Wine Blast with Susie and Peter
Episodes
The Greatest Chardonnay Showdown TEASER
19 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SUBSCRIBER BONUS TASTER: 27 wines - 18 top tasters - an epic blind tasting featuring just one grape: Chardonnay. From all around the world - Grand Cru...
The Judgement of Paris 50 Years On
15 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fifty years on from the historic Paris tasting that revolutionised wine - what's changed? And what will that mean for the next 50 years?!Those ar...
Natural Wine RELOADED
01 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is natural wine dead? Or is it thriving? What even IS natural wine these days?! Most importantly, what's next for this multi-faceted yet misunder...
Adelaide Hills: Lofty Ambitions
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle up, we're heading back out into wine country, this time to the intriguing Adelaide Hills wine region in South Australia. It gets talked ab...
Yeastie Boys: Wine's Modern Microbial Solutions
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Grab your magnifying glass and white coat, we're getting microscopic - but this goes well beyond fermentation. We're exploring the cutting-e...
Keep Calm and Sauvignon
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world's most divisive grape varieties. On the one hand, it's hugely popular for its aromatic charm and up...
Missing the Point? Tasting 40 years of 100-point wines TASTER
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SUBSCRIBER BONUS TASTER - A privileged tasting of 100-point wines gets us thinking about scores, so-called perfection in wine, the risks of premature ...
Drop Stop: Wine's Big Water Issue
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
August 2025, a torrid Bordeaux summer: cue thunderbolt. Lafleur, one of Bordeaux's most acclaimed wines, sensationally quits the Pomerol and Bord...
The Story of Stalin's Wine Cellar PART TWO
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Meet John Baker, Sydney wine merchant turned Indiana Jones turned author of Stalin's Wine Cellar, one of the most eye-opening wine stories you&ap...
The Story of Stalin's Wine Cellar PART ONE
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's not every wine story that comes with lashings of guns and cash and enforcers and heart-rending breakages - plus the odd death threat. Not to...
Greg Lambrecht UNCUT - Taster
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SUBSCRIBER-ONLY BONUS CONTENT (short taster): What makes a successful medical inventor develop a parallel life aiming to fundamentally change the way ...
Giveaway EXTRAVAGANZA + Game-changer Coravin
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which we get over-excited by not only announcing the winners (and sharing the best entries) from our epic Wine Blast One Million Giveaway - but als...
Sam Neill UNCUT - Taster
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SUBSCRIBER-ONLY BONUS CONTENT (short taster) - Sam Neill leads a double life. He's not Batman, or Bananaman. He's ConvivialWineChap (tradema...
New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand wine stands at a fork in the road. One path leads towards corporate behemoths churning out industrial quantities of mass-market Sauvignon ...
A Tribute to Peter Fraser
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Fraser, head winemaker and general manager at Yangarra Estate Vineyard in McLaren Vale, Australia, died in a house fire on 27th November 2025, a...
McLaren Vale - The Grenaissance
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Australia's McLaren Vale is a wine region undergoing a thrilling reinvention based largely around new-wave old-vine Grenache and a motley crew of...
McLaren Vale - Boxer to Ballerina (via Burlesque)
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
So what do a boxer, a ballerina and a burlesque dancer have in common? You're gonna have to listen to find out...We're very excited to be br...
Our BOOKS OF THE YEAR (2025) - Jesus, Cheese & Forbidden Soup
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Books that caught our eye this year include Schott's Significa (yes, 'forbidden soup' is as grisly as it sounds), The Cheese Connoisseu...
Our WINES OF THE YEAR (2025)
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 W...
Rock and Rhône: from Côte-Rôtie to Cairanne via The Clash
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Top of the Pops: Classic Fizz Beyond Champagne
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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&apos...
The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar - Part 2
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're in the middle of, 'the mystery of the world's most expensive bottle of wine.' We've seen the auction, met the protagoni...
The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar - Part 1
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Picture the scene. Christie's auction house, London, December 1985. A dapper auctioneer is expertly tantalising the stellar audience with a bottl...
SAN LEONARDO - The Insider's Guide
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fancy a story about warriors, monks, family strife, an undercover grape variety, risking financial ruin for stubbornly sticking to stylistic guns, and...
