SUBSCRIBER-ONLY BONUS CONTENT (short taster) - Sam Neill leads a double life. He's not Batman, or Bananaman. He's ConvivialWineChap (trademark pending). 

On the one hand, he's world-famous actor Sam Neill, acclaimed for his starring roles in Jurassic Park, Peaky Blinders, The Piano and all that jazz. On the other, he's proud proprietor of Two Paddocks Wine in Central Otago, New Zealand.

And this isn't just wine cosplay, either. Sam lives and breathes wine, describing himself as a Pinot Noir 'obsessive'. What's more, his wines are some of the best in New Zealand - with four of his Pinot Noirs rating between 95 and 98 points in our New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026, and his Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2023 carrying off the prestigious Red Wine of the Year award. (Here's a link if you want to find out more about our New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026.)

It hasn't been plain sailing for Sam of late, with a shock blood cancer diagnosis requiring urgent treatment. Typically, he made use of the time to be productive, writing the funny, moving memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This? Now in full remission, he's back into his double life, filming and farming, and eager to share a laugh and his unique take on wine and life in general.

In this frank, fascinating and funny chat, we talk everything from Pinot to Riesling, pigs to ducklings, Jesus to Jenna Ortega, organics to 'vile' chemicals, history to heartbreak, Marlon Brando to Michael Fassbender. Trust us - you won't want to miss this one.

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 all details from this episode, including wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E18 - Sam Neill UNCUT Taster

Instagram: @susieandpeter

New Zealand wine stands at a fork in the road. One path leads towards corporate behemoths churning out industrial quantities of mass-market Sauvignon Blanc; the other features increasingly refined, site-specific wines across a range of styles that compete with the world's very best. Which will it be?

In this New Zealand Wines of the Year feature, we take you behind the scenes after tasting hundreds of wines to get to grips with what's really going on in Kiwi wine.

We highlight the best producers, what they're doing and why. And we throw more than a few big calls out there - for example, why New Zealand Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is currently getting our vote over Burgundy...and why fizz should be part of New Zealand's wine future.

We're privileged to be joined by New Zealand wine royalty in the shape of Helen Masters (Ata Rangi), Matt Thomson (Blank Canvas), Matt Sutherland (Dog Point), Kevin Judd (Greywacke), Ed Donaldson (Pegasus Bay)...and part-time actor, full-time wine superstar Sam Neill (Two Paddocks).

This episode is published in tandem with a full report on our website, which is free to download and comes with tons of information and opinion, from vintage summaries to planting stats, plus the odd map: New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026 Report

Thanks to New Zealand Winegrowers for facilitating this Wines of the Year initiative, and to the wineries for supporting. This episode is dedicated to the memory of James Healy, who sadly died in early 2026. 

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 the full report, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E17 - New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026

To support the show, enjoy subscriber-only bonus content as well as early access to all episodes plus full archive access, not to mention subscriber benefits and giveaways, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk

Instagram: @susieandpeter

Peter Fraser, head winemaker and general manager at Yangarra Estate Vineyard in McLaren Vale, Australia, died in a house fire on 27th November 2025, aged 51.

Peter was not only tremendously well respected, he was also tremendously well liked. As a person, he was affable, gentle, modest, genuine, ready with a laugh. As a professional, he was dedicated, conscientious and hugely talented.

A champion of biodynamics and sensitive winemaking, Peter made wines of elegance, nuance and gravitas. They won a litany of awards and many fans. These bottles not only conveyed the brilliance and beauty of, for example, old-vine Blewitt Springs Grenache - they also brought joy, and a smile to the lips of countless wine lovers around the world.

Through this personal and professional legacy, Peter was, and will remain, a pillar of the McLaren Vale community and landscape. He will be sorely missed.

This is our tribute to Peter, which features an interview recorded with him on 24th October 2025. His words and his legacy speak for themselves. To adapt a phrase Peter uses in this interview - he left the place in a better way than it was before he started.

Peter Fraser, 1974-2025.

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 eclectic grape varieties like Fiano, Falanghina, Mencia and even Saperavi.

If you want to find out why these wines, 'play with your mind', 'suit the way we live' and should be considered, 'great wines of the world,' tune into this eye-opening second part of our McLaren Vale mini-series. You may even discover why these are wines with 'rizz'...

Our informative and engaging guides to The Vale are Toby Bekkers, Stephen Pannell, Richard Leask, Andrew 'Ox' Hardy, Matthew Deller MW, Mary Hamilton, Giles Cooke MW, Elena Brooks, Drew Noon MW, David Gleave MW and Chester Osborn.

Thanks to the McLaren Vale Wine Region for sponsoring this mini-series, which is dedicated to the memory of Peter Fraser.

And 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 wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E15 - McLaren Vale: The Grenaissance

To support the show, enjoy subscriber-only bonus content as well as early access to all episodes plus full archive access, not to mention subscriber benefits and giveaways, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk

Oh, and here's a link to our Wine Blast One Million Giveaway

Instagram: @susieandpeter

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 bringing you this mini-series on McLaren Vale, the historic South Australian wine region that's gone from identity crisis to full-on wine renaissance in just a few decades. It's a fascinating story, involving ancient vines, determined winemakers and a healthy appetite for reinvention.

Joining us to bring McLaren Vale to life are Chester Osborn, David Gleave MW, Drew Noon MW, Elena Brooks, Giles Cooke MW, Mary Hamilton, Matthew Deller MW, Andrew 'Ox' Hardy, Richard Leask, Stephen Pannell and Toby Bekkers. 

