Vintage Politics

Osad

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  Jeremy Bowen: War, Wine and Four Decades on the Front Line 24.09.2026 53min

  Season Two of Vintage Politics begins with BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen.Over four remarkable wines, Jeremy joins Abbie Bennington to reflect on more than four decades of frontline reporting, the human cost of war and the challenge of finding truth in some of the world’s most contested places.It’s a candid and deeply personal conversation about journalism, politics and the stories that stay with you, generously hosted by Corney & Barrow at its London headquarters.To discover more about the wines featured in this episode, visit vintagepoliticspod.com.And if you’d like to get closer to the show, do consider joining the Vintage Politics Club. Members receive extra insight from the episodes, longer uncut edits, special discounts from our wine and education partners, invitations and plenty more as the Club grows.Find out more and join at vintagepoliticspod.com.#ad. This episode is sponsored by ETO - wine preserved beautifully. To celebrate the partnership between ETO and Vintage Politics, ETO are giving one lucky winner the chance to win an ETO decanter. Enter the competition here: https://www.etowine.com/pages/eto-x-vintage-politics (terms and conditions apply).
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  Vintage Politics Is Back 10.09.2026 1min

  Season Two out on the 24th September. Great guests, incredible wines and even better stories. Including: Jeremy Bowen, Anthony Scaramucci, George Osborne and many more.
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  New Vintage at No 10: A Vintage Politics Special 02.07.2026 38min

  Keir Starmer is preparing to leave Downing Street — and Andy Burnham is waiting in the wings.James Lyons, Starmer's former Director of Strategic Communications, joins me to unpack what went wrong, what happens next, and whether Labour is about to open a very different political vintage.And in a Vintage Politics first, we'll be tasting our guest's own vintage wine in person — alongside the Prime Minister's favourite beer.
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  From Spin Doctor to Baroness: Ayesha Hazarika on Politics, Comedy & Power 14.05.2026 44min

  From advising some of the biggest names in British politics to finding freedom in comedy, this week on the last Vintage Politics of the series I’m joined by Baroness Hazarika, broadcaster, comedian, former political adviser and now member of the House of Lords.Over a series of remarkable wines (and the first rosé of the series) we talk about the pressures of family expectation, navigating Westminster, what politics was really like behind closed doors including some pretty bad warm white wines!Ayesha reflects on working at the heart of government, the personalities who shaped her career from Tony Blair to Harriet Harman and the surreal reality of going from the political trenches to becoming Baroness Hazarika. Honest, funny and deeply insightful, this is a conversation about ambition, identity, power and finding your own voice in some of Britain’s toughest institutions.Wines featured:M&S Classics Gavi (M&S)Bosio Boschedor 2015 (Hedonism)Les Clos Peyrassol 2024 (Majestic)Glenfarclas 20 Year Old Whisky 1975 (Hedonism)Barbeito Single Cask Boal Vinha do Charlot 2005 (Hedonism)
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  Empire’s End: Lessons from Hong Kong and a Life in Power with Lord Patten 07.05.2026 45min

  In this penultimate episode of Vintage Politics series one I’m joined by Lord Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, who oversaw the historic 1997 handover.We look back at that pivotal moment and ask how relations between Hong Kong, China and the West have shifted and, in his view, deteriorated in the years since.We also explore why the University of Oxford seems to produce so many British prime ministers, and what that reveals about power and political networks.And after a lifetime in public life from Westminster to the world stage, Lord Patten reflects on the lessons that still resonate today and the role he considers his greatest achievement - it might just surprise you.All over some great wines from Oxford to China and a first for Vintage Politics… a cocktail with a royal connection.Wines featured:Yalumba Y Series Sauvignon Blanc 2022/23, Australia (Majestic)Hundred Hills First Edition 2018 England (The Finest Bubble)Célèbre Red, Yunnan China 2018 (Vinum Eurus)Heritage Grande Champagne Cognac 1944 (Hedonism)
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  John Pienaar: Brexit, Boris and Champagne at Dawn 30.04.2026 49min

