In short
Gary Barlow discusses his wine venture (a South Africa-made Sauvignon Blanc rosé/blush blend), his TV wine show approach (making wine accessible for non-experts), and his experiences with music/food/wine. The episode also includes a “New Zealand wine dilemma” segment where he helps choose wines for a Kiwi-themed dinner party.
Guest backgrounds
Gary Barlow is a Take That frontman and songwriter/producer who has also created musicals and performed globally. He’s a hands-on wine creator with a TV presence via his wine show. Hosts Alan Carr and Lee Peart discuss celebrity TV and drink culture.
Key claims
Wine and music are both crafts driven by passion; he chose wine because he knows it better than spirits and wanted an authentic product during lockdown. He says his TV show is designed for audience questions, not snobbery. He claims 25,000 bottles sell weekly of his wine show’s product.
Notable examples
South Africa Swartland vineyard; The Newt (Nigella Lawson tried his aubergine dish); underwater wine cellars in Marlborough Sounds; Kiwi wine picks for Hannah (Riesling, non-vintage Brut, Pinot Noir).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOCelebrity Traitors and Personal Stories
1:04 to 1:30
Alan and Lee discuss Celebrity Traitors and share personal anecdotes.
“You deserve a break that actually satisfies.”
Celebrity Traitors and Personal Stories
2:15 to 4:52
Alan and Lee discuss Celebrity Traitors and share personal anecdotes.
“Oh gosh, I think I know what you're going to say.”
Introducing Gary Barlow
4:53 to 6:42
Alan and Lee introduce Gary Barlow and discuss his achievements.
“Well, for those listening, actually, you could guess.”
Gary Barlow's Winemaking Journey
6:43 to 10:40
Gary shares his experience with winemaking and his passion for wine.
“Okay, well this is where this wine comes from.”
The Art of Wine and Music
10:41 to 14:00
Gary discusses the similarities between winemaking and music.
“Because it does feel authentic with you.”
Exploring Personal Branding
14:00 to 14:48
Gary discusses the excitement of launching self-branded products, sharing insights on the responsibility that comes with it.
“And, you know, if someone says a line or I can hear music, it's just built in somehow.”
Marketing Mistakes and Memories
14:49 to 18:11
A humorous reflection on a marketing blunder involving dog waste bags and its unexpected implications.
“And I thought, because, you know, no one ever puts it in the bin.”
Wine Snobbery and Audience Connection
18:12 to 21:06
Gary shares his perspective on wine snobbery and the importance of making wine accessible to all.
“We had Alex James on as well a couple of months ago and he was talking about with his cheese and his wine and stuff.”
Touring and Audience Engagement
21:07 to 23:24
Discussion about upcoming tours, audience reactions, and the unique features of a spectacular performance.
“I've not quite got that far down the road with wine yet and I sort of don't want it to become too...”
The Wine Experience
23:25 to 26:28
Gary elaborates on his wine preferences and the atmosphere of enjoying wine with friends.
“I'll start demoing my Samsung to people.”
Show all 16 chapters
Sauvignon Blanc and Tesco Partnership
26:29 to 28:00
A deep dive into the development of a Sauvignon Blanc and the collaboration with Tesco.
“So when you finish the show, do you have a drink afterwards generally?”
Wine Discussions: Blush vs. Rosé
28:00 to 31:22
Explore the differences between blush and rosé wines, and the process of creating a blush wine.
“And then we can come round, we'll put our feet in some soapy water I don't have a Pifco mini facial sauna.”
Health Awareness: Psoriatic Arthritis
31:22 to 32:29
Learn about the connection between plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, along with treatment options.
“Did you know about one in three people with plaque psoriasis may also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling?”
Dinner Party Dilemma: Kiwi Wines
32:54 to 38:29
Discover recommendations for New Zealand wines to impress at a dinner party.
“Okay, we've got a dilemma from Hannah in Clapham.”
Final Thoughts on Pinot Noir
38:29 to 42:01
Discussing the appeal and flavors of Pinot Noir wines while debating options for a dinner party.
“And again, Hannah wants to just go, I want to win you over.”
Wine Tasting and Kiwi Night
42:01 to 45:38
Join the hosts as they discuss New Zealand wine selections and personal experiences.
“And it's a Kiwi-inspired night, so you can say, look, we're going to kick off, pop open the bottle of New Zealand.”
Transcript
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1:30Alan Carr:Well, yeah, shitbags! Make me millions! Hey, listen, I might be breaking a whole code here. No, this is interesting. Honestly, they do. Oh, that blind down. Perfect for Baba Ganouche. Quite horny. It's quite horny. It's a bit personal, Gary. I'm still bitter. You drunk Gary. Pass the wind down there. If you've been affected by any of Gary Barlow's statistics, please phone this number.
2:03Alan Carr:Hello and welcome to Bottoms Up with Alan Carr and Lee Peart. Yeah, we're the podcast that refuses to bottle things up. So get your cork out and let's get pouring. I said cork. Alan, how are you firstly? Well, my nose is properly out of joint. Oh gosh, I think I know what you're going to say. I'm old nose, I'm old hat. Well, I wasn't going to bring it up. It's been a few weeks now, but I think the dust has settled and I was hoping you'd be okay with it, but judging by anyone listening, he's scowling, I'm going to say two words, celebrity traitors. Yeah, people have already forgotten about me. And the line-up's amazing.
