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videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 11, Wine-Searcher
Don sings the praises of a "go-to" whiskey (Bushmills); is Chenin Blanc cruelly underrated? Readers still looking into the best Bourbons of 2025; between fraud in Puglia and Pantelleria, a cooperative going bankrupt and labor exploitation, Italian wine is having a turbulent summer; Oliver talks about his interview with Chateau Garbage's Emre Rende; should wine lists be more adventurous? The continued woes of the wine industry; have we hit rock bottom? Will things get better or worse? A CBD influencer who extorted, threatened and intimidated a winegrowing family in Bordeaux is sentenced to three years in prison, French winegrower releases Palestinian solidarity cuvée; direct action wine group CAV hits a major wine merchant in southern France, emptying tanks of wine; French Jean Dujardin actor launches Bordeaux whiskey; EU approves new Pago de Tharsys Vino de Pago; and Spanish Olympian says wine "not incompatible with sport".
videoThe Week in Wine Episode 12
Remembering Nicolas Potel and the people behind the wine we drink; the best Bourbons of 2025; the US government shutdown and its effect on wines, wine labels and stopping new wine from hitting the shelves; irate feedback from readers and the issues around publishing reader comments, defamation and libel; cannabis smuggled in barrels discovered in Bordeaux; intern dies at Chapoutier; Burgundy winegrower spat with mayor; Cognac to start major vine-pull program; and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra pairs Schubert with Shiraz.
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 13, Wine-Searcher
Martinborough Pinot Noir; the impact of Australian winemakers on New Zealand wine; Pinot Blanc vs. Pinot Gris; Calmére sale in Napa, Napa vineyard prices and the worrying drop in interest at recent California charity wine auction; Hungary's vineyards under threat from Flavescence Doré and the lack of coverage in wine news; non-alcoholic Sauternes; thieves don't steal wine from Bordeaux Second Growth Ducru-Beaucaillou; more direct action vandalism as intruders empty wine tanks in Bordeaux; former Yquem owner's wine collection up for auction; and we look at the coming stories of tasting a 100 year-old Tuscan wine and a 2025 Burgundy vintage roundup.
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 14, Wine-Searcher
Spring and frosts in the vineyard; Burgundy's 2025 vintage hints quality without quantity; Is everyone a secret Zinfandel lover?; the wider beauty and appeal of southern Italian red varieties; the utilitarian Sangiovese and whether or not Chianti Riserva stacks up against Chianti Classico; tasting 100 year-old Tuscan wine and vino-pomorphism – how often are wines described as people?; the appeal of Lake Garda wines; is everyone really a closet fan of Rum; how much did Covid-19 do for the spirits industry (at home, at least); Old vines; and, finally, Natural Wines and U2.
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 15, Wine-Searcher
Natural wine summed up by Konstantin Baum MW; is Natural Wine now just a facet of wine?; people really love Rum; the beauty of a Dark and Stormy cocktail; the Supreme Court's ongoing look at Trump's wine tariffs; is the concept of Old Vines overrated for the consumer?; what does sustainable mean?; Copper sprays banned in France, the impact on Organic Viticulture in the country; the Greeks as the true origin of wine in France; smoke taint in northwestern Spain; viticulturist electrocuted in the vineyard; more doom and gloom for the wine trade's economic outlook; but....is Ireland our only hope?
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 16, Wine-Searcher
Don rediscovers an old friend; unmemorable wines; has wine reached rock-bottom; Elon Musk, trillionaires, and would the wine world be better with a more affluent middle class (is the wine market a reflection of a shrinking middle class?). Are South African wines overlooked? Is the wine industry itself the main consumer of its own news (and not the wine consumer)? Cognac producer billed for duty on Cognac stolen from its premises. Chapoutier planting agave in the Rhône (with a view to Tequila production). Argentina's slashing of red tape in wine production (off the back of Milei's neoliberal reforms). Alsace celebrates a great 2025 vintage. Ungrafted vines. The beauty and charms of Oporto.
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 17, Wine-Searcher
Old - wine - favourites (Australian Shiraz joins California Chardonnay in Don's glass this weekend); why on earth should you/you should drink non-alcoholic beer; chucking it all in to make wine; US spirits hit doldrums overseas (is the current administration to blame?); the best Sauvignon Blancs of 2025 – and the small country with a surprising six entries in the top ten (and no, it's not France, New Zealand or the USA). Male wine critic has a go at superstar singer Rosalía's pronunciation of Sauvignon Blanc; fall vineyard land values in Bordeaux hit the big-name appellations; Abruzzo's Casauria is officially Italy's newest DOCG; Spain leads bulk wine market (with Italy and New Zealand vying for second place); and more on Argentina's push to deregulate their wine industry.
