In short
Bottoms Up (Alan Carr and Lee Peart) drinks and discusses wine, plus personal chat about Lee’s move, heatwave woes, and their excitement for Harry Styles’ tour. They also review three wines with a guest wine expert.
Guests
Sonny Hodge, wine judge/author/writer and award-winning bar owner. Background: studied mechanical engineering at UCL; worked at Nando’s; wrote The Cynic’s Guide to Wine; runs wine bars in Battersea, Aspen and Marylebone, and Diogenes the Dog (Elephant and Castle).
Key claims
Bar 190’s Rock Royalty Gin is Rolling Stones-linked; rose petal garnish is edible. Lee’s “Leo Pearl” mail/eviction story stems from a rosé launch invitation. Wine perception matters (label/aesthetics). Solaris (Czech Republic) is biodynamically farmed; Pet Nat = naturally sparkling (Petit L’Ente Naturelle). Acidity can be gauged by saliva (“clack” is a joke).
Notable examples
Tesco “Wine of the Week” Montagne Saint-Emilion (£8 with Club Card until 3 Aug). Wine Punk Solaris Pet Nat; “Chinese white” Italo Riesling blend from Ningxiao; Georgia orange wine vs rosé explanation.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOCocktail Conversations
0:45 to 2:44
Discussion about cocktails, gin, and the history of Bar 190.
“Decide if you fancy it and wake up in the morning regretting your decisions.”
Lee's Living Situation
2:44 to 6:40
Lee shares humorous stories about living at Alan's house rent-free.
“Yeah, I like to be different than saying what no one else says.”
Childhood Memories and Mischief
6:40 to 10:25
A lighthearted recount of Lee's experience with kids and their playful pranks.
“Well, this is like a monologue because I'm trying to insult you and you're saying the insults before I even get a chance.”
Discussing Harry Styles
10:25 to 14:00
Anticipation for an upcoming concert and Lee's evolving opinion on Harry Styles.
“And the kids, because they were taller than Lee, they picked on him.”
Sweaty Summer Struggles
14:00 to 17:04
The hosts discuss the discomforts of summer and body image.
“I've got no furniture, but that's another story.”
Moving and Furniture Dilemmas
17:04 to 20:04
Lee shares his experiences moving into a new house without furniture.
“Well, I feel like I haven't planned it very well because I haven't got any furniture.”
Settling into New Surroundings
20:04 to 22:59
Lee reflects on the emotional experience of moving back to a familiar area.
“You know, the bed came with it, so that's fine.”
Settling into New Surroundings
23:03 to 25:37
Lee reflects on the emotional experience of moving back to a familiar area.
“Well, thankfully, the wine experts at Tesco have their own recommendations.”
Settling into New Surroundings
25:42 to 26:02
Lee reflects on the emotional experience of moving back to a familiar area.
“Drinkware 18 +, Tesco Finest, Montagne, Saint-Emilien, 75cl, must end on the 3rd of August.”
Wine Insights with Sonny Hodge
26:02 to 28:02
Sonny Hodge joins the conversation to discuss wine and its complexities.
“But someone here to help us solve that mystery is wine judge, author, writer, and award-winning bar owner, Sonny Hodge.”
Show all 16 chapters
Nando's Love and Experiences
28:02 to 29:50
The hosts discuss their fondness for Nando's, favorite sauces, and humorous dining experiences.
“So at the time, it was pretty good for engineering.”
Perception in Wine Choice
29:51 to 32:18
The conversation shifts to how perceptions affect wine selection based on labels and appearances.
“And I could do at the back, Alan Carr, delicious.”
Understanding Hybrid Wines
32:19 to 35:40
The hosts explore hybrid grapes, particularly Solaris, and their benefits in winemaking.
“So just about an hour's drive outside of Prague.”
Chinese Wines and Acidity
35:41 to 40:40
They taste a Chinese white wine and discuss its characteristics, including acidity and flavor profiles.
“I knew it was Czech Republic, but what did you say?”
Orange Wine vs. Rosé
40:41 to 42:00
A discussion on the differences between orange wine and rosé, including history and production methods.
“so what's the difference between orange rind and rosé?”
Discussing Wine Ventures and Qualifications
42:00 to 42:45
Learn about the challenges and plans behind a wine qualification initiative.
“publisher now who really really behind it yeah because it's it's the first in this type of writing.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Alan Carr:Bang, bang, bang with the trolley. Oh my God, it's like she's here. Like an old person when they see a punk on the bus. That bottle's got tattoos. Disgusting. Jimmy Carr's here, Jimmy Carr wants three chicken. The clack. The clack. You get the clack. Harry Styles. I'm trying to insult you and you're saying the insults before I even get a chance. What's the fun of me being here?
0:33Alan Carr:Welcome to Bottoms Up with Alan Carr and Lee Peart. Yes, this is not a dating show. It is a wine show. Although much like dating, sometimes you have to give it a little sniff. Decide if you fancy it and wake up in the morning regretting your decisions. Oh, I hear you, sister. Mm-hmm. And I get an old grrr. And we're back at the gore in South Ken. We love it here, don't we? We do. It's almost like we never left. I know. Go figure. But this is a classic signature cocktail from Bar 180, isn't it? Yes, their lovely bar over there. It's Bar 190. It's Bar 190. We're next door. We got the wrong address.
