Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

Books that caught our eye this year include Schott's Significa (yes, 'forbidden soup' is as grisly as it sounds), The Cheese Connoisseur's Handbook (yum) and Wine, Soil and Salvation in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament (biblical).This is a show of generous proportions. Partly to give you a chance for some extra listening indulgence. But also to allow us proper time to hear from best-selling author Ben Schott, 'the cheese lady' Svetlana Kukharchuk and priest and theologian Mark Scarlata.Believe us, you're going to want to hear what they have to say.So don't be a wet lettuce - pour yourself a glass and join us!As ever, you can find all details from this episode on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E12 - Our BOOKS OF THE YEAR (2025)If you'd like more information on our giveaway, please visit our Wine Blast One Million Giveaway page.You may also find this link to our Speakpipe audio message service useful.To 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

Treats galore in this show! Because not only are we announcing our stellar Wines of the Year, we're also launching a HUGE giveaway to celebrate Wine Blast topping ONE MILLION DOWNLOADS.It's a major milestone for the pod so we wanted to say thanks to you for making it possible. Up for grabs are prizes worth more than £1,000 - from a set of Jancis Robinson Original wine glasses and decanter to a Coravin Limited Edition Hermitage Timeless 6+ to a case of grower champagnes from iDealwine, books from Academie du Vin Library and an annual Decanter subscription plus VIP tickets to the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter in either NYC or London. Wow!!More details, including what you have to do to enter, are in the show and also on our Wine Blast One Million Giveaway page.You may also find this link to our Speakpipe audio message service useful.Also in the show, we recap on the wine year that was, culminating in our Guess the Missing Word in the Wine Headline. We hear from you guys, answering the odd question along the way. Finally, we reveal our Wines of the Year - featuring some real bargains, eye-openers and downright barnstormers. Trust us, you'll want to check these out.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 the full listing of our Wines of the Year (and where to buy them) on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E11 - Our WINES OF THE YEAR (2025)To 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

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

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

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