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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

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 Guide 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 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 Report Thanks 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 2025 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

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 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

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 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

Ahead of Season Seven, we have an announcement! We're finally launching subscriptions - a very exciting moment as we aim to take Wine Blast to the next level and spread EVEN MORE wine love around. Subscribers to Wine Blast PLUS will receive Early Access to all episodes as well as Archive Access as our back catalogue becomes subscriber-only. We'll also be throwing in the occasional bonus episode just for subscribers. Those who join Wine Blast Plus will also be enabling Wine Blast to continue and grow. It takes an absurd amount of work to make the show happen, as loyal listeners will know, and it's just us. With your backing, we can start to think about more regular or new kinds of episodes to community features, video content and beyond. The sky's the limit! But we need your support to make it happen. To subscribe, follow this link to Wine Blast Plus. It's all very straightforward and there should be no change to your listening experience. We're also offering Early Birds a 15% discount on initial headline subscription prices. (Just use the code magnum25 - and it's a time-limited offer, so don't hang around!) If you do have any questions or issues, please contact [email protected] You can find show notes for this episode, including links, on our website via this link: Wine Blast S7 Trailer

What's the difference between Prosecco - and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG? Why is Prosecco a 'democratic' wine?! And do you want to hear Peter change his mind??!! Tune in for all this and more, where we go on an intriguing journey of discovery into the UNESCO-endorsed, vine-clad hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene territory north of Venice. We ask why the wines made here are different from your average Prosecco, what is the Martinotti method that is so vital to production of these wines...and should we really be ageing our best Prosecco now?! Bringing this world to life for us are Diego Tomasi, former researcher turned director of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco consortium, and producer Sara Meneguz. We also taste through some of the region's top wines and issue our own verdict on the wines and the region. Mentions of the following occur along the way: Dolly Parton, hogback, Polaroids, heroic viticulture, Afghanistan, kiwi fruit, dinghies, aroma symphony, and the importance of patience. Thanks to the Consorzio Tutela del Vino Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco for sponsoring this episode. This is the final show in Season Six - we will be back very soon for lots more fun, chat and great wines in Season Seven. Until then - cheers! 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 contact info, together with all details from this episode, including maps and wine recommendations, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E23 - There's Prosecco, and then there's Conegliano Valdobbiadene Instagram: @susieandpeter