1:18No, so the lovely people at the Gore have very kindly said to us, oh, we'd love to make you a cocktail. And as ever, we start with a welcome drink and we said, twist our arms, fine, we'll have a cocktail. We're not massive drinkers, but we'll do it. Okay, and they have their own gin, which is... And vodka. And vodka. And vodka. So this is the Rock Royalty Gin, and you know why it's called Rock Royalty, don't you? Because the Rolling Stones. Yeah, and there's loads of photos of them. They always hung out at that bar. And then we've got the Rockstar Vodka. Ooh, that's so nice. So I said I'd quite like, bottoms up, a Clover Club.
1:57very refreshing very fruity so this is gin what else you're getting from that what am i getting from it it's gin now the way i make lavender oh i don't know if they've used any lavender bitters in there that's not coming through to me raspberry yes so you often use a raspberry syrup but what i like to do which is quite easy is get a nice little raspberry jam and just mash it into the shaker there. You use lemon juice. Raspberry jam. Raspberry jam, yeah. And you strain it. So that's where you get the raspberry kind of flavour from. What's wrong with that? I don't just knife it in. It's like, it's mixed together.
2:37Alan Carr:Has it all got butter on it from your toast? No, it's not got bits of scone. Are you scone or scone? Scone, love. Are you David Bowie or David Bowie? Bowie, I think. Oh, I interchange it. Okay. Do you say potato or potato? I say potato. Yeah, because you're a dick. Yeah, I like to be different than saying what no one else says. Bit of sugar syrup and egg white. Egg white. Oh, this is sitting right here as you're describing it to me. But it's delicious. Oh, is that that? That's that, yeah. What do you think I'm describing? Well, I don't know you. I switch off half the time. No, this is delicious.
3:22Alan Carr:And this has got all that in it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A bit of sugar syrup, lemon juice. Because this place... Gin, and their own gin. And let me tell you about their gin. Go on, talk to us about... No, I'm just saying this place is so classy. I mean, it's got the best address ever. Kensington. You've had the Rolling Stones. Is it Beggar's Banquet, their album? Judy Garland lived upstairs. And when she died, she said, you can have my bed. I think she said it before she died. Yeah. Buy a Ouija board. Have my bed. But that's called gifting a bed, isn't it? Let's talk about this gin then. So it's characterful Bar 190.
4:01It's staged set of Victorian glamour and storied legacy, famously associated, like you said, with the role in Stones. So the Rock Royalty Gin is playful and bold, blending bright citrus and fruit flavours with smooth sweetness and subtle spice. Are you getting that subtle spice in there?
4:17Alan Carr:Sometimes I find, you know, with gin and tonic, I can find it a bit harsh and I can only have like a couple. But that sweetness elevates it. I love it. Well, you know what as well? I do find this with gin. I sometimes think the garnish is key. If you get the wrong garnish, you're screwed. Really? And what's that? Is that like a tongue? It's a rose petal. Oh, okay. So I said to the lady, I said, is this edible? She said, it's a rose petal, so you do what you want with it. Yeah, we're not caterpillars, are we? I don't really know what she meant, so I'm going to leave that. Anyway, how have you been?
4:55Alan Carr:Well, I was fine till I got me post this morning. Right. Who the hell is Leo Pearl? I got a letter, Leo Pearl. Because for those of you who don't know, Lee Pitt has been staying at my house, rent-free. yes rent free that you kindly offered i haven't just barged in there okay and so this is what you do you go oh please come please come take my shirts that i can't fit into oh what about this one oh my god damn it those buttons haven't seen each other for years this button's got divorced i know i picked the wrong shirt yeah oh yes because i put it in a Tom will drive by accident. Anyway, oh, come and stay in my house, you can blah, blah, blah.
5:46The minute I stay in... I'm sorry, I'm just blinded by the whiteness
5:48Alan Carr:of that vest. There's so much of it.
5:53And then the minute I stay in your house, oh,
5:56Alan Carr:oh, rent free this, rent free that. No, I don't mind, but you change it. You're giving my address as your own personal PO box. And it's the fact, I've got a CCJ come through for some reason. And my credit scoring is now zero. And I'm being evicted. Mine's gone up. I'm not surprised, Mr Pearl. Why? Who is it? And who are you lying to? Your name's not Leo. I don't tell them my name is Leo Pearl. And it was a pink envelope. And it was a pink envelope. Yes. It was. I was invited to a rosé wine launch and I thought we were going to send wine. They never did. They sent the invitation. Oh, you can't drink an invitation.
6:39no i know and i thought who sends invitations anymore unless it's like a wedding it's a save the date which is quite nice but i said lee peart and is clearly no one knows my name no i remember the first time i ever got this i thought this was going to be my big break okay i got um i did a pilot all right yeah what's his name what was his name no and um it was for a show called caboodle Oh, yeah, caboodle. It's like a new quiz show. And I was like the Richard Osman type. Yeah, get it? Oh, not as tall. Yeah, fuck off. He's not freakishly small. So, anyway, we did this caboodle thing. I was like, this is it.
