Matthew's World of Wine and Drink
Episodes
Culture of Wine: Podcast Overview
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Overview of my 17-episode series on The Culture of Wine available over on patreon.com/mattswineworld exploring how wine reflects the culture of the co...
following the variety - podcast overview
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A free overview of the six series of Following the Variety which is available on patreon.com/mattswineworld. These are extensive explorations of grape...
Interview with Lukas Therre of Josephinenhütte
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered how a glass alters your appreciation of a wine? Lukas Therre works at Josephinenhütte, a series of very distinctive glassware designed ...
Interview with Agostino Bertolin: Austria
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with Agostino Bertolin of notastingnotes.com all about Austria, talking about some of the lesser known regions, Weinviertel, Neusiedlerse...
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grape Varieties
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are eighteen grape varieties permitted for Châtauneuf-du-Pape, some of them very famous, others much more obscure. This episode details the cha...
Interview with Terah Bajjalieh
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Terah Bajjalieh is an up-and-coming winemaker in California, making wine from Grenache, Syrah, Vermentino, and Falanghina. The wines are modern expres...
Gouais Blanc
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gouais Blanc is a little-planted white grape variety that in the past has been banned in France. It produces indeterminate, high-acid wines, but is in...
Interview with Julian Hanna: "Island"
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Julian Hanna has just published "Island," a book all about island life. In this episode, I interview him all about island culture and how it differs f...
Interview with Henry Jeffreys: England
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Jeffreys's book, Vines in a Cold Climate, is an essential and extremely engaging history of the development of English wine since the 1970s. He ...
Interview with Natalie Maclean: Ontario
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author and podcaster Natalie MacLean gives a thirty-minute overview of Ontario wines: climate, Ice Wine, Riesling, Vidal, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, ...
Interview with Luke Whittall: British Columbia
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Whittall is the author of The Sipster's Pocket Guide which is an annual overview of the best wines made in British Columbia. This interview with ...
Bairrada: Interview with Rui Lucas of Prior Lucas
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Rui Lucas of Prior Lucas in Bairrada, Portugal. It's a region heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and therefore cooler and wetter...
Culture Wine Co & Peter Andrews: South Africa
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Peter Andrews of Culture Wine Co, who's importing South African wine into California. Topics covered include Pinotage; Mediterranean va...
Michigan
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Michigan wine scene is relatively new, growing in the last few years. I speak to Drew Perry of Simpson Family Estates, who started in 1980—dicsu...
Gamay
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gamay: a high-yielding variety associated with youthful, fruity wine but which, in the right growing conditions, makes wonderful, structured wines. Th...
Armenia: Interview with Vahe Keushguerian
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Winemaking in Armenia goes back at least 6,000 years, one of the starting points of viticulture. But it's only in the last ten to fifteen years that t...
Brazil: Interview with Flavio Pizzato
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brazil's wine industry has gone through many changes since the 1990s, and is still finding its feet. The focus on quality wine began with sparkling wi...
Brash Higgins: McLaren Vale
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brad Hickey has been making wine in McLaren Vale for over fifteen years, in a range of styles that reflect the Mediterranean climate of the region. Th...
Champagne Interview with Garth Hodgdon of Cage Imports
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with Garth Hodgdon of Cage Imports, which imports 15 small Champagne producers into the USA. We talk about trends in Champagne, how to ...
Mexico
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Plantings in Mexico date back to the 1520s, although the development of the wine industry was curtailed by Spanish colonial intervention. Since the 19...
Georgia
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Georgia is one of the world's oldest winemaking countries. Traditions—such as amber wine and wine made for home consumption—continue, which make G...
Emeritus Vineyards - Dry Farming in Sonoma County
12 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Mari Jones of Emeritus Vineyards in Sonoma County, who began the conversion to dry farming in 2008. In tandem with the selection of sui...
Long Island
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Long Island has unique growing conditions heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. I interview three producers: Jen...
Albania
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wine has been made in Albania for thousands of years, and grape-growing used to be central to its culture before rule by the Ottoman Empire and then a...