2:42Alan Carr:I know, I know. Rob and Romesh, surely they're going to make one of them a trait and one of them not. I just wonder whether that's a bit too obvious. Do you know, I've got a theory. I will say this. I think you have semi-ruined it for players. Because, no. I think you've ruined the series. That's it. No, I think now what will be difficult is the people who will be a little bit fun and a little bit light, I think it will be classed as the Alan Carr effect of like, well, Alan was like that. I wonder whether now you've got to play this game a little bit differently. Alan Carr effect, the Alan Carr effect.
3:20Alan Carr:I'm that powerful. You're a bit ditzy and flappy and dopey. Oh, okay. Wow, wow, wow. I haven't had a drink yet. Because you know when you write on the slate, there's a lot of pressure to get people's name right. Claire Balding wrote anal for me.
3:37Alan Carr:I didn't know if it was my name or an offer.
3:42Alan Carr:Oh, Claire. Poor Claire. Long-suffering Claire. Long-suffering. She was the only one. I know I'm banging on about the last series of drapes, but she was the only one that caught on to me. I know, and that's what I mean. And then I murdered her. Ha! But now I'm going to be one of those people like on coach trip. Oh, are you Alan Carwernie on it? I wonder if they could put up like a little picture of you, like, you know, when you go into like big castles and stuff and you see the person who used to be king of the castle. I wonder if you could. Oh, I don't think they're going to do that. No, probably not.
4:14Alan Carr:My friend actually made me laugh. He clearly has never seen Traitors because I quite liked how they revealed it. Did you see in the airport lounge and the slates? My friend went, well, Miranda Hart will be pissed off. I was like, why? They spelt her name wrong. I'm like, that's the joke. Oh, my God. He was like justice for Miranda. I was like, have you ever seen the traitors? Well, probably Miranda's you're going to trip over, fall on the, what's it, baggage carousel and go round. You know what she's like? She's clumsy. Classic Miranda. Cock-handed. Listen, very exciting. Very exciting. We've got a special guest.
4:50Alan Carr:We'll see if you can guess who it is. As I glance at the bottle. Hmm. Well, for those listening, actually, you could guess. Oh, yes. Forget about people listening. So we've got some piano keys on the label. Yes. It's his own wine. Well, he can do anything, really. He can write hit songs. He's written musicals. He's entertained arenas, theatres, stadiums all over the world. And I dare say, a national treasure. He is a national treasure. I will say that. Yes, yes. And I don't use that term lightly. Yes. And he has his own wine. Oh, let's bring him on. It's Gary Barlow. Yay!
5:31Alan Carr:Oh, you've brought gifts. Oh, a nice rosé. What a sauvignon blush. You've both not looked at me yet. You've just looked at the bottom. Sorry, yeah. Gary's here as well. Hey, hello. Thank you. I'm good. Not met you before. Yes, lovely to meet you. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, Alan. Well, you have sort of met Ish before. Oh, yes, actually. Years ago, you won't remember. I actually introduced, take that, at Manchester Pride. Oh, OK. Do you remember him? What year was that? I remember. It was a long time ago. And just to make it about me even more, you'll get used to it, Gary. Keep going. I worked on your progress tour, but not that we never met.
6:14Alan Carr:I was a brand ambassador for Samsung. So as people were going into the stadiums, I was like, would you like to check out the new Samsung phone? They were like, no way, you ever take that. So we brushed in the past. What a great showbiz story. So listen, are we going to have a wine? What do you, what do you, it's summer, should we have the blush? Yeah, I think we should. You've been to South Africa. Yes, we love South Africa. That is where this podcast was born. Okay, well this is where this wine comes from. Okay. Yeah, all the versions of it all comes from South Africa. We started in a little vineyard out in Swartland.
6:55I don't know if you got to Swartland. It's a bit beyond where Stellenbosch and Franschuk is, but another hour. And that's where it all began. That's where we did our tasting. That's where we created this, because this is the Sauvignon Blanc with a little squirt of Pinot Noir in there.
7:14Alan Carr:Come on, stop pouring. Less talking, more pouring. Yes. Because we were watching your series and we saw Babylon Storm and we were like, oh my God, we were there. We went, and this is where we came up with the idea for this podcast. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you do a taste in there? Yes, tasting. And like you said, you know, with food and drink, it's like, was it lyrics and music? They go together, don't they? And I love that you've got the piano keys on there. Do you know what? I'm quietly very proud of all this. I was going to say, like... It's nice to talk about it. Is it... Cheers, Al. Cheers, bottoms up.
7:48Alan Carr:Cheers, cheers, cheers. Lovely to see you. Nice to see you. Is it weird... Lovely. Is it weird seeing... Like, the first time you saw your bottle of wine, what was that like? What was the feeling? This whole thing, honestly... Because you're very hands-on, aren't you? Well, we'll try to be. I thought you were very handsome, I was going to say. God, this wine is good. I am, Al. I've left something in the car. Bye.
8:13As hands-on as you can be with something like this. I mean, you know, obviously when we were choosing the different varietals and try and be there for all of that, because the tasting's the best bit, isn't it?
8:25Alan Carr:Oh, it's the best. It's the best. Because we watched your show and I thought, who have you slept with to get that serious? Because you go all over the world with all your friends, drinking and eating delicious food. It's just my dream to have a show like that. I know, I know. And do you know what? Whenever my guests come, and I always make a rule of, they're not in my phone book. Yeah. They're not, I don't want to be put with someone I don't even know. We could tell, we were watching that and I could tell you had a proper friendship with them. Or a history of some kind. Must be nice to be able to work with your friend.
