Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

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 misunderstood category? 
Helping us answer these searching questions are writer and winemaker Rachel Signer, journalist Simon J Woolf and wine producer Ben Walgate. We also indulge in a bit of impassioned debate between the two of us - this being a particularly provocative topic. (It's not every episode that moves Peter to use the phrase, 'complete bollocks', and Susie to say, 'cheeky middle finger', but here we are.)
For example, did you know that the very term 'natural wine' itself is an unfortunate mis-translation? Are you familiar with, 'organic-PLUS' viticulture? Why hybrids may be the next big thing for natural producers? That natural wine is a philosophy, not a style? How the natural scene has influenced conventional wine? And the fact there's a new category of 'natural-adjacent' wines emerging..?
Click on this link and use the code WINEBLAST at checkout to get 25% off Rachel Signer's brand-new book, How to Drink Natural Wine.
Click on this link to get 25% off an annual subscription to Simon Woolf's Substack, The Morning Claret.
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 links to previous episodes cited, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E28 - Natural Wine RELOADED
To support the show, enjoy subscriber-only bonus content and discount benefits, access our full archive and get every episode before it goes on free release, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk
Instagram: @susieandpeter

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 about a lot - but what's it really all about?
Is it all about piercing, textural Chardonnay? Or fine sparkling wine? What about the perfumed Pinot Noir, the scented Shiraz..? And let's not forget the likes of Gruner Veltliner, Nebbiolo, Gamay, Barbera, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and all those natural wines. There's a real buzz around the Adelaide Hills - but how to get our heads round it all?!
Happily, we have some brilliant guides in the shape of Brian Croser (Tapanappa), David LeMire MW (Shaw + Smith), Emma Wood (Wirra Wirra), Kelly Wellington (Hahndorf Hill), Liam Van Pelt (Ashton Hills), Peter Saturno (Longview) and Xavier Bizot (Daosa/Tapanappa). (Thanks also to the Adelaide Hills Wine Region for making this sponsored episode happen and giving us access to such great producers.) 
They talk us through things like altitude, rain, field blends, magic, wine tourism, French arrogance, organics and 'thoughtful' wines. There's even the odd bold claim (about Chardonnay) and intriguing revelation of a long-held secret (a 'subterfuge story' no less!) Oh, and we touch on why, 'people don't want to drink like their dads.'
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 maps and wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E27 - Adelaide Hills: Lofty Ambitions
To support the show, enjoy subscriber-only bonus content and discount benefits, access our full archive and get every episode before it goes on free release, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk
Instagram: @susieandpeter

Grab your magnifying glass and white coat, we're getting microscopic - but this goes well beyond fermentation. We're exploring the cutting-edge techniques whereby the power of yeasts is being harnessed in fields as diverse as viticulture, winemaking and shipping. Even without the microscope, this is an eye-opening episode...
Wine is facing many challenges. Climate change. The cost of living crisis. Sustainability targets. Shifting consumer tastes and trends. But what if microbes can provide solutions to these issues and more, reducing the need for chemical inputs and putting winemakers for once on the front foot?
This episode is sponsored by Lallemand Oenology, who have granted us privileged access to their latest research and contacts in the field. We hear from wine consultant Christopher Chen, yeast expert Professor Hervé Alexandre, and M&S winemaker Belinda Kleinig, who report on their applied experience testing these new products. 
From helping vines survive drought to prevention of rot, reducing the need for sulfites and acidification, even ensuring your wine can arrive fresh after crossing continents - innovative microbial solutions are being applied to all these pressing tasks and more. The term, 'game-changer' is used in this episode. Tune in to find out why...
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 E26 - Yeastie Boys: Wine's Modern Microbial Solutions
To support the show, enjoy subscriber-only bonus content and discount benefits, access our full archive and get every episode before it goes on free release, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk
Instagram: @susieandpeter

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 upbeat appeal. And yet some people can't stand it, sommeliers actively steer their customers away from it and connoisseurs turn their noses up at, 'the gin and tonic of wine'. 
But is it possible that this is all just a bit, well, premature? That we're judging a grape variety that is only just starting to show us what its true potential really is? And that Sauvignon Blanc really is a grape variety capable of greatness?!
To check the global temperature, we're privileged to be granted an audience with Château Margaux's Philippe Bascaules, South Africa's Duncan Savage, and UK Best Sommelier Maria Boumpa. What they have to say will raise more than a few eyebrows. (Including an unexpected scoop about top South African producer Eben Sadie...)
We firmly believe it's time to rip up the established rule book when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, and open our minds to a new reality. Tune in to find out why.
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 producer recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E25 - Keep Calm and Sauvignon
To support the show, enjoy subscriber-only bonus content and discount benefits, access our full archive and get every episode before it goes on free release, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk
Instagram: @susieandpeter

SUBSCRIBER BONUS TASTER - A privileged tasting of 100-point wines gets us thinking about scores, so-called perfection in wine, the risks of premature evaluation and how points for wine...somehow miss the point.
First up - the wines: Cristal 2008, Pichon Lalande 2016, Ornellaia 2013, Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill 2013 and Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco 1986. We report on these and other stellar bottles, all of them recipients of a 'perfect' 100-point score.
But here's the thing. What does '100 points' mean these days? How valid are scores, which seem to be everywhere in wine as endless tasting notes and numbers are churned out on a seemingly constant basis? What are the pros and cons? Is it time for a reset, starting with the 100-point system itself?!
In this discursive episode, we subject not only these supposedly spectacular wines but also scores (and ourselves) to unflinching assessment. Peter gets hot under the collar about Bordeaux En Primeur; Susie has to intervene. 
We weigh up scores in a public and personal context. But, lest you fear this is all a bit po-faced, we also touch on the magic of discovery, not entirely serious ‘anti-scoring’ wine rating scales and the importance of wines that make you smile...as indeed some of these bottles definitely did.
NB: This is a short taster of the full episode, which is available exclusively for Wine Blast PLUS subscribers. Use this link to find out more or subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS. 
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 details from this episode on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E24 - Missing the Point? Tasting 40 years of 100-point wines
Instagram: @susieandpeter