7:25I went to Media City. This is years ago, like 2021. I was like, this is it.
7:29Alan Carr:Well, this is like a monologue because I'm trying to insult you and you're saying the insults before I even get a chance. What's the fun of me being here? Oh, that's sad, isn't it? oh yes I'm short oh yes I haven't said a word you don't need to anyway get there arrive there name on the dressing room door Lee Pert P-E-R-T that's not what it's spelled and you're not Pert no I'm not I'm drooped so and then the producer went mad because I did a thing I did that thing where I said oh oh that's nice I miss you spelt my name wrong trying to be cool about it. I was fuming. Yeah. Because it's quite, you know, it's an ego thing.
8:12Alan Carr:What about me at Live at the Apollo? Anal car.
8:18Alan Carr:Anal can't. Yeah, anal can't. No one gets my name wrong. No, no, I know. Well, you are, you're a household name now. Yeah, like Jif. It's Sif. Is it? When did they change? Why did no one tell me? You know what? Surely someone told you it changed from Jif to Sif. No. You don't still call them opal fruits, do you? I call Iraq Mesopotamia. That's how old I am. I'm off to Siam soon. I call it a Siam green curry. That's how old I am. So listen, are we excited? I'm going to give us a clue to people at home what we're doing. you're rolling up your shorts who are we seeing oh slutty shorts yeah who are we seeing Harry Styles did you see him he runs to his gig two hours from his place in Hampstead to Wembley Stadium he runs I saw a picture of him running and then goes and performs on stage because we're going to see that because I always see him on a line bike not in person on TikTok when I searched Harry Styles line bike.
9:32It comes up. And... What comes up?
9:38Alan Carr:But he's always like... But I like a long short. I don't like a slutty short. No, God, I'm so fat. They're actually wedged up there now. Yeah, they're hot pants, aren't they? Oh, God, sorry, my roll of fat. Yeah, I am excited to see him. Now, Harry Styles was always one of those people back in the day where I was like, I'm not going to fancy him. I'm not going to fancy him. I was being defiant. I didn't want to fancy the people that other people did. There's something about him. There is something about him. Now, you're not going to rock up with a banner, are you? Harry, Harry, look at me. Check out my line bike.
10:16No, he's got charisma. He's got a riz. Yeah, that's what the kids say. And he's paying. Yes. Well, you know what the kids were saying to me the other day? I had no riz. because I can't say too much, can I? We were at your house. Hassle.
10:34Alan Carr:And the kids, because they were taller than Lee, they picked on him. And they were quite mean. It reminded me of being back in the playground. You got quite an abusive note, wasn't it? Watch out. It was malicious. Yeah, so basically, whenever there's kids around, like younger kids or whatever, I always tried to be like, oh, I'm the cool uncle. Yes, I'm always like, what are you up to? Blah, blah, blah. And they soon realize I'm basically humoring them. Yeah. And they start to like do things. And then I start to go like, I think I said something to like, oh, you'll never defeat the Dark Lord. You know, I will destroy you.
11:14Things like that. Just playing around with them. And... All right, Mary Poppins.
11:23so then they started winding me up because i kept going uh where are you going off to i'm always watching so i'm trying to nap and i hear on knock knock knock on the door housekeeping housekeeping there was no housekeeping it was your house yeah certainly knew there was no no housekeeping room service housekeeping there's nothing so Oh, um...
11:45Alan Carr:I then... Slag me off on TripAdvisor, why don't you? It's my home. You'll get fucking chocolate on your pillow at someone's home. Oh, well. No, I got chocolate on my pillow, let me tell you. Oh, yes. Yes, I did. I walk into my room after not being able to nap. There's a note in there. Watch your back, Lee. There's cookie crumbs all over the bed. Well, that's what you say. And then I walked out. It was a skiddy. Cling film over the door. They put cling film over the door. Did you walk into it? Well, do you know what I did? Because this is the kind of fun guy I am. I could hear them round the corner.
12:23So I opened the door. I saw quite clearly there was cling film there. So I went, what's that noise? And then did a comedy fall into the cling film. They burst out laughing. Yeah, yeah. I'm loved by them.
12:35Alan Carr:But why do you reckon they picked on you? Because I just think they thought I was obviously kind and lovely and the nicest person there. No, but they were terrorising me and then I had to go up to their mum and go, enough's enough. Yeah. When they sat in the bed, I said, too far. Was it shit? No, it wasn't. It looked like shit. They left me an open bag of Oreos, but they'd put toothpaste into the middle of the Oreos. Weirdly, it was quite nice. They should work on that new Saw movie. Yeah, it was. The twisted little shit. Aren't they? Why would they do that? That's quite malicious, putting toothpaste in an Oreo.
13:15Alan Carr:Yeah, and she said, Lee, here's a treat. So, yeah. None of this happened to anyone else. It was just you. It was me. I took one for the tea. No one gave a shit. My God. But yeah, and I went to Ascot. Nice. Yeah, I did. I did. It was all right, but I wasn't in, I feel like this is a gripe, I wasn't in the royal enclosure. Why would you be in the royal enclosure? Well, everyone was. Everyone was in the royal enclosure. I thought you'd go, but Leo... Leo Pearl. Leo Pearl was. Leo Pearl was not in the royal enclosure. And it was lovely, but it was hot. And we need to talk about this heat wave. How are you coping?