Montenegro and Kosovo
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two neighbouring countries, formerly of Yugoslavia. Kosovo's winemaking history goes back 2,000 years, with a renewed focus on quality after the bulk ...
North Macedonia
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The small, landlocked country of North Macedonia has a long winemaking history. The source of much of the former Yugoslavia's bulk wine, there is a re...
Serbia
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode number four on the wines of the former Yugoslavian countries. Serbia's climate is continental, influenced by the river Danube and by mountains...
Bosnia-Herzegovina
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of series on the wines of the Balkan States and former Yugoslavia: Bosnia-Herzegovina. A small wine industry, with just 3,500ha of plantings bu...
Croatia
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 2 of my series on Balkan wine: Croatia. A beautiful country which attracts two and a half times as many tourists as residents, the wine region...
Slovenia
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
First episode on the wines of the Balkan States, starting with Slovenia, a country with lots of connections with neighbouring regions of Friuli in no...
Portuguese Grape Varieties
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
250 indigenous varieties plus a handful of international; different names for the same variety, named after animals, people, and often hard to pronoun...
Austrian Grape Varieties
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores some of the 40 grape varieties approved in Austria, including the classics such as Grüner Veltliner, Blaufränkisch, St. Lauren...
Scarce and Wild Italian Grape Varieties
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Conversation with Sheila Donohue of Vero Vino, who specialise in importing "scarce and wild" Italian grape varieties. We discuss four lesser known—o...
The Identity of Cava
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with three Cava producers on its identity and what makes the sparkling wine different from others: place, grape varieties, ageing, and its h...
Trip to Australia
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just back from a two-week trip to Australia where I visited the wine regions of Tasmania, Adelaide Hills, and McLaren Vale. The former two are relativ...
Old World v New World
08 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between an Old and a New World Wine? Is there a differerence? This episode explores what the terms mean, whether we should use t...
Southern Italy Black Grape Varieties
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are many historic grape varieties from southern Italy, which are deservedly regaining attention. This episode looks at some of the black grape v...
Malvasia
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Malvasia isn't a grape variety, nor is it a family of grape varieties: it's a group of grape varieties which happen to have the same name. Some of the...
Muscat
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Muscat isn't a grape variety, but a family of related varieties all with different features. There are also many styles of wine made from the Muscat f...
The Unique Grape Varieties of South America: Interview with Amanda Barnes
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Amanda Barnes, author of The South America Wine Guide. We discuss grape varieties which are largely only found in the diverse continent...
Interview with Paul Yanon on the Rhône
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The southern Rhône is a large region where many styles of wine are produced - red, white, rosé, and fortified. There are also lots of different appe...
Interview with Bruce Taylor of Kono in Marlborough
11 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has been one of the extraordinary success stories of the last forty years, creating an entirely new category of wine. In t...
Italian White Grape Varieties
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Italian white wine has improved greatly over the last 30 years, with much fresher, crisper wines. There are lots of different varieties which are asso...
Sémillon
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sémillon is an historic Bordeaux variety, although plantings have fallen over the last 50 years. But it remains important, producing a range of style...
Carignan in the Mediterranean
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My recent visit to Mediterranean France and Spain gave me a chance to explore the possibilities of Carignan. It's a contradictory variety: younger vin...
Priorat
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Priorat is one of Spain's most prestigious regions, the vines grown on steep slate slopes. Garnatxa (Grenache) and Carinyena (Carignan) are the two mo...
Mourvèdre
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mourvèdre is a grape best known as part of a Rhône blend with Grenache and Syrah, but it makes fantastic wine in its own right and in a wide range o...
Interview with Edouard Parinet of Château du Moulin-à-Vent
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
All-encompassing interview with Edouard Parinet of Château du Moulin-à-Vent, covering Beaujolais, Gamay, and the cru of Moulin-à-Vent itself. This ...
Interview with Ricard Rofes of Scala Dei
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Priorat is one of the most historic wine regions in the Mediterranean, with plantings by monks going back to the 1200s. However, its modern history wa...
Interview with Mayte Calvo de la Banda of Bodegas Bilbainos
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Mayte Calvo de la Banda of Bodegas Bilbainas/Viña Pomal in Rioja, in which we talk about the winery, different grape varieties, how th...
