We've all heard about(and most of us have enjoyed) an English sparkling wine or two, but what about the non-sparkling? Has England really progressed to the point where we are able to produce quality still red and white wines? To find out for themselves, Richard and Oliver, together with producer Mike, travel to the heart of the Kent countryside to meet Henry and Helen and explore the delights of "The Simpson's Wine Estate". Oh and did we get to try the wines? Yes. Yes, we did ..read more

After a bit of a break, we're back at Gordon's and this time Richard is determined to get Oliver "into" red wine. And in this endeavour, Richard is very successful and lines up a Beaujolais-village, a Côtes du Rhône a South African Syrah and a lovely Nero D'Avola for them both to sip against a backdrop of very excited and "refreshed" American tourists ..read more

Italy is the subject for episode 3, having only had a minor role in season 1. While Oliver struggles to pronounce the Italian wines on the Gordon’s wine list, Richard promises to take him to a proper Italian location close to London’s Liverpool St Station. There Richard’s Italian friend and wine and food expert Luisa Welch guides the boys through a classic Italian meal and some great wines, not to mention a few aperitivi and digestivi. Luisa puts the boys through their spaghetti-rolling paces, and Luisa wishes Oliver all the best in the toilet ..read more

In episode 2 the boys sip a Gordon’s Riesling before Richard whisks Oliver off to a proper Riesling tasting being held down the road in Pall Mall. Oliver is surprised and delighted to discover the many faces of this classic grape variety, as the boys sample wines from Germany and Austria to Australia and South Africa ..read more

In which Richard and Oliver enjoy a romp through wine history, and where Richard has Georgia on his mind as the cradle of wine civilisation around the 6th century BC; this inspires him to get his fiddle out. Oliver ponders what went on for centuries during the dark Ages and is horrified to hear about phyloxera which devastated the wine world in the late 19th and early 20th century ..read more

In which Oliver discovers the delights of Chablis and Chablis Premier Cru; but can he tell one from the other in a blind tasting, and once he knows which is which, can he recognise and understand the difference in wine quality and price? Later, and with increasing confidence, Oliver compares two contrasting wine styles from one of Richard’s favourite regions: the southern Rhone. And it is in this episode when Oliver first gets to grip with the elusive concept of “Terroir ..read more

Season 1 Teaser by Oliver Turnbull & Richard Lane ..read more

In which Oliver introduces his idea for a podcast to help people like him who like a glass of wine, but who often feel intimidated by not knowing what is on a wine list. He introduces his friend of more than 30 years, Richard, who has recently passed WSET Diploma in Wines. Richard is just starting out in a new career of wine education. Oliver likes the familiar and exuberant taste of the aromatic sauvignon blanc, and later being transported back to family Sunday lunches in Yorkshire in the 1970s where his father would always open a bottle of ‘good old claret ..read more

A geographical theme, in which Oliver and Richard discuss natural factors and how they influence the ability of grapes to grow and of wine to be made. Oliver opens up the 30-page Chez Bruce wine list and starts to sweat; later he spins his globe and studies the ’30-50’ latitude strips of the northern and southern hemispheres, with Richard explaining why these numbers are important for making wine. Richard talks about good vintages and the effect of our warming planet on vintages in traditionally marginal climates like the Loire Valley and Burgundy. They then taste a chardonnay from a cool dese ..read more