8:59Alan Carr:Oh, I was waiting for that. What? I was thinking when he was, I was actually thinking when he sat there going, that's my dream job, sitting with your friend, drinking wine. I'm like,
9:12It'll come.
9:14Alan Carr:Keep plugging away who I like. And it'll all feel different. I feel bad. I feel bad. What I was going to say is because I think a lot of sceptics as well will go, oh, here we go, another sceptic. That's why I said you're very hands-on with it. But a lot of people now, and I think, you know, So big A-listers, when they do like tequila or gin or whiskey and they slap their face on it. But what made you, because you could have done tequila, you could have done gin, whiskey, what made you choose wine? What was it about wine? I know a little bit about wine. And I don't know anything about vodka or gin.
9:53And so I sort of started drinking with interest at about 25. Lucky enough to travel, which is a good thing, I think, because you get to try different wines in their origin rather than being imported in. and just got into it. And during lockdown, the lovely lockdown as we remember it, I really was sat there feeling like I didn't have enough attention and thinking, how can I come up with something that features me? I thought, wouldn't it be nice to have a bottle of wine? Imagine giving this to your mates. Imagine if we could get 100 made every year and I could give it out to my mates at Christmas, never dreaming we'd end up in all the supermarkets and doing so well with it.
10:38But it did come from a place of just, wouldn't it be lovely to create your own version of what you love?
10:43Alan Carr:Because it does feel authentic with you. You can tell you love it, you know, just from the series, you know, the enthusiasm and everything. And that's what's amazing, you know, and you can tell there's a lot of love in this. It sounds wanky, but you can tell if someone loves it. This is delicious. And also the thing is, if you've been to the Babylon store and places like that and you spend any time with wine people, the one thing that I always associate with music is, if I was to be sitting with a friend who does music, we're so passionate about it. It's all you want to talk about. Wine's the same.
11:19They just talk wine. It's a passion. It's not a living. It's just what they are born to do and they love it. And that's what I always think when I'm with people who are like-minded. They just want to talk about the art and the craft of making wine. Have you been to the Newt? I've been to the Newt.
11:36Alan Carr:I love the Newt. Love the Newt. Because the Newt was the one that told me. The Newt's like a gorgeous, what's it, hotel, and Wynn's number one hotel everywhere. In some gardens. Oh, and that Rome, what about that? They've re-enacted a Roman villa. Have you seen that? Yeah, is that where they dry all the flowers or something? No, everyone's wearing togas. It's a bit like, what's it, a Pompeii? No, not like this. I wasn't there that weekend. You pop a leaf blower up and woo! It's like Marilyn Monroe. No, you can't do that. That's not allowed. But my claim to fame at the nude, I'm sitting there having a wine.
12:11Alan Carr:Nigella Lawson comes in. Oh, hello, darling. Can I try the wine? Sips out my thing. Really? Really? Great. That's why I met Nigella Lawson at the nude. But then I had dinner with her and it's a bit like being in a carry-on film of Nigella because she likes to know the ingredients and she said, can I try your aubergine? And this aubergine, and she was sort of like, honestly, like skimming it a squeeze. Perfect for baba ganoush. It's quite horny. It's quite horny. I know, I'm harsh. I love the series she does, and she does like the camera shot. She knows what she's doing. Then pour in the gravy.
12:51It's the camera shot. That's great. The Newt's lovely. I actually, because Babylon Store, you obviously get the gorgeous sunshine of South Africa. And so I loved it so much. They said, you've got to go to the Newt. I did go to Newt. I had a gorgeous weekend there, but it pissed out. Oh, no. From the minute we arrived to the minute we left, I thought it doesn't feel like South Africa.
13:17Alan Carr:No, no, no. Do you find that? Because we were saying, I think when we had a Graham Norton on a few weeks ago, we were saying that when you are... He does his own wine. Yes, I know. Did he talk about... Yeah, yeah, he brought his own wine. Yeah, yeah. But he was saying, like, sometimes... And wine is a bit... And I think this is similar to music as well. It evokes memories and even... Time and place. Time and place. What's harder, writing a song or making a wine? Making a wine. Is it? You didn't even have to think. No, because I've been... I mean, I was 11 when I started sort of playing piano and doing gigs and writing music.
13:52So I've done it for most of my life. Yeah. And it's the most natural thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In fact, I hear music. You know, I can hear music now. Really? It's in my head. And, you know, if someone says a line or I can hear music, it's just built in somehow. This is a bit more of a, this isn't my world, which is what excites me, actually. Yeah. You're doing something slightly new. And I did, you know, I know a few other people who have been involved in sort of self-named products. I'll have another glass. I love it. Oh, good. I'll do it. No, I'll do it. I'll do it. Oh, Gary Barlow to pour his wine.
14:29I always think don't, you know, definitely don't be suspicious of people who put their name on, because I can tell you now, when you put your name on something, you want to make sure it's the best it can be. So when you see Kylie or Graham or what, I know the effort that goes into this, and so I would always say... Do you know what?
14:49Alan Carr:I made a marketing faux pas. I did my only arena tour. It's called Spexy Beast. And they went to some merchandise. And I just got me two Irish setters. And I thought this was genius. Dog shit bags with my name on it. And I thought, because, you know, no one ever puts it in the bin. They hang it from trees. And I thought. Everywhere. Yeah, everywhere. Alan Carr, full of shit. And they were like lurid pink. And then they weren't biodegradable. degradable they would have that go for a dog walk and you'd see Alan Carr shit sometimes when you're the first at something there's a reason that no one else has done it I know and there's no second 2am at night when I came up with it yeah shit bags make me millions I love this kid yeah that was yeah that was a mistake oh you know when you go away with your friends what was it like with Jane MacDonald Was you worried that she was going to break into song at any minute and do a music video?