Pinot Gris/Grigio
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape variety, yet very different wines are made from them. That gives an indication of the versatility of th...
Interview with Alex Rosanelli of Hound's Tree
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Alex Rosanelli of Hound's Tree Winery on Long Island, New York. We talk about Long Island's climate, the challenges that come with it, ...
Riesling
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Riesling: the finest but also one of the most understood white grape varieties. This episode covers the many different regions Riesling is grown in ar...
Tempranillo
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tempranillo is the most planted black grape in Spain, grown across the country and most famous in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. This episode explores th...
Taking the MW Exam
02 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's it like to take the MW exams? Well, I found out a few weeks ago and just wanted to share my experiences with you and get the pain off my chest!
The Identity of Cava
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cava is Spain's answer to Champagne, but lacks both a reputation for quality and a sense of identity. But is that changing? This episode explores how ...
Winemaker Interview: Peter Fraser of Yangarra
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with Peter Fraser of Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale, Southern Australia, revolving around old vines, the history of the region, Grenac...
Bolivia
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bolivia may not be known for its wine industry, but wine has been made there for hundreds of years. I interviewed Ramón Escobar of Chufly Imports abo...
Sauvignon Blanc
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes dismissed as producing one-dimensional wines which are grassy, herbaceous, and vegetal, designed to be drunk now. This ep...
Chenin Blanc
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chenin Blanc is one of my favourite white grape varieties, with its high acidity and characteristic waxy texture. It's made in a range of styles, from...
Merlot
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Merlot is the most planted grape varieties in France, and important across the world yet many consumers don't appreciate the quality and range of wine...
Interview with Michael Terrien of Obsidian Ridge
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An in-depth conversation with Michael Terrien of Obsidian Ridge about Lake County, the importance of elevation, and the shiny, sharp obsidian rocks. M...
Syrah/Shiraz
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Syrah, aka Shiraz, produces some of the finest wine in the world in a range of climates: from the northern Rhône to all over Australia to Hawke's Bay...
Grenache
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Grenache is one of the world's most planted grape varieties, commonly found in warm Mediterranean climates such as the south of France, eastern Spain,...
Sardinia
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sardinia is a large, rugged island with a strong Mediterranean culture; it has a strong if rustic winemaking tradition which is beginning to become mo...
Interview with Clémence Lelarge-Pougeot
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with Clémence Lelarge-Pougeot of the Champagne producer Lelarge-Pougeot who specialise in Meunier. The interview explores the evolution ...
New to Nova Scotia
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nova Scotia is a small region off the eastern coast of Canada, which is slowly attracting attention due to the increased quality of its wines. The coo...
Carignan
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Carignan, Cariñena, Mazuelo, Samsó, Carignano: call it what you like, the variety has had an up and down history. Long used in bulk regions like Lan...
English Bubbles: Interview with Trevor Clough of Digby Fine English
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty years ago English sparkling wine wasn't a thing; twenty years ago it was barely known about; ten years it was little understood; now it's appre...
Greek Wine (V) - A Brief Defence of Retsina
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The final episode on Greek wine features a brief defence of Retsina, a style of wine made since antiquity. When Greece opened up to tourists in the 19...
Greek Wine (IV): Other Black Grape Varieties
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The fourth episode on Greek wine focuses on other black grape varieties such as Mavrodaphne and Limniona, as well as trends for natural and biodynamic...
Greek Wine (III): Agiorgitiko & Xinomavro
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing the focus on Greece, this episode looks in detail at two of the country's major black varieties: Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro. Quality and sty...
Greek Wine (II): Other Whites
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the second episode focusing on Greek wine with importer Dionysi Grevenitis, we discuss the country's white wines. Following on from the first episo...
Greek Wine: Introduction + Assyrtiko
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Greece's wine history goes back thousands of years but it's only over the last 40 years that the industry has got back on track, with the production o...
Climate Change & Biodynamics in Germany
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The third and final episode of my interview with Jérôme Hainz of www.bottlestops.com continues to focus on changes in German wine, in this instance ...