13:52It's too much, honestly. Your house... Yeah. Leo Pearl is melted to death because I've got my new house now. I'm in. I've got no furniture, but that's another story. Your house is hot.
14:04Alan Carr:I know, I know. And honestly, I was sitting there the other day and you know when like your back of your head sticks to the pillow? And then this, between my cleavage, it's like Niagara Falls. Really? It is honestly sweaty. And I got up and I had a W there under my tits. It's too much. It is too much. We need to go on holiday. But you know when your thighs stick together? No, I don't actually. Well, they do. No, I do, I do. I know what you mean, yeah. My eyesight is fading. Is it? Might as well be. Good for the story. No, but I mean, sometimes they wear like an off-white boob tube. And if I've got my glasses on, it looks like they're topless.
14:46Oh, right. It's men or women? No, surely women. Women? Men wearing boob tubes. No. But at what point is it okay for them to have their top off? If they fit. That's why I think we have double standards. Well, yeah. That's bad. That's beauty aesthetics.
15:06Alan Carr:Oh, shut up. It's not fair. No, but I mean, there's always that one person, you know, one bit of sun, and they're out with the speedos on and the bikini. Because I live near the park tonight, and there's people out there, you know, in thongs. And you know how we met when we met at Barry's Boot Camp? Yes. Talking of thongs. No. When we met at Barry's Boot Camp, that's what, did you ever used to do that? You know, at the end of the class, and they'd whip their tops off. I was never brave enough to do that. No, and it's hygienic. It's disgusting. All the sweat everywhere. Because you know what I've got as well?
15:40I know I've been banging on it about my plantar fasciitis. But have I ever told you about my pectus excavatum? It's a real thing.
15:52Alan Carr:Okay, okay. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. What is your pectus? Pectus excavatum is where your chest goes in. Do you see that? I wonder why it went in. Yeah, my chest goes in. Have you ever thought that? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I've got pectus excavatum. I thought you just put your wine there. Well, I can. I can fit it in. So if I'm lying down, it fits perfectly. Right, lovely. Like that. Look at this. Wait, hold on. Oh my God, that's amazing. Oh, I wish I had pectus. Was it excavatitis? No, no. Pectus excavatum. So yeah. Otherwise known as... Is it a medical... Concave chest, yeah. And the opposite is pigeon chest.
16:34You know pigeon chest? Oh, I've got two of them. Hey, boys. Constantly looking for food. No, so it goes in. Why was I telling you that? Oh, yeah, I did want to take my top off. So I've always been a bit conscious of my body. Because people can't believe we met at Barry's Boot Camp. No, I know, and you were really good.
16:53Alan Carr:It was weird. You were like, I love eating. When I come out of there, I don't have a juice. Do I go and have a Greg's? And that's the problem. Full of protein. So tell us about your new house. Well, I feel like I haven't planned it very well because I haven't got any furniture. All right, so I've got a bed, but I'm going to try and do this thing. It's the first time ever as an adult I've had to buy proper furniture and I have to find out my taste. What is my taste? I don't know. If it's in shirts, you're in trouble. Can we just pat on? This is called fashion. Least mine does up. yeah i know it's too tight anyway i've got why is it is it really tumble dry oh to be honest hey this is a safe space have you piled on the pounds just you can ask you can answer i think it's a mix of both i think it's what are you gonna do about that i'm worried about i picked this up but i went oh that'll do and then as i was putting it on you're at that stage now where doing a star jump could kill you yeah well you know when you put it on and i was like oh i didn't know i could do a T-Rex impression.
17:59It was so tight. You barely could reach your cocktail. I thought you were going to say something else.
18:08No, so I don't know what my taste is. Because I will say, and you host an interior design show.
18:14Alan Carr:Interior design master's filming at the minute. Yeah. So what could my taste be? Are you going to help me out? Are you mid-century? Do you like mid-century? I think I am mid-century, but I don't know what that means. Neither do I. Brilliant. Can't wait to watch the new series. Yes. I still don't know. When we go mid-century, I go, hmm, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think I'm like... Do you like Ikea? Not really. Do you like a bag of tea lights for a pound? I like the price of Ikea. I like something cheap. Because where I live... The meatballs, the meatballs. No, I was never into that. Didn't they find fecal matter?
18:50Alan Carr:They found fecal matter in the meatballs, didn't they? Do you remember that? No. Oh. I wonder... No. I like the dime bar. Anyway, I need furniture. And I live around a lot of antique shops, but the thing with me is I want things doing quickly. And I think you have to search for things. Well, yeah. No, no, as in like, you don't just go into a shop. Yeah. No, but how do you do it? Did you have a vision of what you wanted? Because your flat's lovely and I've, you know. What I'm trying to say is, can you give me your flat? I feel like Leo... Well, you've stolen the address. No, like, how did you do it?
Read the full transcript
19:33Like, did you ever know...