Chile Wines of the Year 2025
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Yea...
The Jancis Robinson EXCLUSIVE - Part 2
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jancis Robinson is a wine superstar. But in this concluding episode of our two-part exclusive interview, we want to get behind the sparkling achieveme...
The Jancis Robinson EXCLUSIVE - Part 1
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jancis Robinson is without doubt the leading wine writer in the world today. But what's she really like behind the (highly) professional façade?...
Season 7 Trailer - Subscriptions!
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
There's Prosecco - and there's Conegliano Valdobbiadene
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between Prosecco - and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG? Why is Prosecco a 'democratic' wine?! An...
Essex: Class in a Glass
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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?...
AO YUN - The Insider's Guide
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Pr...
‘Adrenaline rush’: Wine Auctions & Trends with iDealwine
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's not every day the world of wine is described in terms like: 'adrenaline rush,' and going 'crazy'. Welcome to the world ...
Battle of the Bubbles
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
BREAKING: A titanic showdown between top champagnes and the best of the rest has been settled. The victors? Headline writers...This is an impromptu po...
News & Views 2025: Alcohol in deep space; Pope Francis - wine legend; Global wine stutters - but Essex, Bhutan, Pompeii on the up
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where we selectively recap on the wine headlines in recent months (informative - but also fun) and respond to various questions, comments...and grumbl...
Fake Wine: A Laughing Matter?
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brilliant rogues counterfeit unicorn wine, fool the establishment and laugh their way to the bank. It's good story - so good that even The Simpso...
Do You Need More than One Wine Glass in Your Life?
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some people say you need loads of different wine glasses. Others say you need just one kind (known as 'universals'). There's money, rep...
RIDGE - The Insider's Guide
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 y...
Wine in a Can - Sacré Bleu!
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, bec...
Appellation Marlborough Wine
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Appellations are wine regions with rules, normally associated with Europe. So how come an enviably free-wheeling, super successful region like New Zea...
Why Wine Matters
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wine and other booze are under attack like seldom before, from many sides: moralists, the media, health authorities citing dubious studies... So it&ap...
Margaret River Finds its Voice
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ha...
Don't Know Western Australia's Great Southern? You Should
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the hell...where the hell...is the Great Southern?! That's what most people say. Which is why Peter got on a plane and braved fires, snakes ...
Lessons in Wine Chemistry
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why does wine taste the way it does? Why does Cabernet smell like blackcurrant? Or Syrah like pepper? Or Beaujolais like...bananas?!In this intriguing...
Our WINES OF THE YEAR (2024)
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it a white? Is it a red?! Is it a rosé??!!Or is our WINE OF THE YEAR none (or all) of the above...because it is, quite simply, pure gold?Welcome t...
The Vines of the Future...Are Here
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's a revolution going on in the vineyards. It's coming to a glass near you soon. And it could change the world of wine forever.We'...
Portugal's Great Whites - Bucking Brancos
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This show's got everything. It's got deliciously unexpected wine discoveries. It's got live music. It's even got a donkey. You can...
Tainted Love - The Ultimate Guide to Wine Faults
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ladybug poo. Cheesy feet. Mould. Boiled eggs. Cabbage. Drains. Vomit. Nail varnish remover. Dead mouse...Yes, you can find all these noxious aromas in...
Chinese Wine: What's the Deal?
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
China has the world's third biggest vineyard and a long history with fermentation and booze. So what's Chinese wine like? Why do we not see ...
Life or Death? On Wine and Health
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Consider this our call to arms for wine. Where we grapple heroically with the thorny issue of wine and health, calling out misinformation and over-rea...
Hunter Valley: History to High Jinks
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A hop, skip and jump away from Sydney, the Hunter Valley is renowned as the birthplace of Australian wine. And yet this is far from ideal wine territo...
Chile Wines of the Year 2024
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's a biggie. Our Chile Wines of the Year 2024 - a celebration and exploration of this slender South American nation's wines. And what&apos...
Action Stations - Wines to Combat Climate Change
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is a worry. We get it. But how to do something positive about it, especially as a wine lover? After all, it's not easy knowing whi...