15:52I hope she was going to break into song.
15:54Alan Carr:We love her when she goes cruising, doesn't she? Like a ray of light. She just comes out and she's like a human jukebox. She's the epitome of camp, isn't she? We love her. Love her. And this is the other thing is that, you know, from doing those shows, half the day you're on camera, but the rest of the time you're hanging out with everybody. So you've really got to get on with everybody. And that's the joy of that. And actually the one thing that all my friends who come to do it, within an hour they're going, how did you actually get this gig? This is the best thing we've ever seen. We were saying that watching it.
16:28Yeah, it's fun. But you've got Jason Manford. Yes, it's coming out in August. Great. But we went to New Zealand. Oh, I love New Zealand.
16:37Alan Carr:And how does he find the time? Because he's addicted to paddle. I love. He's always playing paddle. Have you seen this paddle? Where's paddle come from? I don't know. What does it even mean? Do you play paddle with him? Yeah, I like paddle. I play it with him. Oh, okay, all right. Yeah, he's lost about six. Stop slagging off paddle. He's lost about six stone doing it as well. I know, he looks amazing. Looks amazing. I've been supporting him on this. You've got only wankers play paddle. I was playing last week. Big enthusiast. But, and I've supported him a few times on his tour, and I didn't know, is he a wine...
17:11Alan Carr:does he love his wine? No. Oh, so is he going as a novice and you're watching him? As soon as people go, I don't know anything about wine, we're in. I love that. Because the one thing I sort of wanted to do the show for was that I think there's a lot of snobbery in wine. I think a lot of people are afraid of it. I certainly was when I started. And, you know, my job on that show is to, I'm not the expert, because I'm not an expert. I want to be the audience saying, well, just explain that for me. And so when we have a guest on there who also doesn't know anything, They ask the questions the audience want to ask.
17:46So when he said it, I don't know anything about wine, I was like, let's go. So we shot that in March and it was great fun. Two weeks together, we had the best time.
17:59Alan Carr:And this is hugely popular, 25 ,000 bottles sold a week. That's 1 ,000 an hour. The wine. The wine. The wine, yeah. Very proud. That's amazing. The figures stand for themselves, don't they? Well, I was thinking earlier and talking of Nigella, actually, when you mentioned her, she's one of them. We had Alex James on as well a couple of months ago and he was talking about with his cheese and his wine and stuff. And Nigella, I think, is one of these people that have like the palate for it. I sometimes think people can taste, like, have you always had like a proper great kind of taste for things or did you have to learn it on the go?
18:34Alan Carr:I had to learn it. Yeah. And also a lot of wine people will actually say that chefs do not have a great palate. Oh, really? Yeah, which is why they have sommeliers and, hey, listen, I might be breaking a whole code here. Oh, this is interesting. But honestly, they do. Oh, that blind down. Yeah, yeah. You're in a safe space. There's a few more to pull down. Could be a while. We're in a very light room for this conversation, but... No, they do. A lot of wine people say that chefs should know more about the wine that's being served with the food. which is why sommeliers are so important. Because I remember when I was training to do performing arts, I used to go and watch shows, all right?
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19:21Alan Carr:And I would go, I would kind of be watching how they're doing it. I could no longer enjoy it. Do you have that with wine? Do you drink it from a kind of, I'm enjoying this point of view, or are you quite analytical when you drink wine? Analytical, because I did that, what you're talking about, when I used to play in Blackpool. so this was about 1987 that I would be Alan you will love this actually because I used to play Monday to Friday because it's very hard to get gigs midweek and so I used to play Monday to Friday in Blackpool and I would be on at 7 o 'clock I'd be the first act on and would barely get a clap really and then would be Stan Boardman Joe Longthorne he would be on and he used to do Shirley Bassey Impressions.
20:08Alan Carr:Oh, and Tom Geb, brilliant. Brilliant impressions. Bob Monkhouse, Ken Dodd, Bernard Manning. Wow. This would be the lineup for one night. That's amazing. So it'd be on to like midnight. But I used to stay behind to watch, how are they getting an applause? You know, how are they working the crowd? And I'd learn from watching these people go on there and the order they, you know what I mean? You learn so much from watching an act with an audience. Well, everyone says that. half of it is watching and just seeing how it is. Yeah, yeah. And so I apply that now to wine and looking, you know, what are people being drawn to and how people react into it.
20:46Alan Carr:But can you put that down, if you know what I mean? When you're doing that, or is it every glass, can you switch that off or is it just now inherently? Well, after your third glass, you do switch off. Third bottle. Third bottle. It's always the problem. Factory settings. I know what you mean because like almost doing music as a living is kind of ruined music for me. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Is it annoying? I've not quite got that far down the road with wine yet and I sort of don't want it to become too... I want to keep it fun without it being too analytical. Yeah, without overthinking it, I guess.
21:26Alan Carr:What did you used to drink before your connoisseur? How dirty did you get? Was it like, was it Lambrini, Mad Dog 2020? So, beers. Beers? Beers, yeah. Do you ever have a go of cider, scrumpy? Yeah, I probably started with cider, I think. Yeah. And then went on to lager, and then I was playing in these working man's clubs when I was sort of 19, 20, so I'd be bitter. Bitter. Bitter. Green Hall's bitter. Oh, God. Yeah, so by the time I discovered... I thought you meant you'd be bitter that you were playing these clubs. Oh, I was bitter. I was so bitter. It's a bit personal. I'm still bitter. You drank better than that.
