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 ...

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 B...

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...

We have awards! We have good eggs, hot rocks and jailbird vignerons! We even have acts of civilisation and love. Welcome to our Chile Wines of the Year 2025... Join us as we chat with stars of the Chilean wine firmament, talking wine treasures with Sebastián Labbé (Santa Rita), the tragedy of Syrah with Mariluz Marin (Casa Marin) and fortifying life goals with François Massoc (Atelier Massoc). We also learn about circular winemaking with good wine vibrations courtesy of Cristián Vallejo (VIK)...

Jancis Robinson is a wine superstar. But in this concluding episode of our two-part exclusive interview, we want to get behind the sparkling achievements and get to know Jancis in a personal as well as professional sense. The result is thought-provoking, funny and occasionally eye-opening. We kick off, somewhat unsportingly, by springing a quick-fire question round at Jancis before moving on to discuss everything from the Queen to influencers, negotiating with lawyers in a swimsuit, Cumbria, ...

Jancis Robinson is without doubt the leading wine writer in the world today. But what's she really like behind the (highly) professional façade? Join us in this fascinating two-parter to meet the real Jancis: unfiltered, frank and sometimes really quite eye-opening... In this interview, we wanted to do something different from the many other profiles of this wine superstar. For instance, Jancis' wine scores are famously parsimonious, her reviews sometimes brutal (the best she could write abou...

Ahead of Season Seven, we have an announcement! We're finally launching subscriptions - a very exciting moment as we aim to take Wine Blast to the next level and spread EVEN MORE wine love around. Subscribers to Wine Blast PLUS will receive Early Access to all episodes as well as Archive Access as our back catalogue becomes subscriber-only. We'll also be throwing in the occasional bonus episode just for subscribers. Those who join Wine Blast Plus will also be enabling Wine Blast to continue a...

This show is brought to you in association with iDealwine. What's the difference between Prosecco - and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG? Why is Prosecco a 'democratic' wine?! And do you want to hear Peter change his mind??!! Tune in for all this and more, where we go on an intriguing journey of discovery into the UNESCO-endorsed, vine-clad hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene territory north of Venice. We ask why the wines made here are different from your average Prosecco...

This show is brought to you in association with iDealwine. English county Essex is better known for its brash behaviour (and certain reality TV shows) than its beautiful wines. But is all that about to change?! For long, Essex was England's best kept wine secret. The grapes were sold off to producers from Kent to Cornwall, which meant their Essex origin sailed under the radar. But then came the investment - both from ambitious local families and then, in 2023, from the highly regarded U...

This show is brought to you in association with iDealwine. In fiction, Shangri-La was a mythical place of boundless human wisdom and agelessness. These days, after China re-named a city in north-west Yunnan Province, it's the backdrop of a potential game-changer for Chinese wine. This particular backdrop is forbidding. Think: precipitous mountain gorges above the raging Mekong River at nearly 3,000 metres altitude. A patchwork of small-holding vineyards cling to the hillsides. Prunings ...

This show is brought to you in association with iDealwine. It's not every day the world of wine is described in terms like: 'adrenaline rush,' and going 'crazy'. Welcome to the world of online wine auctions, particularly that of iDealwine (sponsors of this show). iDealwine is a treasure trove not only of wine goodies but also high-tech functionality - so in this episode we explore how these online wine auctions work and why they might be worth trying out if you haven't already. Wh...

BREAKING: A titanic showdown between top champagnes and the best of the rest has been settled. The victors? Headline writers... This is an impromptu pod reflecting the momentous nature of this Battle of the Bubbles tasting, which took place at the London Wine Fair 2025. Sixteen top judges (including both of us); 26 top wines, including some of Champagne's most reputable (and highly priced) bottles - and some quite astonishing results. In this episode we give the lowdown on the results and ref...

Where we selectively recap on the wine headlines in recent months (informative - but also fun) and respond to various questions, comments...and grumbles. We gaze into deep space in search of booze. We consider how global wine can be in the doldrums...but Essex is on the up. We hear a sad tale of vandals destroying scientific research, and a heartening story of how ancient Pompeii wine is set to be revived. Above all, we revel in the wise words of the recently deceased Pope Francis, who ...

Brilliant rogues counterfeit unicorn wine, fool the establishment and laugh their way to the bank. It's good story - so good that even The Simpsons have released an episode dedicated to wine fraud. But is this just a laughing matter? This is without doubt one of our FAVOURITE EVER Wine Blast episodes. It stars no less than Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr Burns, Waylon Smithers and Professor Frink. Together with The Simpsons co-writer Johnny LaZebnik and wine fraud expert Maureen Downey. Fraud is ...

Some people say you need loads of different wine glasses. Others say you need just one kind (known as 'universals'). There's money, reputation, even relationships on the line here. So what's the answer?! In this episode we share significant new research by Jackie Ang MW, hot off the press, that answers two key questions. Firstly, do different wine glasses make you taste and rate a wine differently? Secondly, which work better: 'universal' wine glasses, or grape-variety-specific glasses? We al...

Ridge is an iconic wine producer - not just in its homeland California, but in global terms too. But how and why did it attain this status in just 70 years? Is it really true their policy has been never to hire a trained winemaker? What is this 'pre-industrial winemaking' they champion? How have they managed to successfully buck the trend for opulence in California Cabernet? Which of their wines (whisper it) don't we like? And can you really be great at both Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, ...

Wine. In a can. A hellish reality of tinny plonk? Or a convenient, eco-friendly, fun new format that's the future for wine? This is fun one, because our adventure starts with comedy legend (and proud French snob) Marcel Lucont. We're not only treated to an epic live rendition of his scabrous poem 'Wine in a Can' (compulsory listening for any wine lover) but also his delicious musings on wine and life more generally - including Beaujolais for breakfast. After picking ourselves up off the...

Appellations are wine regions with rules, normally associated with Europe. So how come an enviably free-wheeling, super successful region like New Zealand's Marlborough has felt the need to develop Appellation Marlborough Wine? We put this question and more to Ben Glover, renowned winemaker and proud Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) member. He talks about, 'ripping the beige quilt off Marlborough' and his distaste for 'mediocrity'. We also have fun playing around with AMW's jazzy new ...

Wine and other booze are under attack like seldom before, from many sides: moralists, the media, health authorities citing dubious studies... So it's high time we reminded ourselves why wine is important, the many values and benefits it has, and what we can all do to challenge these pernicious narratives. Don't worry. This isn't some dry treatise or frothy-mouthed rant. We are privileged to have acclaimed authority Karen MacNeil (author of The Wine Bible, no less) making the case for wine elo...

Western Australia's Margaret River is renowned as one of the world's foremost fine wine hotspots. But it only got started in 1967, so how has it built that reputation so fast? What makes this place unique? Why is it called, 'wine utopia' as well as, 'the best hangover cure known to man'?! Join us as we go behind the scenes with a star-studded list of Margaret River wine royalty, from Cape Mentelle to Cloudburst via Vasse Felix, Cullen, Moss Wood, Xanadu, Voyager, McHenry Hohnen and Larry Cher...