Get Yourself a Glass

Bordeaux is the world’s most famous wine region – but how well do you really know it? It has been hit hard by changing consumer tastes, especially the fall in red wine sales globally and in France. Amid bankruptcies and falling prices, vignerons are being paid by the French government to pull up vines. Yet this means that Bordeaux now offers drinkers real bargains for quality wines. And the region is fighting back, with growth in its white and sparkling wines. We look at what’s going on in Bordeaux and why its varied wines are worth rediscovering.Featured:Château Tour du Haut Moulin 2019, Haut-Médoc (Tesco, £13)Château Bauduc Blanc de Blancs 2021, Crémant de Bordeaux (£99.90 for a case of six.)Secrets de Léognan 2014, Pessac- Léognan Graves (Waitrose, £18)Château Paret Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2022 (Haynes, Hanson & Clark, £14.25)Lea & Sandeman Bordeaux 2022 (£15.95, or £13.95 as part of a mixed 12) Original music: Rosa Neather ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/6U2rMSG1sTA3DAvYlXmE9f?si=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlw

Episode 10: The Greek Wine RevolutionGreece has emerged as one of the hottest new wine scenes in the world – so how did that happen? Andy Neather and Victoria Moore look at why Greek wine is so exciting right now, talk to leading figures, and tell you what’s worth looking out for.Interviewed:Alexandra Manousakis, Manousakis Winery, CreteStefanos Kokotos, Maltby & Greek, London Featured: people and winesParis SigalasApostolos Thymiopoulos (Jeunes Vignes Xinomavro)Vasilis GerovassiliouStelios Boutaris, Kir-YianniAkrathos – Assyrtiko from the HalkidikiNikos Karavitakis, Crete Laurens Hartman, Domaine KaranikaKechris retsina, Thessaloniki Feaured: grapes (accent given for pronunciation)AssýrtikoXinómavroVidianóRobólaMoschofíleroMalagouzíaAgiorgítiko Featured: places (accent given for pronunciation)MeganísiOía, SantoríniThessaloníkiGouménissaChalkidikí/Halkidiki (Mount Athos) ChíosChaniá, CreteKefaloniá/CephaloniaAmýndeo/Amyndeon Recommended wines:Domaine Karanika sparkling wines (from Maltby & Greek, from £26.)Tetramythos Retsina Natur 2025 (from The Wine Society, £14.50.)Dalamaras Xinomavro, Naoussa (from The Wine Society and elsewhere, from £26.)Waitrose Blueprint Greek White (£9.25)

This episode we discuss the phenomenon of AI - hard to avoid just now, and we’re being promised that it will transform our drinking experience. But will it? We test-drive the Wine Society’s new AI platform, My Taste Match (https://www.thewinesociety.com/), and talk to the Society’s CEO, Steve Finlan, about why they’ve launched it. And we consider the shortcomings of AI in dealing with something as intangible as taste. We also look at some of the ways AI is being used elsewhere in wine, including in the brave new world of agricultural drones and robots.Also mentioned:Whistler Wines “Shiver`” Barossa Valley Shiraz 2023Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wines’ Pyramid Valley vineyardSaga RoboticsRecommended wines: Whitewolfe Estates KC2 English Chardonnay 2022 (Elementary Wine Co, Fortnum & Mason, from £46)Domaine Bon Augure “Aux Innocents les Mains Pleines” 2024 (The Sourcing Table, Dvine cellar, Hop Burns & Black, from £18)Original music by Rosa Neather ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/6U2rMSG1sTA3DAvYlXmE9f?si=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlwEND

Today rosé wine isn’t just something we just turn to in a heatwave, perfect though it is then. Sales of rosé have exploded in Britain - as well as France - in recent years, especially the very pale-coloured rosés produced in Provence. But might we have reached peak Provence rosé now? Andy and Victoria explore the rise of rosé, why it’s the colour it is, and what other rosés are worth a try.Featured:Whispering Angel (Sacha Lichine)Maison Mirabeau (Stephen and Jeany Cronk)M de MinityChâteau LéoubeAixRecommended wines: Château Ollieux Romanis Racine rosé 2025, Corbières (The Wine Society, £11.95)Boutari “Dianthos” rosé 2025, PGI Imathia (Tesco, £11.50)Moropolous rosé 2024, PGI Arcadia (Lea & Sandeman, £19.95 or £17.50 as part of a mixed case of 12)Mas de la Rouvière rosé 2025, Bandol (Yapp, £23.50)Original music by Rosa Neather ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/6U2rMSG1sTA3DAvYlXmE9f?si=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlw

The war in the Persian Gulf has already sent oil prices soaring and hit global supplies of natural gas and fertiliser - so how well cushioned is the wine industry? Costs of diesel, electricity, bottles and shipping are all going up for wine producers and importers. But some of the industry’s moves towards sustainability will help blunt the impact. We look at renewable energy and hear from Rathfinny Estate’s owner, Mark Driver, about how they’re using solar power to cut bills. We explore how bottles have got lighter, cutting energy use. And we look at how bulk shipping has cut the energy used to get a bottle of wine to your table.Featured:Rathfinny Estate, SussexSimpson’s Wine Estate, KentGusbourne Estate, KentMouchão, PortugalDomaine Bousquet, ArgentinaRippon Vineyard, New ZealandAndy’s book with Jane Masters MW is Rooted in Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine http://bit.ly/4t7OKlV Recommended wines: Zuccardi Regiones Cabernet FrancSperi Valpolicella and Valpolicella SuperioreOriginal music by Rosa Neather ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/6U2rMSG1sTA3DAvYlXmE9f?si=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlw

Episode 6: Lebanon makes fabulous wines, part of the country’s rich tradition of hospitality and good food. But now Lebanon’s winemakers find themselves in desperate straits under yet another assault by Israel, part of the wider conflict in the Middle East. Andy Neather and Victoria Moore discuss what makes Lebanese wine special and find out how winemakers are coping in the latest war, with contributions from award-winning Anglo-Lebanese writer Michael Karam.Featured:Michael Karam's book, Wines of Lebanon: The Journey ContinuesChâteau Ksara "Le Prieuré" Domaine des Tourelles "Cuvée Pierre Brun"We also discuss Château Musar, Ixsir and Château KefrayaOriginal music by Rosa Neather https://open.spotify.com/track/6U2rMSG1sTA3DAvYlXmE9f?si=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlw

Victoria Moore and Andy Neather answer your burning wine questions. Discover why cork is greener than screw caps, how to handle "unacceptable" (that's not our word) glassware situations and whether you need to be a "super taster" to justify spending more on wine. Andy also gets stuck in to a question about natural wines, explaining what "funky" really means and how to avoid borderline faulty bottles. And Victoria predicts the next big wine trends—think darker rosés and chilled reds. Plus, Andy reports from Australia's Yarra Valley, exploring how climate change is reshaping cool-climate winemaking and some seriously good restaurants. From sustainability to stemware etiquette, this episode answers the questions every wine lover wants to know.Recommendations:Yeringberg Marsanne-Roussanne Yarra Valley AustraliaFox Tales Winemakers Selection Saperavi 2024 Australia

Wine sales are falling and moderation is up: is this the beginning of the end for wine? (Spoiler: no…) Andy Neather and Victoria Moore discuss what falling wine sales and increased interest in moderation mean for wine lovers. They also taste some no and low drinks – and end up with reasons to be cheerful about wine’s future in 2026.Featured:· Momo kombuchas: https://momo-kombucha.com/ · Saicho sparkling teas https://www.saichodrinks.com/· Samuel Billaud “Les Grands Terroirs” Chablis 2023, France - £30-35 at good independent wine stores· Moorooduc Estate Pinot Noir 2020, Mornington Peninsula, Australia – from £25 at good independent wine storesMusic: Rosa Neather ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/6U2rMSG1sTA3DAvYlXmE9f?si=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlw

Andy Neather and Victoria Moore discuss when to decant wine; what wine to enjoy at Christmas with your Stilton cheese; brain food for Christmas, including a podcast with Coravin inventor Greg Lambrecht, plus Ruby Tandoh's new book; a party game with AI wine tasting notes; and some Christmas wine recommendations.Featured:Taittinger Champagne NV BrutWaitrose Blueprint Amontillado Medium-Dry SherryD'Oliveiras Medium-Sweet 5 year-old MadeiraTalisker 10 year-old Single Malt WhiskyDomaine Bousquet "Ameri" Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Gualtallary, Argentina https://vintageroots.co.uk/domaine-bousquet-ameri-gualtallary-sauvignon-blanc/Tim Atkin's Cork Talk interview with Greg Lambrecht: https://timatkin.com/cork-talk/cork-talk-with-greg-lambrecht/Ruby Tandoh's book: “All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now"Music: Rosa Neather https://open.spotify.com/track/6U2rMSG1sTA3DAvYlXmE9f?si=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlw

Which Champagnes are good to look out for thisChristmas? As one East London pub draws the line: children out after 7pm, is this the future for drinking culture? And exactly how much of the price of your bottle of wine goes straight to the taxman? Andrew Neather and Victoria Moore pull apart some of the big issues in wine.Christmas Champagne: we recommend two stand-out affordable buys and look at how the quality stacks up when you’re comparing cheap Champagne and classy crémant or Cava, tasting Gavin Quinney’s ⁠Château Bauduc Crémant de Bordeaux⁠ 2021.Leyton’s William IV pub says its ban on children in the pub after 7pm comes in response to customer feedback. So should pubs be looking after drinkers or families first?Following the Budget, we look at how higher duty has added to a host of cost pressures on wine. How does Britain’s alcohol tax measure up against that of other European countries? Andafter duty, VAT and the new EPR recycling levy, plus transport, packaging and the rest, how much of the cost of an £8 bottle is left for the wine itself? Recommendations:Blood, Sweat and Asparagus Spears: The Story of the 1990s Restaurant Revolution by Andrew TurvilThe Wines of Beaujolais by Natasha Hughes MW