  A true heavyweight of political journalism joins Vintage Politics.This week, John Pienaar brings decades of reporting from the front line of politics to the podcast — with candid insights on Boris Johnson, Brexit and why it remains “lying in the bloodstream of our politics”, US presidential elections, and the legendary political all-nighters that sometimes ended with a champagne breakfast.It’s a rich conversation full of stories, sharp analysis and hard-earned perspective — with, of course, great wines along the way. Expect great conversation, great insight and a vintage political discussion not to miss.Wines featured:Mid week wine: Morrisons The Best Beaujolais (Morrisons)Pauline Collin Bereche Ludes Vielles Vignes 2019 (Hedonism)Côte de Brouilly, Domaine Lafarge Vial, Beaujolais 2016 (Corney and Barrow)Aloxe-Corton Les Vercots 1er Cru Maison Morey-Blanc 2019 (Corney and Barrow)Hermitage Grande Champagne 1957 (Hedonism)
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  Decca Aitkenhead: Sauvignon Blanc, “weird" wines and conversations with The Chancellor of the Exchequer at his Highland croft 23.04.2026 42min

  Decca Aitkenhead, Chief Interviewer of The Sunday Times, joins Vintage Politics for a lively, free-flowing conversation over a glass or two. She shares her love of Sauvignon Blanc and is introduced to an aged white from Alsace—an experience she expresses as just “weird.”In a wide ranging career she has interviewed major political players from Hillary Clinton to Nigel Farage, getting to know the characters behind the political personas. In this episode she shares stories from a weekend spent in the wilds of Scotland with a former Chancellor of the Exchequer just before the financial crisis and reflects on interviewing Tony Blair after the pandemic—who, Cherie reveals, was perhaps not quite the domestic goddess he would have had her believe!It’s sharp, funny and full of surprises and, as for the wines, were they a hit or a miss? Well, you'll just have to pour yourself a glass and watch and or listen to find out…Wines featured:Mid week wine: Exceptional by ASDA Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024, AsdaJoseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Rosé, Joseph PerrierVacheron Sancerre 2024, Hedonism Domaine Weinbach Gewurtztraminer 2008, HedonismChâteau Trotanoy 1971, Hedonism
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  Guto Harri: His political broadcasting career, the final days of Boris in Number 10 and a passion for Rhône Reds 16.04.2026 33min

  Guto Harri, The Savoy, ambition and fine wine collide in this week’s Vintage Politics. The former Downing Street Director of Communications, journalist and strategist spills all over a carefully chosen glass or two or three.Guto revisits his years alongside Boris Johnson with a sharper edge. Behind the theatre and bravado, he paints a picture of a man he tried to pull back from the brink of Brexit. Warnings issued, the sense that the country was being nudged toward a choice whose consequences would outlast the moment. It didn’t work and that failure lingers between the lines.But politics, in Harri’s telling, is never entirely separate from the personal. Wine runs through it all. “Wine lubricates life,” he says, and in his case it truly does, from the family lore that he was conceived over a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, to the long, looping conversations that shaped careers and convictions alike.There are lighter notes, too Krug opened in moments of rare pause, a reflective glass of Rivesaltes, even the occasional midweek Californian Chardonnay — but they sit alongside the heavier vintages. Because then comes Number 10. In the wake of Partygate, Harri found himself not just defending a government, but reckoning with it navigating fallout, loyalty, and doubt.This is politics uncorked full-bodied, conflicted, and impossible to separate from the life that surrounds it.Wines featured:Mid week wine: Bread & Butter Chardonnay, MajesticChampagne Krug Grande Cuvée 172 ème edition, Ramsay Group / Spritz Marketing / KrugChâteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Tradition Vignobles Gonnet 2022, Corney & BarrowGérard Bertrand Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1969, Ramsay Group / Gérard BertrandGraham's Vintage Port 1966, Ramsay Group / Graham's
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  Jo Coburn: From Kabul to the Commons—and a Glass of Albariño on the Side 09.04.2026 36min