Thanks to the McLaren Vale Wine Region for sponsoring this mini-series, which is dedicated to the memory of Peter Fraser. Don't miss the next installment!

To get early access to new episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and subscriber-only bonus content, plus exclusive discounts and giveaways, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk

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 E14 - McLaren Vale: Boxer to Ballerina (via Burlesque)

And here's a link to our Wine Blast One Million Giveaway

Instagram: @susieandpeter

Books that caught our eye this year include Schott's Significa (yes, 'forbidden soup' is as grisly as it sounds), The Cheese Connoisseur's Handbook (yum) and Wine, Soil and Salvation in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament (biblical).

This is a show of generous proportions. Partly to give you a chance for some extra listening indulgence. But also to allow us proper time to hear from best-selling author Ben Schott, 'the cheese lady' Svetlana Kukharchuk and priest and theologian Mark Scarlata.

Believe us, you're going to want to hear what they have to say.

So don't be a wet lettuce - pour yourself a glass and join us!

As ever, you can find all details from this episode on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E12 - Our BOOKS OF THE YEAR (2025)

If you'd like more information on our giveaway, please visit our Wine Blast One Million Giveaway page.

You may also find this link to our Speakpipe audio message service useful.

To get early access to new episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk

Instagram: @susieandpeter

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 Wine Blast topping ONE MILLION DOWNLOADS.

It's a major milestone for the pod so we wanted to say thanks to you for making it possible. Up for grabs are prizes worth more than £1,000 - from a set of Jancis Robinson Original wine glasses and decanter to a Coravin Limited Edition Hermitage Timeless 6+ to a case of grower champagnes from iDealwine, books from Academie du Vin Library and an annual Decanter subscription plus VIP tickets to the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter in either NYC or London. Wow!!

More details, including what you have to do to enter, are in the show and also on our Wine Blast One Million Giveaway page.

You may also find this link to our Speakpipe audio message service useful.

Also in the show, we recap on the wine year that was, culminating in our Guess the Missing Word in the Wine Headline. We hear from you guys, answering the odd question along the way. 

Finally, we reveal our Wines of the Year - featuring some real bargains, eye-openers and downright barnstormers. Trust us, you'll want to check these out.

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 the full listing of our Wines of the Year (and where to buy them) on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S7 E11 - Our WINES OF THE YEAR (2025)

To get early access to new episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk

Instagram: @susieandpeter

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 Rhône wine appellations, or Crus, aimed at reminding us how delicious and diverse these wines can be. And how fun, too.

So join us as we explore the best wines of the Rhône Valley, from Côte-Rôtie to Condrieu via Vacqueyras and Vinsobres, discovering why they taste like they do, and how they're evolving and adapting for the future. 

Our expert guides are Rhône expert Matt Walls plus producers Marie Perret, François Miquel and Guillaume Boissonnet. We're also regaled with live music from Bristol four-piece Adult Leisure.

Thanks to Côtes du Rhône Crus for sponsoring this episode and bringing the party to Wine Blast. As if we needed an excuse...

And 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 E10 - Rock and Rhône: from Côte-Rôtie to Cairanne via The Clash

To get early access to new episodes, full archive access to our back catalogue and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Wine Blast PLUS at wineblast.co.uk

Instagram: @susieandpeter

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's never been more choice, as production blossoms in regions as diverse as Serbia, China and India.

Our stellar guide to the intriguing world of traditional-method sparkling wine beyond Champagne is Essi Avellan MW, one of the world's foremost fizz experts.

Essi has just published a brilliant monograph, Sparkling Wines of the World, in conjunction with The International Wine & Food Society (IWFS). 

The IWFS is the world's longest-running food and wine society, founded in 1933 by André Simon. Nowadays it has more than 5,500 members across the globe, with regular get-togethers, tastings, tours and events. Do check them out!

The IWFS are sponsors of this episode and are kindly offering our listeners 40% off the price of Essi's monograph, so £6 down from £9.99, until 31st December 2025. You can access that via the following link: Sparkling Wines of the World offer for Wine Blast listeners.

Also in this episode, we chat with long-time IWFS member and UK wine trade guru, Mimi Avery, recommend some decidedly different traditional-method sparkling wines, and reflect on the importance of deliciousness. And big bottles.

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 E9 - Top of the Pops: Classic Fizz Beyond Champagne

To 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.uk

Instagram: @susieandpeter

We're in the middle of, 'the mystery of the world's most expensive bottle of wine.' We've seen the auction, met the protagonists, got a vivid taste for the heady wine-boom time of the 1980s and 90s...hell, the cork has even dramatically dropped out already (an appropriate metaphor if ever there was one). That's all in Part 1.

Now we get stuck into the heart of our story. 

What were the doubts about this magical bottle of wine, and others like it? Who was this mysterious Hardy Rodenstock character really? And how on earth might a dead frog, a dentist's drill, windscreen wipers, an 'egghead', and radioactive isotopes crop up in the plot?!

Benjamin Wallace, author of The Billionaire's Vinegar, is our expert guide, also exploring the fall-out not just from his book (including his publisher being sued) but also the broader ramifications for the key characters and the wine world in general. We also have some final words from influential wine trade characters featured in the book, with their unflinching take on Hardy Rodenstock and his legacy.

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 E7 - The Story of The Billionaire's Vinegar: Part 2

To 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.uk

Instagram: @susieandpeter

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 1

To 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.uk

Instagram: @susieandpeter