22:08Yeah, so by the time I discovered wine, I think I'd had so much alcohol that I needed something with a bit of taste. Yeah. Because it's quite bland, isn't it? Lag, isn't it?
22:18Alan Carr:And you got into wine through reds, weren't it? I did. Yeah. My friend Elliot, who you saw on the wine show, one night he said, I'm going to order something but we're going to go big time. Okay. Okay, and he ordered a centimillion. And I was like, what's this? And it was so good that the sommelier actually had a little bit before us. He was like, he just had a bit of our wine. Yeah. He was like, yeah, I'm just making sure it's a good bottle this. And I thought, oh, hello. Did you get Old Norfolk? I was like, good bottle. What's this? Did you get it like that?
22:52Alan Carr:Whack a little bit off the bill on that one if you've had him with. I said 50p there. I'm a very peaceful northern. Definitely not. But when I tasted it, it was like, hang on. What have I been drinking? Yeah. And do you know what I mean? When you suddenly go, hang on a minute. What is happening here? And I wanted to know more. And I haven't stopped learning since then. All right. Tour's just started. Yep. We're going to come and see it. Me and Lee, can we come along? Anywhere. Anywhere. Oh, love. Please. Got seats for you. I'll bring my Samsung. I'll start demoing my Samsung to people. Nice. I've got a couple of cans of bitter.
23:31Alan Carr:Green oil.
23:36Alan Carr:So for people who haven't seen it, what can we expect from it? Well, the funny... Because I've seen you before. You put on a bloody spectacle. There's elephants there. There's people whizzing around. There's everything. It's a new one for us because we've done lots of tours over the years. but this is actually a repeat of a tour that we did in 2009, which again... Which I saw in Coventry. Did you? Yes. Well, we're going back to Coventry. Oh, come along. Yeah, or come to London, it's easier. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I spoke too quick then. Yes, Coventry, yeah! No offence to Coventry, but I probably will go to the London one.
24:14Alan Carr:Come to London. Come on, a lot easier. Yeah, so for us, it's been a really interesting one. And again, with your thing, we were like, are we the first to think of this? Why has no one else done this before? Is there a reason no one else has done it before? And we just thought, no, our audience always talk about this tour. Let's see if we can get it back out the box. So it's the circus tour. It's pretty much as we did it in 2001. The elephant there? The elephant's there. Honestly, Lee, it was like a... It was a spectacle. It's a good one. You, your eyes... There was not a dull moment. And to fill a stadium, they're hard, isn't it?
24:52Alan Carr:Because it's not an arena. It's like you just left and you went, what have I just seen? Wow. It's a big cast. Yeah, so that's 17 years since the last one, is it? Well, I had a daughter that year, so I know exactly how long it is. But I imagine you've probably got a new legion of fans coming up from the daughters of, you know, who haven't seen it. So that's going to be good for them to see it. They'll be able to take their sons or daughters. It is, it's lovely. And we see that from the stage. And the other big difference is, I was 38 when I did this show last. I'm 55 now. And I tell you what, we're aching all over.
25:31They've been grinding us in those choreography. Choreography. Do you sell the wine there?
25:37Alan Carr:Can people buy some Gary Bonner? In some places. They don't always let us. Nice and sick. Yeah, when I play theatres and stuff, they're obviously really nice and let us put it in because we all know theatre wine shit. So we like to put something decent in. Yeah, yeah. I've got a tip for you. Yes. You know, during pray, you go, pray, you know the dance routine, put a glass of that on the floor. Pick it up. Put it down. No one would notice. Just make sure it's not one of his dog poo bags instead. I know. I will bring them along because I've got a whole garage warehouse. I just worry about those dog shit bags.
26:17Alan Carr:It's like, you know, time teams. Say they find these, you know, like 100 years. Who the hell was this Alan Garth? They'll outlive a nuclear war, those things. They will. They'll be the only things left. Cockroaches and my dog shit bags. And a tambourine. So when you finish the show, do you have a drink afterwards generally? Do you have a lack of, is it wine or does it depend on the mood? No, I like a drink afterwards. It takes a little minute to come down. Only takes a minute. We'll slot that in there somewhere. Thank you. I'm on fire today. I hope didn't say, could it be magic?
27:00Because I've heard all these thousands of times.
27:02Alan Carr:I don't think for a minute this is like I'm breaking new ground here. I was embarrassed. I'm embarrassed I said that. Oh, God. So what would you go for then if you were, you know, red, rosé or white? What's your go to? Red in the evenings for me. A lunchtime for me is a white or a rosé, definitely. Yeah. Or an early evening, a rosé. But whenever I can switch to red. Me and him, we bombed it. And it's so weird. If people aren't like wine lovers, they don't get it. But, you know, he comes around the house in the evening, always have like, watch some telly, red wine. We just bought, there's something about red that I think just makes.
27:42Alan Carr:It's a big hug. Oh, it is, it is. And you sort of just let your girl down and you have a chat and stuff. I mean, we had so many fun evenings, haven't we? Just chatting and telling jokes and mucking about. And then playing music. We put music on and we put like, and the red with a nice ballad or something. Oh, you're talking about it. Now you're sounding a bit gay. Yeah. Me too. And then we can come round, we'll put our feet in some soapy water I don't have a Pifco mini facial sauna. Face mask. Well, I don't want to sound, not just gay, but a little bit. I'm worried to ask this, but Sauvignon Blanc.