  This week on Vintage Politics, we’re joined by Jo Coburn a broadcaster whose career has taken her far beyond the Westminster studio. From reporting on a Prime Ministerial Afghanistan visit to travelling with the political press pack during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Jo Coburn has witnessed global politics up close as well as at home. Alongside reflections on decades of political change, she also shares a lighter side—her fondness for a crisp glass of Albariño or the indulgent sweetness of Pedro Ximénez—proving that even the sharpest political minds appreciate a well-chosen vintage.Wines featuredMid week wine: The Guv’nor red (Majestic)Joseph Perrier Vintage Champagne 2008 (Hedonism)Martín Códax 'Cantigas' Albariño 2022 (Majestic)Chateau Cheval Blanc 1967 (Hedonism)Gonzalez Byass 'Noe' Pedro Ximénez VORS 30 years (Majestic)
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  Dom Joly: Politics, pranks and a love for Lebanese wine. 02.04.2026 39min

  This week’s guest is better known for his satirical sketches and Trigger Happy TV than his love of politics. That insight would be wrong! Dom Joly is a lover of both wine and politics, which makes him the perfect guest on the show.From his self-confessed love of champagne and Lebanese wines to stories that feel almost too surreal to be true — including accidentally breaking David Mellor’s glasses with a football, chasing Peter Mandelson around and his own time working as a diplomat in Prague — Joly has had a front-row seat to the strange theatre of political life.In this episode, we dive into “Vintage Politics” through his eyes: the larger-than-life personalities, the bizarre moments that history tends to smooth over, and the enduring sense that politics has always been, at least in part, a kind of performance.
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  Missiles & Merlot: Anna Foster on Conflict, Resilience & Wine 26.03.2026 37min

  Missiles in the sky, stories from the frontline—and a glass of Bekaa Valley red. Anna Foster on reporting, resilience, and wine.In this episode of Vintage Politics, broadcaster Anna Foster reflects on her time reporting from Lebanon—where the reality of conflict was never far away, and nights could be lit by missiles streaking across the sky.Amid the intensity of frontline journalism, Anna shares what it means to bear witness to history as it unfolds, and the personal impact of reporting in such volatile environments.But, as ever with Vintage Politics, there’s another side to the story. From a love of midweek prosecco to discovering the bold reds of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, Anna reveals how moments of lightness and ritual can exist alongside uncertainty.A conversation about courage, perspective, and finding balance in extraordinary circumstances.
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  From Downing Street to the White House: Nick Robinson on Power, Presidents & the Today Programme 26.03.2026 45min

  In this episode of Vintage Politics, veteran broadcaster Nick Robinson reflects on a career spent covering the people and moments that shape modern history—including his encounters with former US President George W. Bush.With decades of experience at the heart of British political journalism, Nick offers a sharp and thoughtful perspective on power, leadership, and the evolving relationship between politicians and the media.Alongside the politics, there’s also the pleasure. From a deep appreciation of Margaux to the lighter touch of crémant, Nick shares how wine has been a constant companion throughout his career—marking moments of significance both on and off the record.Insightful, measured, and quietly revealing—this is Nick Robinson as you’ve rarely heard him before.
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  Jon Sopel: Trump, Tensions and a Taste for Fine Wine 26.03.2026 38min

  In the very first episode of Vintage Politics, broadcaster Jon Sopel—best known for The News Agents and his time as the BBC’s North America Editor—looks back on a career spent at the heart of global power.From covering the chaos of Trump-era Washington, including his own headline-making clash with the former president, to reporting across Europe, Jon shares what it’s really like to navigate politics on the world stage.But this isn’t just a story about politics—it’s also about passion. Jon’s love of wine, shaped during his time as Paris Correspondent and refined through the vineyards of Napa Valley, offers a more personal lens on a life lived between pressure-filled press briefings and carefully chosen bottles.Sharp, insightful, and unexpectedly intimate—this is Jon Sopel uncorked.
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  Vintage Politics Teaser 03.03.2026 1min

  Vintage Politics — Coming 26th March.Uncorking the stories behind the headlines.Join Abbie Bennington and guests as political storytelling meets exceptional wine. Each week, leading journalists and political insiders revisit the defining moments of their careers — paired with wines from the same vintage.Featuring Jon Sopel, Nick Robinson, Guto Harri, Dom Joly, Anna Foster, Jo Coburn, John Pienaar and more.