Rock and Rhône: from Côte-Rôtie to Cairanne via The Clash
What do Hermitage, The Sex Pistols, Tavel and Pink Floyd have in common? They all, ahem, featured at a particularly funky recent London tasting of top Rhône wine appellations, or Crus, aimed at reminding us how delicious and diverse these wines can be. And how fun, too.So join us as we explore the best wines of the Rhône Valley, from Côte-Rôtie to Condrieu via Vacqueyras and Vinsobres, discovering why they taste like they do, and how they're evolving and adapting for the future. Our expert guides are Rhône expert Matt Walls plus producers Marie Perret, François Miquel and Guillaume Boissonnet. We're also regaled with live music from Bristol four-piece Adult Leisure.Thanks to Côtes du Rhône Crus for sponsoring this episode and bringing the party to Wine Blast. As if we needed an excuse...And thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find all details from this episode on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E10 - Rock and Rhône: from Côte-Rôtie to Cairanne via The ClashTo get early access to new episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.ukInstagram: @susieandpeter
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51:27
Top of the Pops: Classic Fizz Beyond Champagne
We all know champagne - but what if you fancy a wine like champagne but maybe less pricey, more fruity or just different? The good news is: there's never been more choice, as production blossoms in regions as diverse as Serbia, China and India.Our stellar guide to the intriguing world of traditional-method sparkling wine beyond Champagne is Essi Avellan MW, one of the world's foremost fizz experts.Essi has just published a brilliant monograph, Sparkling Wines of the World, in conjunction with The International Wine & Food Society (IWFS). The IWFS is the world's longest-running food and wine society, founded in 1933 by André Simon. Nowadays it has more than 5,500 members across the globe, with regular get-togethers, tastings, tours and events. Do check them out!The IWFS are sponsors of this episode and are kindly offering our listeners 40% off the price of Essi's monograph, so £6 down from £9.99, until 31st December 2025. You can access that via the following link: Sparkling Wines of the World offer for Wine Blast listeners.Also in this episode, we chat with long-time IWFS member and UK wine trade guru, Mimi Avery, recommend some decidedly different traditional-method sparkling wines, and reflect on the importance of deliciousness. And big bottles.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find all details from this episode on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E9 - Top of the Pops: Classic Fizz Beyond ChampagneTo get early access to all episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive occasional bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.ukInstagram: @susieandpeter
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56:19
The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar - Part 2
We're in the middle of, 'the mystery of the world's most expensive bottle of wine.' We've seen the auction, met the protagonists, got a vivid taste for the heady wine-boom time of the 1980s and 90s...hell, the cork has even dramatically dropped out already (an appropriate metaphor if ever there was one). That's all in Part 1.Now we get stuck into the heart of our story. What were the doubts about this magical bottle of wine, and others like it? Who was this mysterious Hardy Rodenstock character really? And how on earth might a dead frog, a dentist's drill, windscreen wipers, an 'egghead', and radioactive isotopes crop up in the plot?!Benjamin Wallace, author of The Billionaire's Vinegar, is our expert guide, also exploring the fall-out not just from his book (including his publisher being sued) but also the broader ramifications for the key characters and the wine world in general. We also have some final words from influential wine trade characters featured in the book, with their unflinching take on Hardy Rodenstock and his legacy.Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find all details from this episode on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E7 - The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar: Part 2To get early access to all episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive occasional bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.ukInstagram: @susieandpeter
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45:39
The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar - Part 1
Picture the scene. Christie's auction house, London, December 1985. A dapper auctioneer is expertly tantalising the stellar audience with a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite engraved with the initials of US founding father Thomas Jefferson. It duly becomes the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold, going for £105,000 ($156,000). But it's what happens next that is the really intriguing bit...Welcome to a new kind of narrative Wine Blast episode, where we're joined by best-selling author Benjamin Wallace, whose book The Billionaire's Vinegar is the inspiration for this compelling story. He brings to life the key protagonists, from Jefferson to Christie's auctioneer Michael Broadbent, US billionaire Bill Koch and German wine collector Hardy Rodenstock. All the while building the rich and eye-opening plot around what he calls, 'the mystery of the world's most expensive bottle of wine.'And as for how the 'vinegar' comes into the story...you'll just have to listen to find out. And in the next and concluding part, we hear how the story ends - including what's happened since the book was published. Don't miss it!Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find all details from this episode on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E6 - The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar: Part 1To get early access to all episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive occasional bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.ukInstagram: @susieandpeter
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38:48
SAN LEONARDO - The Insider's Guide
Fancy a story about warriors, monks, family strife, an undercover grape variety, risking financial ruin for stubbornly sticking to stylistic guns, and deliciously drinkable fine wine?Thought you might. So join us as we get a privileged glimpse into the San Leonardo wine estate in Italy's northern Trentino Valley, not far from Verona and Lake Garda. Our guides are estate co-owner and manager Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, Master of Wine Alex Hunt, and a bunch of pretty tasty bottles.San Leonardo makes a number of wines, all refined and understated. But it's best known for its top red, a discreet yet complex blend of Cabernet, Carmenere and Merlot. Despite being dubbed, 'The Sassicaia of the north', it's tended to fly under the radar, remaining something of an insider's tip, meaning the wine hasn't shot up in price as much as many of its more vaunted SuperTuscan cousins.Along the way, we discuss bodybuilders, banana plantations, wine as 'an energy drink', aubergines, Teroldego, hoodwinking bankers, 'Nordic' wine, how Carmenere came to Trentino and why Anselmo's dad Carlo called him, 'an idiot'. Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find all details from this episode, including photos, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E5 - San Leonardo: The Insider's GuideTo get early access to all episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive occasional bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.ukInstagram: @susieandpeter
Wine Blast is a wine podcast with a difference - and Wine Blast PLUS delivers all the fun and more for subscribers. Susie and Peter are married Masters of Wine and experienced broadcasters who bring wine to life with a smile via interviews with amazing people, provocative chat, food, tips, your questions, gentle bickering and a certain amount of over-sharing. (And yes, they're aware they really need to get out more...) This award-winning, chart-topping pod has been widely featured in international press including The Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, Sun, Evening Standard, Radio Times, Decanter, Wine Folly and beyond. Reviews of Wine Blast say: 'Love these guys (almost as much as wine): educational, invigorating and damn funny too' - 'Relatable, entertaining, light-hearted' (Drinks Business) - 'Best wine podcast out there' - 'Love you two and Wine Blast - it's like pouring a perfect glass of wine for the ears,' 'A complete tonic for the heart, mind and soul' (Drinks Network). Cheers!
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