28:18Alan Carr:So I would have always, oh, thank you. You are good. I would have always just assumed, I don't think I've ever come across a Sauvignon Blanc blush. Or have I? Because usually it's a Piafruzio blush. I love your measures, by the way. So is this a South African thing or is it? No, no. we were asked to make this so so when we so this this great bottle here got us into tesco's um we loved well and every time we worked at tesco yeah i always mention it i mean honestly we we work with most of the supermarkets and they they all are very ambitious you know to always try and make us a label that's going to stand out that's simple the people know what it is they're always challenging us and they loved this and they said listen just so you know one of the big things that's coming up on our shelves is a blush.
29:06And I've got to be honest, I couldn't even remember if I'd had one. Yeah. So when we got to South Africa, it was like, first jobs first, let's make a blush. And it was literally like a science lesson. They had all the little pipettes and the thing. And it was something like, I think it was a 2 % of Pinot Noir in this that ended up the one we all loved. Right. And we blind-taste them. and it's just, I just think just the hint of something else in there is just delicious. Yeah, yeah.
29:38Alan Carr:And the thing is, what's the difference between a blush and a rosé then? Is it just that a very small amount makes it a bit of a blush? I think it's the blend. Now the other thing is, just this is one thing that whenever I get on the wine show, the TV show, I have to get all the crew together and I must do this today to just say, listen, just so you know, whenever I speak, 90 % of it's bullshit. It's stuff I've heard on Instagram or someone said it in a taxi and I just repeat it. So I could be repeating utter rubbish. Oh, great. Now you tell us. Check everything I say because most of it's wrong.
30:20Alan Carr:Yeah, but that's why I think it's good that you're not snobby with the wine. It's accessible. This is what this show is. It's about making it more accessible. it's about not you know i felt at first i was a bit embarrassed to ask that question about the sauvignon blanc but people don't know it's no and the the the rose is obviously let it's it's the leaving the grape skins in there for a little longer yeah that turns it into a rose that isn't this this is a blend of of a tiny bit of pinot noir with the majority being the sauvignon blanc which is why i just think it's so fresh it's so nice so gary we've got a wine dilemma for you Are you going to help us solve it?
30:58Alan Carr:Please, it sounds great. I'm not quite sure how this will go with you just admitting 90 % of what you say is bullshit. Rubbish. But we'll give it a go. It could be rubbish. Could be rubbish. Very important. Just so you know, in the early days, we picked Bottoms Up. It is also the name of a podcast for rectal problems. So our postbag was quite interesting. Yeah. Let's see what we pick out today. But we did cure that man's hemorrhoid. So Bottoms Up. Did you know about one in three people with plaque psoriasis may also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling?
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33:01Alan Carr:Okay, we've got a dilemma from Hannah in Clapham. Okay. Hi, boys. I've just got back from New Zealand and fell in love with the food and the wine. but now I'm hosting a dinner party to show off and I'm completely out of my depth. I want to do a full Kiwi-inspired night, but I don't know what wines will actually impress and what will just make me look like I grabbed the first bottle with a fern on it. What would you serve to win people over? Obsessed with the show, bottoms up. Okay. So, here we have three New Zealand wines. Shall we have a taste? Oh, we need a glass. Oh, yeah. I'll move this one.
33:38Alan Carr:Some glasses here for you. Fresh glass, that's good. We're learning, aren't we? We're learning a fresh glass. I did just... I did just... I know, I know. So, we're going to start with... Oh, I've brought too many up. Hang on. Heapy, heafy hill. How many glasses do you want, Gary? Sorry. I take it seriously, Richard. Unlike you, with your two glasses. Now, this is a Riesling. Riesling, Riesling. I love Riesling. Riesling, there we go. Have a taste of that. And what's it for again? It's for like a party or something. So she wants to basically go, oh yeah, I've just come back from New Zealand. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:18Alan Carr:Have you ever stayed in that hotel in Auckland where people bungee jump off the roof? Oh, the Sky Dome. Have I told you about this? Yeah. I'm unpacking. Arriving in New Zealand, Auckland, people whizzing past the room. Ah! How shit's this hotel? Maybe they'll just throw in themselves. Must have a casino here. Yeah. Pass the window. I'm like, good. Bungee jump. They need to tell the people. Wait, I'm checking. Just to let you know, there will be people falling from the window. It's a bungee jump. Right, come on. So we've got to find, we've got to help Hannah out. This apparently is bright, zesty and delicately floral on the nose.
35:06Alan Carr:Rieslings are always a bit sweeter, I think. Yeah. Fresh, though. Fresh, crisp, but I mean, too sweet for me. It's always a little sweet. Yeah, you've been like that. That's£11, so Hannah can... It's£11, that's expensive. You think it's expensive for that? £11, well... Right, next one. Okay. Okay, so just a question while you're on this. What's a normal price? How willing are you prepared to pay for wine? I'm around£15 for me. Wow, that's okay. That's reasonably expensive wine. Yeah, and I'll go a little bit higher if I fancy a treat. I'll give you a statistic here. Go on. No, I did definitely learn this.
35:55Where's this from?
35:56Alan Carr:The dark web? Somewhere near Star Wars. 99 % of all UK people who buy wine won't pay a bull 8.50. Really? That surprises me. Our independent adjudicator went, Ah, ah! Les Dennis said, Our survey said, Ah, ah, I'm afraid. It's interesting, and I think it's just something ingrained in me where I think sometimes higher price means better wine. and it's not always the case. We've had wines on here that are, you know, not as expensive, and they've been delicious. Right. Let's go on now to... Oh, here we go. The Brutal. Very nice. A non-vintage. Because also, I think, if she's, like, going from New Zealand, you want something a little bit special.