19:33Alan Carr:Well, you just go round and have a look. You use your eyes. I know, but it's like you can't always... You have a look at the room and you see what fits. You can't... Well, I know, and I've got... Common sense. I know, and I've got a bit of a weird layout as well. So I need a sofa, that's my... You haven't got a sofa? I haven't got a sofa. I've just got a bed. That's all I've got. Well, that's depressing. Yeah, because I've only just moved in, so I'm trying to find out. I don't want to rush into things. What kind of bed do you like? Futon? Full poster? Water bed? Cot?
20:08You know, the bed came with it, so that's fine. I made sure the bed came with it. Okay. But do you know what? And I will say, I'm going to be a bit sentimental here. Aww. I walked out and I moved in because I've got rid... I wish Alan was here. Was that it? Yeah, similar. I walked out, I just said, I'm back. I'm back where I belong. Although the other day I was in the bath. What happened? As in the area, I was back in the area. Oh, okay, okay. I wanted to be, I finally have found my place to be grounded. But I did, the other day I'm in the bath. I thought I'm going to have a bath for the first time.
20:44Oh, and I rang you up and you were in the bath and it made me feel weird. Yeah, I know, but you didn't ring me up on this occasion. but yeah, you do get weird about people being in the bath. Oh, it's just the water flapping around. Well, how do you go up in swimming pools?
20:57Alan Carr:Like, the water flapping, but... Well, no, just the thought of you naked. It freaked me out. Oh, that's lovely. So, um... No, um, bang, bang, bang on the wall. Bang, bang, bang with the trolley. Ding, ding, ding. Oh, my God. It's like she's here. That was... Judy. Judy. Judy! Julie! Oh, no! No! I spoiled it. Imagine if she spells it out there. No, um... Oh, Judy! Because there was massive neighbours playing music. No one saw, don't worry. Neighbours playing music. Bang, bang, bang. Is this your music? You're keeping us up. And I said, it's not. It's not. But I was so thrilled. I was like, you could play music all night.
21:42It's not babies crying. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just feel like I've made the right decision. Those babies ruined your life. They really did. They really did. Oh, God, I've got all this. Well, I'll tell you what, why don't we get a little bit of tissue to mop this up? She got a little bit excited there with the trolley song. And get another drink from the trolley. We've got a wine expert on the way. We're going to learn a little bit more about wine. Cheers. Bottoms up.
22:07Alan Carr:This week on Joe Marlow, We'll See You Now, we had Prince Harry. An actual Prince of England was on. Did it go to plan? Sort of. Kind of? None of the plan panned out. Chuckle vision, chuckle, chuckle vision. Chuckle vision, down, down, down. Front and back? No, the back's a disgrace. It's like the eye of that thing from Lord of the Rings. The eye of Sauron? Yeah, that's what it's like. You pitched at this as a couples therapy place. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm hurt. That's all I'm saying. Washing machines live longer with... Calgon. Yes! Prince Harry on Joe Marlow Will See You Now is out now.
22:47Alan Carr:Watch it on YouTube or Spotify or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.
22:59This episode is brought to you by Tesco. Now, we have all felt that kind of decision paralysis when you're in the aisle, haven't we, at times?
23:08Alan Carr:Well, thankfully, the wine experts at Tesco have their own recommendations. Can I introduce to you Wine of the Week? Wine of the Week. Wine of the Week. Wine of the Week. We can't do that, apparently, because the royalties. We have to change the jingle. Okay. Wine, wine. Wine of the Week. Oh! Can I introduce to you Montagne Saint-Emilion? Nice. Okay, this is just reduced from£11.50 to£8. With your club card. Yes, exactly. Only until, however, the 3rd of August. That's why we call it the wine of the week. Oh, I see, because it's just this week that the wine applies to for that price. Wine of the week, yeah.
23:53Oh, my God, every day's a school day. The good thing about Tesco is they have their experts where they like, like I was saying earlier, the decision paralysis, where you're just confronted with a load of bottles and it's like... You can't see the wood for the trees. Exactly. So...
24:09Alan Carr:Oh, that is nice. Do you know what this would be nice with? Barbecue. Oh, yes. When the sun's kind of just going down... Don't take this the wrong way, but you know the latter end of a barbecue? Yeah. When you're offering a vulture and this, I'll have a cold sausage. Do you know what this is as well? This is, for me, even the smell of it. You know when you're in a barbecue and you've had a lovely time in the sunshine and then you're all sat there, you might have a patio heater and a little blanket and you go, shall we move inside? And that's where you crack open. And you don't know, I've got a pashmina.
24:47Yeah, you crack open the red. I'm in a blanket. Yeah, you sit and put the world to rise. I can't feel my legs, I'm next to the patio heater. Expect, it's saying with the tasting note, oh, the first thing it says is deep, right, plummy notes. and that is plummy fruits. And that comes right through the minute that's hit there. And then when it kind of, you have it, you get the vanilla and the slight bit of spice, which I do love in a red as well. It's giving me fruit. It is fruit forward. It does say it's fruit forward with a slightly lighter structure. So again, if you have had a nice barbecue in the summer months, I know a lot of time in the summer, people like go, oh, not red, not red.