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 18, Wine-Searcher
Don drinks Rioja Gran Reserva and gin while Olly enjoys skin-fermented Semillion from Sonoma. We look over a stunning run of vintages in Barolo and talk about wine being aged (and made) in space. Don is slightly unimpressed with the ice and whiskey debate and wonders if writers shouldn't take more of a position on their subjects. We talk about the "Grand Cru Gang" theft trial in Bordeaux; look at murmurs in Burgundy (that things might not be so rosy and that wine tourism in the region might not be doing so well); the Georgian Prime Minister's gift of wine to the Pope (and we ask if the Swiss Guard is the most wine-savvy military force in the world); another wine destination in Pauillac; Spain exports on a slow downward trend; still more on Argentina's deregulation of the wine industry; and a politician caught drink-driving in Mendoza. We also touch on Chardonnay Rose being admitted into Champagne, Gaza being the centre of the ancient wine trade, uprooting in the Loire and the state of
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 19, Wine-Searcher
Don returns to an old favourite – oaked Chardonnay; the multi-faceted beauty of Albariño; and varietal labeling – are we past that stage yet? This week's big stories spanned an interview with Napa winemaking power couple Philippe and Cherie Melka as well as last week's wine news roundup headed by the news of the so-called "Grand Cru Gang" trial. Don has high hopes for his top ten Irish Whiskey story, which is already doing well, and fans of the spirit from across the world (including, apparently, Irish expats in the UAE). This week, we also look at the news that the Michelin guide is getting into wine; the benefits/pitfalls of individual ratings versus panel tastings and Wine-Searcher's own aggregated critic score. Antonio Banderas drinks 18th Century Sherry; Italy and France wine exports to the US struggling as 2025 draws to a close; Champagne sales hit the doldrums (despite a raft of good news coming out of the region); Chianti Classico "a reliably affordable luxury"; French Bloom no
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 20, Wine-Searcher
To kick off 2026, Don rediscovers his love of Mosel Riesling and Olly raves about a California Chardonnay that's not your regular California Chardonnay. Meanwhile, a look over the top stories of the festive season proves that the big-name wines aren't always what people want and that Irish whiskey is getting a lot of attention lately. Other big stories include Napa dropping prices on its cellar doors, US dietary guidelines sidestepping wine, the continued interest in the Chateau Ste Michelle handover, and the word 'bankruptcy' being touted around both Argentina's Bodega Norton and France's Bordeaux wine region. Olly reviews the main headlines of the last seven days, including Taylor's Swift's endorsement of a Sancerre, a third winegrower suicide in Bordeaux, Lionel Messi's favorite drink (wine and Sprite), a Florida priest's wine and life podcast, a Spanish university looking for people to drink red wine for four years (as part of a study) and a solar-powered vineyard shade. This week'
videoThe Week in Wine: Episode 21, Wine-Searcher
Don drinks an Elijah Craig Rye while Olly celebrates a birthday with grower Champagne. The suicide in Bordeaux and Silicon Valley Bank's bleak prognosis top the most-read wine news stories in what has been a relatively bleak week. Only Oregon Chardonnay looks to buck the trend, while both Don and Olly ask when, if ever, the time will come that Burgundy comparisons are not thrown at any Chardonnay or Pinot Noir made, globally – even in Burgundy, perhaps? Leonardo di Capro has a cameo in the vines of Champagne, promoting an organic push from Telmont but it's mostly bad news this week with US wine exports nosediving 30 percent, protestors baring their buttocks outside Rhône producer Chapoutier (Don also asks what is the correct past tense of the "ess haitch eye tee" word), the demise of another cooperative in southern France has Olly wondering if wine production wont take us back 150 years, and they ask who the current global wine scene is really helping. There's likely more bad news to c
videoThe Week in Wine Episode 25 | Wine-Searcher Podcast
Don drinks a delicious McLaren Vale Shiraz while Olly has a lovely 'Carignane' from Lodi. Don talks Napa Merlot, RTDs taking over the drinks space, an oversupply of agave in Tequila and the latest from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti tastings. Olly asks if there are positives to untended vineyards in wine regions (keeping bird pressure down?) and Don looks at Spanish wines – particularly whites – pushing into the USA. This week's wine news includes the revelation that Rhône wines are creating a pan-regional sparkling wine brand to produce bubbles under; there were a number of stories from the Wine Paris 2026 trade show, including cameos from former basketballer Tony Parker and singer Carla Bruni (leading Olly to question the value of celebrity wines/endorsements); wine/alcohol as a leading source of lead exposure in adult diets in France (after, it must be said, refined breads and alongside the likes of tap water); China threatens France with trade tariffs on wine; Chilean wines exp
videoCreating 67 Pall Mall
