Wine Blast with Susie and Peter Susie and Peter, Masters of Wine

It's popular, it's pleasurable - and it's much misunderstood. Rosé is having a moment and yet the myths remain pervasive.That's our cue to ride to the rescue, busting a host of rosé myths as we go, shooting down cardinal sins from the hip, and urging a radical re-think of rosé all round. We hear from rosé experts Elizabeth Gabay MW and Ben Berhneim as well as fifth-generation producer Caroline Deforges of the world-famous Clos Cibonne estate in the south of France. Rosé is often patronisingly...

Wine can seem tremendously unimportant at a time of war. At what is a torrid time in the Middle East, we wanted to check in with three winemakers - from Palestine, Israel and Lebanon - and ask: can wine really be a source of positivity during troubled times?What we hear in this episode may surprise you. It's a departure from our regular format - a bonus extended edition - because we wanted to give proper airtime to these powerful, nuanced, important interviews. Wine has more history in the Le...

Wine brings pleasure. But for some it can also prove painful. Red wine is particularly problematic for a proportion of the population, with just a few mouthfuls bringing on swift and excruciating headaches.Now scientists think they may finally be on to why. In lab experiments, they've identified a compound in red wine that impedes the breakdown of alcohol by the liver and causes a build-up of toxic acetaldehyde in the bloodstream. Human trials are still needed for confirmation - but these are...

If Rías Baixas is famous for one thing, it's characterful, invigorating white wine based on the superstar Albariño grape - described in this episode by one winemaker as a variety that can take you, 'from the swimming pool to the Michelin-starred restaurant.' Its blossoming popularity over recent decades has given rise to imitators all around the wine world - so what is it that makes Rías Baixas Albariño special, and why? Is there more to the story than just Albariño here? Who's doing exciting...

What do bagpipes, rain, witches, pilgrimage, lampreys and Albariño all have in common? Not much really - but they are all featured in this episode on Rías Baixas, the intriguing wine region in north-west Spain famous for its seafood, verdant landscapes and refreshing, brine-tinged white wines.Historically, this was always a remote region of hardy fishermen and misty hillsides. But since the 1980s a wine revolution has been taking place, majoring on a distinctive style of Albariño we wine drin...

How and why is the global wine scene in a bit of a state? Why is wine threatened by weight-loss drugs and smartphones? Does drinking high quality wine make you happier - and does light drinking increase longevity? This is our periodic programme where we catch up on the more intriguing wine news, pondering everything from weighty matters (as above) but also touching on lighter-hearted fare. Such as an Italian restaurant offering diners free wine in exchange for locking away their p...