25:25But actually, if you've got a nice lighter red, you know, and this is, I know it's still a Bordeaux, but it's still, you know, it's slightly on the lighter side of that. So don't miss this one. Head to your local Tesco or go to tesco.com to pick up this bottle for just£8 with your Club Card.
25:44Alan Carr:Drinkware 18 +, Tesco Finest, Montagne, Saint-Emilien, 75cl, must end on the 3rd of August. Club Card or app required, available in majority of larger stores and online. Excludes Woosh and Express. Bottoms up, love. Bottoms up. Thank you, Tesco. Every little helps.
26:07Alan Carr:Wine is a mystery. Not my words, Madonna. But someone here to help us solve that mystery is wine judge, author, writer, and award-winning bar owner, Sonny Hodge. Yay! Thank you so much for having me. I was going to say, also not Madonna's words. No. That was good though, Sonny, wasn't it? Wine is a... Oh, you've gone up the key. Yes, I've gone up the key. Yes, I started low. But wine is a mystery though, isn't it? It is, and I'm here to solve it. Is that what that leading was? Yeah, that helped me out here, Sonny. Haste it. No, no, you've written a book about it. I have. I've written The Synod's Guide to Wine.
26:50I have it just propped up against your seat here. Oh.
26:55Alan Carr:That's a classy book. Do you like it? Yeah. This is what I would call a coffee table book. I'm not allowed to call it that. Why? The publishers don't like it. What? Because it's full of interesting stuff and not just pictures. Oh, they think they're working over themselves. Snobby, snobby, snobby. No, but I mean, listen. It's got all the questions you want to know about wine. Organics. It's a deep dive though, isn't it? It is. It's deep shit. It's a geeky, deep dive, scientific deep dive into wine. And it's the first wine book to help explain from the soil to the glass and then on to perception.
27:34So it's using the latest in scientific research, but I think it's quite accessible. Yeah. So would you describe yourself as a bit of a geek? Yeah, I think so. I think we're all geeky in our own ways. You've got a scientific brain because you do mechanical engineering. I studied mechanical engineering, but I never worked a day in mechanical engineering. So talk us through, Sonny. It's a long story. Do you want the, I'll give you the condensed. Yeah. Yeah. So I graduated from mechanical engineering. Where at? At University College London. Nice. Yeah. So at the time, it was pretty good for engineering.
28:07I don't know now. But I was working in Nando's at the time. Oh, yes. Are you a fan of Nando's? Love Nando's. Love Nando's. I also love Nando's. What's your favourite sauce? Peri-peri? It's all peri-peri, isn't it? Is it? Yeah. Oh, I always have peri-peri. Unless you get the mayonnaise. No, I think you mean what's your... What's the spice level? You're a lemon and herb. I'm weak. Oh, I like it, the spicy. Extra hot. Extra hot. You know I sat in Nando's for about 20 minutes being like, the service here is terrible. No one came. I realised you go up to the thing to order. No one told you at the beginning?
28:42No.
28:43Alan Carr:The refillable ones are good, aren't they? Yeah, yeah. That's nice. Someone's getting call at head office right now. Do you want to call out the Nando's? And they don't do a Nando's black card anymore. Did you get one? No. I had one. I had one. Then I went to Sheffield. I went, hello, black card Nando's. They never had a celebrity in the shop. It looked like I was after free chicken. Yeah. Well, you were. Yeah, but I don't want them to shout, black card, Jimmy Carr's here. Jimmy Carr wants free chicken. Honestly, it was like that. Free chicken. I'm like, keep your voice down. I'm on the scrounge.
29:18They don't do them anymore. No, no, because of me exploiting. Were you rinsing them? Rinsing them. What was your go-to meal? Oh, yeah, what's your go-to meal? I do like a wrap. Okay. Yeah, a bit of carb there. I don't know. I like half a chicken, creamy mash and macho peas. Good call, yeah. Five wings, extra heart, pear chips and coleslaw. A little bit on the other side.
29:39Alan Carr:Why don't you write a book about Nando's? It's all in the South. A civics guide to Nando's. and have it as a bloody coffee table. We can tell them to piss off. I should do, yeah. Maybe that'll be the next book. Send its guided chicken. And I could do at the back, Alan Carr, delicious. Alan Carr. I had this in Sheffield. Sheffield's kiss. Sheffield's kiss. Sheffield's kiss. Because that's interesting. Perception, like me and Lee say, obviously looking at the label, the colour. I mean, perception has so much to do when you're getting a wine. I mean, I've joked about this, but I am serious. Sometimes I will buy a wine because I like the font or the way the label looks, which is absolutely...
30:24Alan Carr:Why are you pulling that face? Well, we're talking about perception, but this is not a wine I don't think I would pick up. This one? Mmm. I don't know what it is about it. Just based on looks. What's it called? Wine punk. Punk! Yeah.