36:50Alan Carr:Exactly. You want to go, oh, I brought this. You don't want, oh, I could have got this at me local off-license. That's true. Okay, so here we've got crisp, lively bubbles that feel light and energetic. That's true. What are you getting from that? Are you getting any taste from that? Yeah. What's coming through? A bit of lime. Citrus, yeah, we've got citrus in there. A little bit of apricot, maybe. Oh, it says a hint of pear. Nicely dry, but still easy and refreshing to drink. Clean, bright finish that makes you want to another sip straight away. A bit of mint. This is the celebration bottle. It brings the fun.
37:26Alan Carr:It's the one that gets poured first, goes down very easily, and suddenly everyone's a bit louder and having a better time. And remember, she wants to impress. She wants to say... You know what? I think this is better than that recently. It's really nice. It's quite fun, that is. And she can go, hi, guys, we're going to pop open. I'm back from New Zealand. It feels fun, doesn't it? It feels like, oh, I'm back from me olibobs. Let's open this. I think this is my favourite so far. And bubbles are always nice. Always nice. How much do you reckon? That's the question for a bit of fizz. It's a non-spark...
37:57Alan Carr:Have you got the actual price? Yes. Doing it as a little game. Oh. £10? You think, for a sparkling? Ooh. I'm going to say 20. Gary, you're spot on. You're spot on, it's 20. So you're going home with the Riesling and... They're safe. They're safe. You're going home with that for the caravan. That's good. Good, good. For the caravan. Do you know where this third one's from? The Cuddly Toy.
38:27Alan Carr:No, that is nice. It's really drinkable. And again, Hannah wants to just go, I want to win you over. I want to say I'm back from New Zealand. It's a Kiwi-inspired night. Can I say some bubbles you'll get that aftertaste? I don't get it with that. No, I don't. And you're like, oh God, yeah. It's the cheapest champas I find. You go, oh, it's like awesome. Can I say this? I'm pissed, but sometimes it tastes like sick. What, champagne? Yeah. Well, you can say that. Don't worry about it. It's that strong burning. Yes, the burning. The burning. And also you're not going to cut to an advert. I love champagne.
39:06Alan Carr:Makes me sick. Reminds me of being a child when I was sick. You like the label as well. Look at the label. I love the label. It's like... Very nice. Yeah. Right, let's move on. Okay. A Pinot Noir. I left the red till last, all right? We all like a red. Do you like a Pinot Noir? Because I know you do a Marlbeck, but do you like a Pinot Noir? Yeah, I do like a Pinot Noir. What's your favourite red? Favourite red? Which budget? Oh, okay. Yeah, because I'm pretty good with red. Yeah. When I went to Bordeaux last year, we drank some very expensive, beautiful wine. Let's say everyday budget. Let's say you just keep, yeah, nothing fancy.
39:52Alan Carr:What would you go for in terms of... Well, I mean, I have to say our Malbec is very nice and very drinkable. I also love even the cheaper sort of Margaux and, you know, I mean, it's just endless, isn't it, Red White? I love Italian Reds as well. Oh, yeah. We went somewhere, me and him, we like a Malbec, but then someone said, you like a Malbec? And they played a trick on it, didn't they? They went, try these Pinot Noirs. I was like, oh, but they were delicious, weren't they? And they'd give you a Malbec. I thought they played a trick on us. No, I mean... No, no, but it was delicious because sometimes Pinot Noir can feel a little bit too light and a bit like...
40:32Alan Carr:It's like having Ribena. So the big news with Pinot Noir is as the world warms up, apparently we here in the UK are the next big country for Pinot Noir. Again, 90 % of what he says, mate. It could be rubbish. which could be fake news, but I got quite excited by it. That is exciting. I feel like we need, at the end of this, a fact-checker. You really do. If you've been affected by any of Gary Barlow's statistics, please phone this number.
41:06Alan Carr:Do you remember to take that helpline? Now, this one's just for talking to me. Just for the stuff that you say. I know, yeah, after I've had a drink. It seems to become more fluent, this information, the more I drink. Yeah, my God, you're like the Oracle. It's all coming up. Cheers. Is it good? This is nice. This is nice. So it's light-bodied, it's smooth, and it's effortlessly drinkable. Juicy red berries you've got. You've got your cherry, your raspberry, and a hint of strawberry, a touch of gentle spice and soft, earthy tones underneath. Silky texture. Silky texture. It's a dinner party classic.
41:40Alan Carr:This is your I Know What I'm Doing wine. It's safe, classy, and very likeable. Now, we've got to remember this is a dilemma for Hannah. What I will say is we've got three red wine drinkers around the table. Yes. We love red wine. How do we know what Hannah's friends like? And I think you've got more of a safe option. I would go with that. With the sparkling. Yeah. Don't you think? I agree. Yeah. I agree. And it's a Kiwi-inspired night, so you can say, look, we're going to kick off, pop open the bottle of New Zealand. And it's got a psychedelic font. Psychedelic font, New Zealand, a nice brute.
42:15Alan Carr:That feels like a celebration. It feels like a celebration and it feels like a welcome home. This is lovely, this Pinot. Well, really drinkable, but it's not. Shall we see? What do you reckon? How much do you reckon the Pinot Noir is? Oh, God. 12 quid. What do you reckon?
