A trip to *hic* Hollywood via Napa Valley as we chat to Matt Crafton, winemaker at the renowned Chateau Montelena, about serious stuff like making elegant wine in Napa, the wildfires, climate change, sustainability, his lockdown wines and...the film Bottle Shock. This enables us to segue neatly onto a rollicking ride through our (and your) favourite wine movies and wine moments on screen, from Sour Grapes to Sideways, Silence of the Lambs, Somm, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, The Sopranos and The...
Dec 11, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 2
