Broadcast weekly across the Scottish Television network, The Hour was a lively magazine programme where Tom Cannavan was the resident wine expert.
Since being rocked by scandal in the 1980s sales of Austrian wine plummeted. But since the new millennium there has been an explosion of interest in Austrian wines, led by the Grüner Veltliner grape
Many people have a preconception of Portuguese wines based on a 70s image of sweet, lightly sparkling wines. But in fact with its wealth of indigenous grapes Portugal’s wine industry is one of the most interesting in Europe.
Turtle doves were cooing when I presented three ‘romantic’ wines for Valentine’s day in this episode, a delicious rosé Cava, a Champagne made for Maxim’s in Paris, and a bottle chosen for its gift potential.
A budget-conscious theme to the wines on the show this week as we put three supermarket own-label wines to the test. One of them, a very unusual dry, white Pedro Ximinez from Chile goes down a storm.
Broadcast in late summer, this show features a selection of three wine ideal for barbecues (and grills) with a crowd-pleasing final choice, a rich and fruity Californian Zinfandel.
This show focused on Sauvignon Blanc, but the TV crew spring a big surprise on me by presenting me with the cheapest wine on sale in Scotland to taste live on air: all £1.11’s worth of Bulgarian wine from Tesco.
A tasting of three pink wines, but two of them offering something distinctly different: a fruity Merlot Rosé from Chile, a Pink Port from Croft, and ‘Fresita’ a sparkling wine infused with Patagonian strawberries.
Drinking habits were revolutionised in the 1970s when Australian wines started to appear on our shelves, but it’s time to look again at Australia, from gently oaked Chardonnay to classic Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Squirrel-gate! I present three wines looking to expand the horizons with unusual and less familar grapes, but am ambushed by my co-presenter Michelle McManus and a giant squirrel (don’t ask).
Aggie McKenzie of ‘How Clean is your House?’ (and a secret wine buff) joins me in the studio to taste a trio of wines from California including a fabulous ‘Fumé’ Sauvignon Blanc from Rober Mondavi.
Fun and games as Scottish comedian Craig Hill joins me. We taste through a selection of three wines representing classic regions of France with a very good value white Burgundy and an off-dry Pinot Gris from Alsace.
I’m on location once again this week, with my trawl through Oddbins in search of three wines: one to drink now, one to hold for a while and one destined for the cellar.
In this episode I am out and about on another challenge, to find three excellent value wines at different price points in Tesco. I settle on an inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc, a Côtes du Rhône and a mature Shiraz.
go to PART ONE
go to PART FOUR