How does a private wine club come to life? 🍷 Suzanne Mustacich discusses the creation of 67 Pall Mall with the club's commercial director Lorraine Carrigan. What makes people feel connected through wine? Follow for more wine insights. #67PallMall #WineCulture #WineLifestyle
videoWine Review: 2025 Chateau De Pez Saint Estephe | En Primeur
▶️ Learn more about this wine and past vintages: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/de+pez+st+estephe+medoc+bordeaux+france/2025?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=enprimeur David Allen MW is at Pichon Longueville Comtesse in Pauillac, but is reviewing an en-primeur sample of the 2025 ‘Pez’. This is the new guise for the Grand Vin from sister property Chateau de Pez in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. David scores the wine 92-93/100. Château de Pez is one of Bordeaux's oldest wine estates, situated in the western part of Saint-Estèphe. The wine is based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in roughly equal measures. The property covers around 48 contiguous hectares (118 acres), of which about 42ha (103 acres) is under vine. Around half of plantings are Cabernet Sauvignon, with 43 percent Merlot plus some Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sits on a high plateau, sloping from 18 meters in the south to 12 meters in the north (60 to 40ft). Soils feature about a met
videoPrivate wine clubs
What makes a private wine club so appealing? 🍇 Lorraine Carrigan shares her perspective on the attraction of clubs like 67 Pall Mall. Would you join a wine club? Follow for more wine insights. #WineClub #WineLifestyle #WineEducation #WineLovers
videoWine Review: 2025 Chateau Montlanderie Cotes de Castillon | En Primeur
▶️ Learn more about this wine and past vintages: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/de+pez+st+estephe+medoc+bordeaux+france/2025?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=enprimeur David Allen MW reviews an en-primeur sample of the 2025 Chateau Montlanderie from the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. This is part of the portfolio of the Durantou family, who also own Chateau L’Église-Clinet in Pomerol,where David is tasting. David scores the wine 92-93/100. This hillside property is located just to the north of Castillon la Bataille, not far from the border with Saint-Émilion. Denis Durantou added it to his portfolio it in 2009; his daughters now run the Dyrantou properties after his passing in 2020. Merlot usually accounts for the majority of the blend, with the remainder composed of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The limestone soils here add a certain degree of salinity to the wine, 50 percent of which is aged in new oak. ▶️ CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction : Chate
videoWine Review: 2025 Chateau Saint Pierre Pomerol | En Primeur
▶️Learn more about this wine and past vintages: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/st+pierre+julien+medoc+bordeaux+france/2025?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=enprimeurdcmw David Allen MW is at Chateau Saint-Pierre, Pomerol, tasting an En Primeur sample of the 2025 vintage. This edition is 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc from heavier soils of clay, gravel and sand. David scores the wine 92-93/100. Château Saint-Pierre is a property in the Pomerol district of Bordeaux. It produces red wine based on Merlot, with Cabernet Franc in a supporting role. The house and vineyards are located next to the Église Saint-Jean, the appellation's historic symbol. Fruit is sourced from a handful of small parcels on the plateau, with other plots currently being renovated; soils are sandy gravels particularly rich in iron. Plantings are approximately a 75:25 split between Merlot and Cabernet Franc, though the wines tend to be closer to 90:10. Individual vineyard plots are carefully
videoPall Mall in Bordeaux
What does it take to build a wine club in Bordeaux? 🍷 Lorraine Carrigan, commercial director of private London wine club 67 Pall Mall talks to Suzanne Mustacich about building a new branch in Bordeaux. Would you visit 67 Pall Mall in Bordeaux? Follow for more wine insights. #67PallMall #BordeauxWine #WineLifestyle
videoA 7,500 Bottle Wine Tower Masterpiece: Inside 67 Pall Mall - Jane Anson The Wine Podcast-E31
WINE-SEARCHER PRO 🍷 ✨ Get 10% off a 12-month Wine-Searcher PRO subscription with the code ‘JaneWS’ at checkout. 👇 https://www.wine-searcher.com/get-pro?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=winevoices In this episode of The Wine Podcast, Suzanne Mustacich speaks with Lorraine Carrigan about the remarkable success of 67 Pall Mall, the private wine club founded on London’s famed Pall Mall and now expanding globally. What does it take to run an exclusive wine club? We discuss what makes the club so appealing to collectors, wine professionals and passionate enthusiasts alike, and how it has built an international community around exceptional wine, hospitality and shared events. Lorraine also talks about the company’s ambitious expansion plans, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Switzerland and across Asia, and explains how 67 Pall Mall is adapting its offer to make each club unique. 🍷This episode is brought to you by iDealwine https://www.idealwine.com/en/buy-wine/sale-vente-p
videoWine Review: 2025 Chateau Figeac Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe | En Primeur