We Need To Talk About Rosé
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's popular, it's pleasurable - and it's much misunderstood. Rosé is having a moment and yet the myths remain pervasive.That's o...
Wine and War: Palestine, Israel and Lebanon
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wine can seem tremendously unimportant at a time of war. At what is a torrid time in the Middle East, we wanted to check in with three winemakers - fr...
Red Wine Headaches: A Eureka Moment?
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wine brings pleasure. But for some it can also prove painful. Red wine is particularly problematic for a proportion of the population, with just a few...
Rías Baixas - Albariño with Attitude
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If Rías Baixas is famous for one thing, it's characterful, invigorating white wine based on the superstar Albariño grape - described in this ep...
Rías Baixas - Mists, Myths and Mariscos
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do bagpipes, rain, witches, pilgrimage, lampreys and Albariño all have in common? Not much really - but they are all featured in this episode on...
News & Views - global wine wobbles, free wine for phones, Merlot in the bath & does cling film remove cork taint?
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How and why is the global wine scene in a bit of a state? Why is wine threatened by weight-loss drugs and smartphones? Does drinking high quality wine...
UK Wine's Counterculture
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's a new wave of English and Welsh wine producers disrupting the neat and tidy order of the classic UK wine scene. Guerrilla producers - coo...
SASSICAIA - The Insider's Guide
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Not many wines ascend to the status of 'icon'. But Sassicaia is one of them. The beauty is that it's not a flashy wine - quite the oppo...
Going Gaga for Garnacha
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's called 'The Grenaissance'.This exhilarating revival of the grape variety known as Garnacha in Spain and Grenache in France, once t...
Grower Champagne with Lea & Sandeman
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From big brand to fine wine - it's no exaggeration to say that grower champagne has changed the notion of what champagne can and should be.Pionee...
Light Strike: Wine's Not-So-Secret Scandal
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Light strike is probably the biggest wine fault you've never heard of. Bigger than cork, bigger than oxidation or anything else. That pretty-look...
Ancient Vines to the Rescue in St Mont
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Deep in the wilds of south-west France there's a vineyard that was planted over 200 years ago with unknown vines that may hold the secret to figh...
ORANGE WINE Part 2: Gimme Some Skin
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So - orange wine. Is it any good? What qualifies a wine to be 'orange'? Does it sell? And who's going to win our argument about one par...
ORANGE WINE Part 1: The Resurrection
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
'Please can you do an episode on orange wine?' pleaded listener David.'It's not just hipster wine! These are some of the finest wi...
A Southern French Feast
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wine. Food. Merriment. And a touch of southern French sun.That just about sums up this episode.We're exploring Occitanie - the sun-kissed souther...
Our WINES OF THE YEAR (2023)
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our Wines of the Year format has grown into this riotous, rollicking rollercoaster of a show which we humbly offer up for your amusement and delectati...
Ukraine: Wine not War
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Odessa Black.It's the name of a (Ukranian) grape variety. But it could almost be code for the desperate times the people of Ukraine are living th...
The New Face of Languedoc
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Languedoc is a wine region on the move.Sure, it's a huge region with plenty of history, some of it troubled.But there are things happening in Lan...
The Ten Wines Never to be Without
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're going full-on Moses mode in this episode, nailing down the ten wines you should always have at home.Of course, personal taste plays a part....
Ageing English Fizz - How, Why and What
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
English sparkling wine. We all know it's good. But how well does it age? And could this be the secret to unlocking even greater quality from what...
Ventoux: Next Century Wines
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a wine region variously described as, 'dynamic', whose wines are undergoing a quality 'revolution', and memorably compar...
The Six BEST Wine Books
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the wine books every wine lover should own?We thought about it. We argued. We drank some wine. Argued some more...And then we decided: let&ap...
Marlborough at 50: A wine story worthy of Hollywood
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a tale of deception, daring, disaster...and deliverance.It also features skinny sheep and wine robots.It's the story of Marlborough, the ...
The John Malkovich EXCLUSIVE
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
'My wife suggested we make wine. I think in the hope of cutting down our wine bill...'It's classic John Malkovich. The wit as dry as hi...