Not Just Riesling: The Different Wine Styles of Germany
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Germany is most famous for Riesling - and rightly so - but there's a lot more to the country than just Riesling. This second part of my interview with...
Changes in Germany
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
First of a three-part series focusing on Germany, with the help of with of Jérôme Hainz of BottleStops (www.bottlestops.com) who runs a tour company...
blackpoolmatt's wine club
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Introducing my new online wine club, blackpoolmatt's wine club - what it's about, the different options, and why you should join!
The Other States in the USA
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wine is made in every state in the USA: this episode focuses on the lesser known but states that have potential to make interesting wine - Virginia, T...
New York State
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
New York State is becoming more and more associated with quality winemaking, even if hybrids still dominate plantings. It has an extreme climate: inla...
California (IV): Central Valley and Sierra Foothills
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Central Valley is the agricultural heart of California, home to Gallo, the world's biggest winery. There are, however, pockets where quality wine is m...
California (III): Santa Cruz Mountains and Central Coast
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Although not as famous as Napa Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounding AVAs have a lineage just as long and prestigious, although neighbouring ur...
Favourite Producers (VIII): Alto de la Ballena
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on a lesser-known producer and region: Alto de la Ballena from Maldonado in Uruguay. Although small, Alto de la Ballena are a fan...
California (II): Sonoma and Mendocino
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The second episode of the California series focuses on Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Sonoma is the historic heart of California's commercial wine ind...
Favourite Producers (VII): López de Heredia
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
My latest favourite producer is an obvious choice for a wine geek like me: Rioja's López de Heredia, an historic, traditional producer whose winery a...
California (I): Napa Valley
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beginning a new mini-series on California with Napa Valley, the state's most famous wine region. The episode traces the history of wine production bac...
Favourite Producers (VI): Savage Grace
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This series on my favourite producers doesn't just focus on famous, iconic estates but new, up-and-coming wineries that point towards the future of th...
Bordeaux (V): Sweet Wines
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The production of sweet wine in Bordeaux goes back 300 years, and up until the Second World War it accounted for a third of all wine made in Bordeaux....
Bordeaux (IV): Dry White Wines
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
White Bordeaux is severely underappreciated, it was historically very important. Plantings of white varieties are slowly beginning to rise, so there i...
Bordeaux (III): Cabernet Sauvignon
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing the focus on Bordeaux, this episode is all about Cabernet Sauvignon and the prestigious appellations associated with this world famous vari...
Favourite Producers (V): Pfeiffer
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The fifth episode on my series featuring my favourite producers goes to Australia, and the great fortified wines of Rutherglen. The producer is Pfeiff...
Bordeaux (II): Merlot
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merlot is the most planted grape variety in Bordeaux, and is the base for wines at all price points and levels of quality. This episode focuses on the...
Favourite Producers (IV): G.D. Vajra
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The fourth episode of my series on my favourite producers turns to Italy, with a Barolo producer that bridges the modern and the traditional. G.D. Vaj...
Bordeaux (I): History and Trade
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first of five new episodes on Bordeaux, France's largest appellation and one of the most famous and historic. This episode gives an overview of Bo...
Favourite Producers (III): Fernando de Castilla
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The third of my favourite producers is Fernando de Castilla, who in the last twenty years have paralleled the transistion in sherry from quantity to q...
Favourite Producers (II): Montsecano
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The second episode of my series on favourite producers features Montsecano, a producer of Pinot Noir in Chile's coastal Casablanca region who make win...
Favourite Producers: (I) Andrew Will
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A new series for my podcast! It features 25 of my favourite producers from around the world - producers whose wines I love drinking and who have shape...
The Reds, Rosés, and Sparkling Wines of the Loire Valley
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this third and final episode exploring on the Loire Valley, the focus is on its reds, rosés, and sparkling wines. The greatest and most famous red...
The White and Sweet Wines of the Loire Valley
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The second episode focusing on the Loire Valley, looking at the many and varied appellations for white and sweet wine in the large region: from Sancer...
The Grape Varieties of the Loire Valley
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Revisiting the Loire Valley, with the first of three episodes focusing on the large, varied, and wonderful region. This episode looks at the grape var...