▶️Learn more about this wine and past vintages: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/figeac+st+emilion+grand+cru+bordeaux+france/2025?utm_source=davidallen&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=enprimeur David Allen MW reviews an En Primeur sample of 2025 Chateau Figeac Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 2025. Unusually for Saint-Emilion three gravel outcrops feature prominently in the terroir, leading to a high percentage of the Cabernets in the wine. This edition is 38% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. David scores the wine 96-97/100. Figeac's eponymous flagship wine (or "grand vin" as is often called) is known for its rich nose, silky texture and elegance, and for its aging potential in better vintages. The estate was rated as Premier Grand Cru Classé (B) in the 1955 Saint-Émilion Classification – a status it retained through every subsequent iteration of the classification until 2022, when it was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé (A). The wine is widely consi
videoWine's Bourbon Chaser - The Week in Wine, Episode 40 | Wine-Searcher
Our list of best-value Bourbon has readers arriving in droves, all while the main wine news continues to swirl around just how well (or not) the wine industry is doing, globally. Other stories in the last 7 days include a group of wine investors assiduously avoiding 100-point wines, while there is still interest in Bordeaux 2025, not least from the value end of the offerings as well as a piece on how the weather in Bordeaux last year, although endlessly talked-about, isn't really being reflected in the wines. The weekend's last news also covers: González Byass in debt restructure talks; an indication that Argentina's newly deregulated wine industry might not be enjoying its new-found freedom; a massive Spanish wine fraud case involving nearly 2 million bottles of adulterated wine goes to court; French harvest this year may begin in early August; an investigation into the violent French direct-action winegrower group CRAV is thrown out of court; and an indication that non-alcoholic wi
videoWine Review: 2025 Chateau Seraphine Pomerol | En Primeur
▶️ Learn more about this wine and past vintages: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/seraphina+pomerol+bordeaux+france/2025?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=enprimeurdcmw David Allen MW is at the tiny Chateau Seraphine in Pomerol tasting an En Primeur sample of the 2025 vintage. This edition is 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc (not 80% as stated in the video). David scores the wine 95-96/100. Having sold his previous estate Château de Sours to Alibaba founder Jack Ma in 2016, Englishman Martin Krajewski purchased Séraphine. He immediately set about rebuilding the cellars and the house, before turning his attention to the vineyards. About 75 percent of the 2.2-hectare (5.4-acre) vineyard was pulled out and replanted. Krajewski also founded Songlines Estates in Australia, working with John Duval on the project from 2002 to 2012. He is a founding partner of Aristea Wines in South Africa, Clos Cantenac in Saint-Émilion, and the Oslo Distillery in Norway. Martin's daug
videoWine Review: 2025 Chateau L'Eglise-Clinet 'La Petite Eglise' | En Primeur
▶️Learn more about this wine and past vintages: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/l+eglise+clinet+la+petit+pomerol+bordeaux+france/2025?utm_source=davidallen&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=enprimeur David Allen MW is at Chateau L’Egliise Clinet, Pomerol, tasting an En Primeur sample of the 2025 vintage of their La Petite Eglise. Just a few thousand bottles are made of this each year from two plots with lighter, sandier soils within the vineyard. This edition is 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. David scores the wine 92-93/100. Château L'Église-Clinet is a small, critically acclaimed producer in the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux. Over recent vintages its average scores from critics have been some of the very highest in the region, and auction prices very much reflect this acclaim. Its 4.2 hectares (10 acres) of vines produce around 1500 cases of wine per year. The vineyard has some of the highest concentrations of old vines in Pomerol, although the estate starting replanting in
videoWine Review: 2025 Chateau La Conseillante Pomerol | En Primeur
▶️Learn more about this wine and past vintages: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/la+conseillante+pomerol+bordeaux+france/2025?utm_source=davidallen&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=enprimeur David Allen MW is in the impressive cellars of Chateau La Conseillante, Pomerol, tasting an En Primeur sample of the 2025 vintage. This edition is 87% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. David scores the wine 95-96/100 and feels he may be being conservative. Château La Conseillante is an acclaimed wine estate in the Pomerol district of Bordeaux, known for its Merlot-based grand vin. The vineyard is situated in the east of the appellation on the border with Saint-Émilion and adjoining properties include Château L'Évangile and Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol, and Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion to the southeast. The La Conseillante estate is planted on predominantly clay-based soil and the vineyard consists of 80 percent Merlot, with 20 percent Cabernet Franc in more gravelly ar