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, Sussex

Simpson’s Wine Estate, Kent

Gusbourne Estate, Kent

Mouchão, Portugal

Domaine Bousquet, Argentina

Rippon Vineyard, New Zealand

Andy’s book with Jane Masters MW is Rooted in Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine http://bit.ly/4t7OKlV

Recommended wines:

Zuccardi Regiones Cabernet Franc

Speri Valpolicella and Valpolicella Superiore

Original 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 Continues

Château Ksara "Le Prieuré"

Domaine des Tourelles "Cuvée Pierre Brun"

We also discuss Château Musar, Ixsir and Château Kefraya

Original 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 Australia

Fox Tales Winemakers Selection Saperavi 2024 Australia

Wine sales are falling and moderation is up: is this thebeginning of the end for wine? (Spoiler: no…) Andy Neather and Victoria Moorediscuss what falling wine sales and increased interest in moderation mean forwine lovers. They also taste some no and low drinks – and end up with reasons to becheerful 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” Chablis2023, France - £30-35 at good independentwine stores

· Moorooduc Estate PinotNoir 2020, Mornington Peninsula, Australia – from £25 at good independent wine stores

Music: 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 Brut

Waitrose Blueprint Amontillado Medium-Dry Sherry

D'Oliveiras Medium-Sweet 5 year-old Madeira

Talisker 10 Year-Old Single Malt Whisky

Domaine 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 Turvil

The Wines of Beaujolais by Natasha Hughes MW

This year's English grape harvest as been hailed as one of the best ever. So why has one of the country's biggest and best producers, Ridgeview, just gone into administration? We look at the harvest and at the challenges of making money from English wine - when you're in competition with Champagne. Also: Prosecco and why the Champagne authorities are threatening model Cara Delevingne; on the road in Galicia, Spain after devastating fires in its vineyards; and what we've been drinking this week.