The Week in Wine episode 22

Don drinks a spectacular Champagne and Olly has a delicious Pinot Noir. This week's podcast covers the 2024 vintage in Burgundy and asks whether winemakers are especially honest about the weather and the struggles when their wines are good. They also ask whether most people actually like the taste of wine and other drinks, and whether or not wine really does need food. Can aged, average wine fool the pros? A big theme of this episode is protectionism: should nations uphold their own production against cheaper, imported goods? Or is free trade simply the exploitation of cheaper labor or lower production standards? Also up for discussion is the California grape shortage as well as the oversupply issues facing Bourbon – primarily in the export market. There is more anger and smashed bottles in the south of France. Cognac begins to wonder if French politicians really care about it anymore and the Jura's semi-annual wine fair launches an app – could this be a sign of things to come?