Show Notes
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 Turvil The Wines of Beaujolais by Natasha Hughes MW
More from 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.
Episode 10: The Greek Wine Revolution Greece 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, Crete Stefanos Kokotos, Maltby & Greek, London
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 2023 Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wines’ Pyramid Valley vineyard Saga Robotics Recommended 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=Xh4HdR2nQhe6C79hYumNlw END
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 Minity Château Léoube Aix Recommended 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.