30:42Alan Carr:I'm like an old person when they see a punk on the bus. That bottle's got tattoos. Disgusting. Come away, Lee. Come away. Don't talk to the stranger. What is it that you're not into? It's not that I'm not into it. Firstly, it's this cap. You don't like the aesthetic of it? You know, I've got to be honest. I do think I would judge this. It's terrible. Well, I know, I know. Yeah. but I'm all about the juice is the juice well I know are you saying Lee shallow? I didn't you just said that no but you can agree shall I repeat? no but what I'm saying is you're shallow no but what I'm saying is if there was a load of bottles on the thing I just don't know whether I would gravitate towards this but this is what the podcast is about making us because I think it's okay to admit sometimes we're a little bit you know shallow we judge a book by its cover I think so and especially with food and drink, like the look of it drives before you've even tasted it.
31:42And also you've got to remember actually, let's go the other way here. The makers of this wine, Wine Punk, have clearly chosen this for a reason. You mean the label or the wine? The label, the wine, how they package it. They've gone, how do we want this wine to come across? Lucas was in a band, the guy who made it. So they want to go a little bit more edgy, they want to go a little bit more...
32:03Alan Carr:And it's green glass, you don't get that normally in the bottle. Yeah. So I mean, it's breaking down stereotypes. I mean, it works both ways, doesn't it? It's about how things are perceived. This is a wine that is very much breaking down boundaries. So it's from a place called Kutnohora in the Czech Republic. So just about an hour's drive outside of Prague. The grape is Solaris. This is a grape you've heard of before? No, no, no. Solaris is a hybrid grape. Have you guys tried hybrids before? No, so how do you make a hybrid grape? Do two grapes get together? Sort of, but they have to be from two different species to call it a hybrid.
32:41Yeah, otherwise it would just be the same grape. It would be the same grape. So, for example... Like a cockapoo? No, because I assume they're just both dog species, canine, whatever.
32:51Alan Carr:I'm going to stay clear with this conversation. Yeah, Lee, what species are you as a human? Human. But what species? Grimsby. Yeah. So that makes him a mutant. Yeah. So it's almost like, as a person from Grimsby. Grimbarian. Grimbarian. Grimbarian. And then Homo sapien. What do you call me? Exactly. I'm an Orphanthonian, I'm very proud of it. If you two were to have a child from two different species, that would be your Solaris. And the benefit, because that's what you're going to ask, weren't you? Yes. Is huge mix of DNA, really really tough offspring and it requires less chemicals in farming so less pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers.
33:42A bit more towards the organic route. I would say far beyond so technically this is biodynamically farmed. Have you heard of biodynamics before? No is that better than organic? I would say it's more extreme and it's like organics on acid. Can I just say that is delicious. I've just said it. Oh you like it? I really like it. Despite your initial prejudice? Yes. Wow. Yeah. There's a picture of it in your book. Good man. Yeah. I think that a lot of people will watch this and have the same, you know, view as me where they look at this bottle of wine and go,
34:11Alan Carr:oh, that is nice. It's really nice, isn't it? Oh, you do like it? Yeah, I love a Solaris. Not all Solaris are like this, I would say. And because it's fizzy as well, so what would you class it as? Not a Prosecco. It's a Pet Nat, which is a method of producing sparkling wine and it stands for Petit L 'Einte Naturelle, naturally sparkling in French. So this, oh, naturally sparkling. Petit L 'Einte Naturelle. That's interesting. This is all new. I feel like this is a science lesson for us. Who have you been inviting on your show before me? Joanne McNally and people like that. Drunks and lushes. Yeah.
34:48They know nothing.
34:50Alan Carr:Well, we're pleased you're on here now because they drag us down, some of these guests. Really? So what made you bring this bottle of wine? So with the concept of Diogenes, it's about bringing new faces into the UK. We also sell to other bars and restaurants. And not many people have tried Czech wine, number one. I don't think we've ever had it on the show. There you go. It's so lovely. It's biodynamically certified by Demeter, which is a really hardcore certification for biodynamics. I was a bit like Lee, being a bit shallow. I saw the fizziness and the cloudiness. And then, you know, it's like you said, we'll be at a restaurant or something, we see Czechoslovakian wine.
35:30Alan Carr:I'll be like, oh no, give it a miss. Because there's two countries now, right? Yes. Everyone knows that. Czech Republic and Slovakia. When did this happen?
35:44Alan Carr:You didn't get the memo? Did you know it split it off? No. I knew it was Czech Republic, but what did you say? Czechoslovakia. I thought it was Czechoslovakia. So do you remember after the Austro-Hungarian Empire? I'm not that old. Oh, okay. So where's Prague? It's in the Czech Republic. But it's not in Slovakia. No. Because they've gone off and done their own thing. They've gone, yeah, they've separated. Is it like sugar babes when one goes off and does their own thing? What did they do on their own? It's like when Little Mix split up. Yes, yes. Yes, you got Jade and then you got Jesse Nelson.
36:24Alan Carr:Basically. Yeah, that's it. Okay, I'm glad we've sorted that out. That's sold. So what have we got next? So should we finish our glasses? Yeah. But that's been a revelation, this. I would never, I mean, look, I don't even understand any of the words on it. It's also lightly sparkling, isn't it? Where it's not too bubbly. Hand harvested, dry. Were you reading that off the label? You either read off the label or the book. It's called research. There's commentary on my book. Dry. Right, what we got here then, Nuff? So we've got a Chinese white. A Chinese white? Yeah, so it's a blend of a grape called Italo Riesling, which...