42:34Alan Carr:15 quid. That was worth the wait.
42:41Alan Carr:I say a fucking number. £10.50. decent really nice wine you're good you know if they ever did a price is right with wine I'd be alright you'd be bloody you'd be going over that caravan and a trip to Mauritius I've just made up a game show the wine is right the wine is right if only Larry Grayson was still here so what are we saying are we all of agreement here I like this I think it's a bit too sweet and I think it could divide the room again I think the red could possibly divide the room of people just going, oh, I'm not looking on red. A lot of people don't like red wine as well. Yeah, that's what I...
43:24Alan Carr:Definitely. I think it's a safe option. Go for the Tappy from Marlborough, the Brut. Went to Marlborough. Went to the Marlborough region. Did you? You and Jason did, yeah. Which was your favourite place in New Zealand you went to? I think Craggy Ridge was my favourite, but the Marlborough region for wine was amazing. We actually got out on the Marlborough Sounds. Do you know what that means? No. So the sounds are the... Oh, God, I've got a... Every time I talk now, I'm thinking, what am I saying? How could I well? It's the inlets of water that come in. And so we went on the sounds, and we actually went to a mussel farm there where they hoist up these big ropes and cut the mussels off.
44:11Good, the mussels are different mussels. Yeah, cut the mussels off, cook them, serve you wine. And they often have in these mussel farms, underwater cellars where they store the wine. So you have to like... Keeps it cool, no sun, rocks it nicely, so you don't have to, it doesn't have to be, you know...
44:34Alan Carr:My God. Perfect, right? Underwater cellars. Isn't that amazing? That's amazing. Isn't that a great idea, that is. We need to go there. You do. You need to treat yourselves. Let's go there. Forget this West London business. Get out there. Yeah. Yeah. Let's go there. Let's apply for a scuba diving licence. To go to our underwater cellar. The diver goes up. You say, what do you want? We'll have the so-and-so. The diver goes in. But is this one of those things where it's like, yes, we're one of these restaurants where we... But is this made up? No, it's real. Are you actually Gary Barlow? are you AI to be honest alright so it's gotta be that one yeah Tappy Hannah from Clapham have a lovely Kiwi inspired night we go for Tappy so Tappy all the way head for it but if you love a red the Pinot Noir is delicious and Gary thank you so much so your show with Jason remind me of the name of the show or has it not been announced yet oh no no no so it's Gary Ball's food and wine tour yes with Jason oh this is New Zealand New Zealand.
45:41Alan Carr:Yeah. And also, and your tour's on the way at the minute. Circus. Come and see us in London. Yes, definitely. Oh, you are so sweet. Thank you so much. And thank you for bringing your delicious wines. And good luck. The podcast's great. Oh, thank you so much. Gary Barlow, everyone. Nice to meet you. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Thank you. The Circus live tour is on now, so do get your tickets at takethat.com. As always, please do get in touch with us at BottomsUpShow or BottomsUp at listen.co.uk. We want to hear your queries, your questions, your dilemmas and your quandaries. And don't forget to follow us on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, where you'll get a fresh new episode dropped every week.
46:23Alan Carr:Bottoms Up with Alan Carr and Lee Peart is a Listen production. Bottoms Up! Bottoms Up!
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47:20Spotify, it's Jay Shetty. Are you one of those media strategy people? Scrolling through spreadsheets, searching for an audience that pays twice as much attention to your ads than they do on social? Let me introduce you to fans. And they're here with me on Spotify. Trust me, I know fans. They don't skip, they stay for hours. They don't move on, they manifest. They're not a demographic group, they're fans. Spotify Advertising. You're among fans.
From the publisher
This week on Bottoms Up! Alan Carr and Lee Peart are joined by national treasure, boyband royalty and now global winemaker, Gary Barlow.
Gary brings along a selection of his own wines for the boys to enjoy as they chat about everything from the latest Take That tour to his journey into winemaking as well as his new TV show, Gary Barlow's Food & Wine Tour: New Zealand.
Elsewhere, Alan's nose is put firmly out of joint as they discuss the star-studded cast of the new series of Celebrity Traitors. Will everyone forget about him once it starts?
The boys also swap showbiz stories as Lee reveals an unexpected connection to Gary, while Alan recalls a dinner with a celebrity chef that left him feeling rather hot under the collar.
Plus, inspired by Gary, an audience dilemma has the trio searching for the perfect New Zealand wine to impress your friends with.
Take That - The Circus Live is on tour now. Tickets available from takethat.com. Gary’s wine range is available in stores now and at garybarlowwines.com
Gary’s new show Gary Barlow’s Food & Wine Tour: New Zealand begins this Autumn on ITV and ITVX.
Chapters:
00:00 – Coming Up
00:33 – Alan's Old News: Celebrity Traitors Cast Revealed
03:15 – Gary Barlow Brings His Own Wine
06:57 – From Pop Star to Winemaker
21:45 – Take That's Return: The Circus Live
30:00 – The Perfect New Zealand Wine
Drinks featured:
Gary Barlow’s Sauvignon Blush
Gary Barlow’s Sauvignon Blanc
Gary Barlow’s Malbec
Tapi Marlborough Sparkling Cuvée Brut NV
Heaphy Hill Riesling
Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir
Drink responsibly, and as always… Bottoms Up!
Bottoms Up! With Alan Carr and Lee Peart is a Platform Media production.
Get in touch with the show: bottomsup@listen.co.uk
Follow us on Instagram: @BottomsUpShow
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