LIVE Q&A - sulfites, party wines, climate change, top wine tourism tips and being pretentious
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This bonus episode may be the last in the current season (4) but it's also a first - the first time we've ever recorded the pod in front of ...
The Microbial Face of Terroir
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode opens by linking Oppenheimer, Covid-19 and wine - and proceeds to go big by focusing on the small stuff.Microbes. The invisible world of ...
Germany's Pulling Power
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world?Or that one in three Riesling vines in the world grow in German vin...
The Mystery of Minerality
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a wine word almost everyone uses - but no one really knows what it means, what causes it, or where it's come from.It makes some people ...
Portugal's Fine Wines: Here Be Treasures
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all know port. But there’s a whole universe of fine Portuguese table wine out just waiting to be explored. It’s far less known but certainly no...
No Schist Sherlock: How Wine Gets Rocks Wrong
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
‘From virtually any soil a high-quality wine can be made. The use of geology to promote the quality of a wine is thus merely a marketing tool.’ T...
Santorini - Wines to Save an Island
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Santorini's future is in jeopardy. This ancient, famous island vineyard risks being lost beneath the tourism industry's bulldozers. So how c...
Santorini - Wine's Jurassic Park
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let's go on an adventure to a place variously described as, 'Like being shot to the moon with a glass of fine wine in your hand' and wh...
News & Views – Re-Writing Wine’s Ancient History, Silly Money Wine, Drops of God & More
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What wine news is worthy of your attention? How should you warm up your (fine) wines in an emergency? What wines are really worth paying silly money f...
Ahead of the Curve with New Zealand Chardonnay
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chardonnay polarises people. But times change and this is a grape that's moved on - arguably nowhere more so than in New Zealand, which in recent...
The End of the Hangover?
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could it be true?! No more hangovers is a tantalising notion, a Holy Grail for many drinkers. But how could this happen, and what would it mean for th...
Australian Pinot Noir Comes of Age
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every wine lover craves great Pinot Noir. Burgundy is ever pricier and scarcer. So where to look?Australia might not seem the obvious destination for ...
Wine and Your Microbiome - with Dr Tim Spector
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is GOOD FOR YOU! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise...In this mind-blowing episode we have an exclusive interview with the world-famou...
The New Beaujolais
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stuff is going down in Beaujolais.Natural wine is a hot trend. Beaujolais Nouveau is re-inventing itself. The top sites have never made better wine. A...
Burgundy - The Tipping Point?
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Has Burgundy gone bonkers?!Off the back of a nightmare 2021 season, wines are in shorter supply than ever - so prices have gone through the roof.Again...
How To Be a Better Wine Lover
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Self-improvement - via a wine glass. With a side helping of 'vinous Kama Sutra'. But we're getting ahead of ourselves...In our last ep...
The Year Ahead: A Wine Lover's Wish List
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So what do we all want from wine in the year ahead? What's top of our wish list for wine in 2023?For some it's drinking better (or simply mo...
Selling Net Zero Wine - Pipe Dream or In The Pipeline?
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wine is good. We want a good future for wine - and the planet. But wine has been described on this pod as, 'the villain in the climate story.&apo...
Matching Food and Wine: The ULTIMATE BURGER
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're not kidding. This is the ULTIMATE burger. Especially if you're a wine lover...Yes we've got the patty and the brioche bun. So far...
Our WINE(S) OF THE YEAR!
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
WOTY?! Don't mind if we do... Welcome to our TASTIEST show of the year (and that's saying something!)In 2022 we're focusing on value to...
Matching Food and Wine: Fish Pie!
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is not just any old fish pie. This is LUXURY fish pie. And we've got some properly luxuriant wines to match...There's nothing worse tha...
Red Dawn: English Wine and Climate Change
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A new report predicts climate change will see English red wine becoming the norm rather than the exception as part of a global shift that will upend t...
Matching Food and Wine: Spaghetti Bolognese!
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's a mid-week classic. But the BIG question is: what wines work best to make your spag bol taste like MAGIC?!We tackle this weighty issue like ...
Inside the Fort Knox of Wine
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fancy joining us as we break into the Fort Knox of wine?!It's an old mine and former munitions dump in the middle of the English countryside that...