Picture the scene. Christie's auction house, London, December 1985. A dapper auctioneer is expertly tantalising the stellar audience with a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite engraved with the initials of US founding father Thomas Jefferson. It duly becomes the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold, going for £105,000 ($156,000). But it's what happens next that is the really intriguing bit...Welcome to a new kind of narrative Wine Blast episode, where we're joined by best-selling author Benjamin Wallace, whose book The Billionaire's Vinegar is the inspiration for this compelling story. He brings to life the key protagonists, from Jefferson to Christie's auctioneer Michael Broadbent, US billionaire Bill Koch and German wine collector Hardy Rodenstock. All the while building the rich and eye-opening plot around what he calls, 'the mystery of the world's most expensive bottle of wine.'And as for how the 'vinegar' comes into the story...you'll just have to listen to find out. And in the next and concluding part, we hear how the story ends - including what's happened since the book was published. Don't miss it!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 E6 - The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar: Part 1To get early access to all episodes (including the concluding part of this story), full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive occasional bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.ukInstagram: @susieandpeter
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SAN LEONARDO - The Insider's Guide
Fancy a story about warriors, monks, family strife, an undercover grape variety, risking financial ruin for stubbornly sticking to stylistic guns, and deliciously drinkable fine wine?Thought you might. So join us as we get a privileged glimpse into the San Leonardo wine estate in Italy's northern Trentino Valley, not far from Verona and Lake Garda. Our guides are estate co-owner and manager Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, Master of Wine Alex Hunt, and a bunch of pretty tasty bottles.San Leonardo makes a number of wines, all refined and understated. But it's best known for its top red, a discreet yet complex blend of Cabernet, Carmenere and Merlot. Despite being dubbed, 'The Sassicaia of the north', it's tended to fly under the radar, remaining something of an insider's tip, meaning the wine hasn't shot up in price as much as many of its more vaunted SuperTuscan cousins.Along the way, we discuss bodybuilders, banana plantations, wine as 'an energy drink', aubergines, Teroldego, hoodwinking bankers, 'Nordic' wine, how Carmenere came to Trentino and why Anselmo's dad Carlo called him, 'an idiot'. 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 photos, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E5 - San Leonardo: The Insider's GuideTo 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
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Chile Wines of the Year 2025
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 Year 2025...Join us as we chat with stars of the Chilean wine firmament, talking wine treasures with Sebastián Labbé (Santa Rita), the tragedy of Syrah with Mariluz Marin (Casa Marin) and fortifying life goals with François Massoc (Atelier Massoc). We also learn about circular winemaking with good wine vibrations courtesy of Cristián Vallejo (VIK).Whatever Chilean wine is today, it's not dull. With our Chile Wines of the Year initiative, we want to let everyone know just how dynamic and intriguing modern Chilean wine is - a far cry from the dull staples we often see in shops and restaurants. Alongside this podcast episode, we're also publishing a free report on our website, where you can find the full lineup of spectacular wines we've personally selected this year. You can find it via this link: Susie & Peter's Chile Wines of the Year 2025 ReportThanks to Wines of Chile for sponsoring and the wineries for supporting this initiative and allowing us to explore the fascinating world of Chilean wine.Thanks to you 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 photos, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E4 - Chile Wines of the Year 2025To 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
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The Jancis Robinson EXCLUSIVE - Part 2
Jancis Robinson is a wine superstar. But in this concluding episode of our two-part exclusive interview, we want to get behind the sparkling achievements and get to know Jancis in a personal as well as professional sense. The result is thought-provoking, funny and occasionally eye-opening.We kick off, somewhat unsportingly, by springing a quick-fire question round at Jancis before moving on to discuss everything from the Queen to influencers, negotiating with lawyers in a swimsuit, Cumbria, anorexia, regenerative viticulture, bottle weights, cans - and other hot potatoes.We also explore how she presciently set up her subscription-based website in 2000 then successfully sold it 21 years later. A rare commercial success in the world of wine...If you haven't caught the first instalment of this interview, please do check it out. You don't need to listen to that one, though, in order to enjoy this one.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 photos, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E3 - The Jancis Robinson EXCLUSIVE - 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
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The Jancis Robinson EXCLUSIVE - Part 1
Jancis Robinson is without doubt the leading wine writer in the world today. But what's she really like behind the (highly) professional façade? Join us in this fascinating two-parter to meet the real Jancis: unfiltered, frank and sometimes really quite eye-opening...In this interview, we wanted to do something different from the many other profiles of this wine superstar. For instance, Jancis' wine scores are famously parsimonious, her reviews sometimes brutal (the best she could write about one wine was, 'it's wet'). So does she really enjoy drinking wine? What's she like when she's tipsy? How do her wine friends tease her? How did she cope when she lost her sense of smell and feared her career was over? Does she really think she's 'addicted' to the stuff?!Along the way, Jancis talks about what the perfect wine tasting note might be (it may surprise you); her horror of boring people about wine (and seeming 'bought'); and what she thinks the best value wines in the world are right now. She also addresses controversial topics like wine scores, Robert Parker and the Pavie 2003 spat, wine price inflation - and wine bores.In the next and concluding part, we spring a quick-fire question round on Jancis, and touch on subjects from the Queen to influencers, setting up then successfully selling her website, negotiating with lawyers in a swimsuit, Cumbria, anorexia, regenerative viticulture, cans - and other hot potatoes. Don't miss it!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 photos, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E2 - The Jancis Robinson EXCLUSIVE - Part 1To 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
Wine Blast is a wine podcast with a difference - and Wine Blast PLUS delivers all the fun and more for subscribers. Susie and Peter are married Masters of Wine and experienced broadcasters who bring wine to life with a smile via interviews with amazing people, provocative chat, food, tips, your questions, gentle bickering and a certain amount of over-sharing. (And yes, they're aware they really need to get out more...) This award-winning, chart-topping pod has been widely featured in international press including The Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, Sun, Evening Standard, Radio Times, Decanter, Wine Folly and beyond. Reviews of Wine Blast say: 'Love these guys (almost as much as wine): educational, invigorating and damn funny too' - 'Relatable, entertaining, light-hearted' (Drinks Business) - 'Best wine podcast out there' - 'Love you two and Wine Blast - it's like pouring a perfect glass of wine for the ears,' 'A complete tonic for the heart, mind and soul' (Drinks Network). Cheers!
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