37:05I love a Riesling. It's sort of genetically not a Riesling, but it behaves, the grape behaves like a Riesling. It's from a place called Ningxiao, northeastern province of China. Is this the first Chinese? Do you want to get the giggles out?
37:20Alan Carr:I've never had a Chinese wine. Have you tasted it already? No. Tell me if you like it. All right. Are China known for their wine? Oh, you like to slurp it, don't you? You're a real slurper. Because China's massive. They must have amazing vineyards. I mean, it's huge. It's bigger than Europe, you know, in the whole scheme of things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So many different climates, so many different soil types. Like, they're making loads of different styles of wine. I would say, tell me if you like it first, and then I'll wrap it on about it. It's very close to a Chardonnay for me, and I don't love a Chardonnay.
37:53Okay. It's quite caramelly. You don't like that? No. No. It's nice, but... I'm not massively into it.
38:01Alan Carr:Yeah, you're right, Chardonnay sometimes. Yeah, I'm no, sorry. It's got very low acidity, I will say that. It does? What is your indicator of acidity? How do we know if a wine is acidic or not? The clack. The clack. You get the clack. it sounds like an angry piece no like when you feel it in your jaw here okay okay like a cat and you always get that sometimes and sometimes I have to say by the way I quite like acidity okay you know I quite like feeling something but this one feels it's smooth I think but it's got that it's got that chardonnay taste for me I don't know if do you like this I'm into it yeah I mean we distribute it we sell these wines to other bars and restaurants Shall I give you an acidity hack, a science acidity hack?
38:53Yes, please. So our gauge of acidity, our personal gauge is saliva. The higher the acidity that we're drinking or eating, the more we salivate. So the… I can't really make that noise. What was it again? That might be some indication, but the saliva test is the true test. Right. So when we were cave people back in the day, we were putting all sorts of stuff in our mouth. Some of it dangerous acidities, some of it sulfur pools, rotting berries. We needed that sustenance. And our defense mechanism against those acidities was saliva to dilute that. So that protects our enamel. Oh my God. We can't control that.
39:38So if you have a wine that is a low acidity, you won't salivate as much as a wine that's high acidity. You said you liked acidity, right? I don't, either or, sometimes, yeah. But yeah, I do like a little, like a Pinot Grigio has a nice acidity. Yeah, so if you do like that acidity and you're in a supermarket picking out wines. Look out for something that says cool climate. Or just look at the countries and think cool climate.
40:06Alan Carr:But China's massive. They must have like mountains, valleys. This is up in the mountains. Yeah, so this is... So you might have the... So this is, but this isn't acidic, I'd say. I would say this is medium to high acidity. Oh, fuck. But before you were relying on the geese noise to gauge your acidity. But I think now if you use saliva… Yeah, there is a bit of saliva coming down. You get that? Yeah. So now you've got your gauge and you can start calibrating that. So it's not clack. We've been doing it all wrong. Not clack. Saliva. Yeah. I haven't salivated this since I had my last Nando's. Goodness.
40:37Alan Carr:I only salivated because it was free. Did you bring anything else? I brought an orange. so what's the difference between orange rind and rosé? One's orange?
40:53Alan Carr:Is this a trick question? No, no, no. These are like those questions you got on this morning. What is today? Friday? Not a trick question. Yeah, you know, you're like, ha! No, is it orange? So rosé is just using a red grape and an orange one is just using a white grape. But how is it orange? So the white grapes aren't just white. They're sort of green, orange, yellow. And if you're sitting them on skins, they'll take in, they'll suck in all those colour compounds and then your wine will turn out that colour. So it's from Georgia, supposedly the birthplace of wine. Because they were making wine.
41:30They taught the Romans, didn't they? 8 ,000 years ago is the oldest archaeological evidence of wine production. So there's loads of history packed into this wine.
41:39Alan Carr:how can people contact you on socials what's your instagram handle sunny hodge wine and this book the cynics guide to wine is out now it's out now it's won a couple of awards it's doing well thank you yeah take to write uh i would say it took about six or seven months to write yeah and then about a year to find the right publisher because no one got it and i found a beautiful publisher now who really really behind it yeah because it's it's the first in this type of writing. So if no one's done it before, you can't say, oh, it's like this. It's sold really well. Well, that's good. You're the first.
42:12You're a pioneer. Thank you very much. You're a Wionier.
42:15Alan Carr:Wionier. Look, saliva makes a difference. Our genetics involved in smell it all. It's really interesting. Thank you. Tannins. And your wine bars, Battersea. Battersea, Aspen and Merceau. Nice. And then Diogenes the Dog in Elephant and Castle. Elephant and Castle. Yeah. Any plans for another third hat trick? No, it's really tough in We're building a wine qualification, so a wine science qualification. That will take a couple of years. So that's in the pipeline. So there's lots going on, but not another brick and mortar setup. Thank you so much, everyone. If you've enjoyed this episode of Bottoms Up, don't forget to follow us on socials at Bottoms Up Show.
43:00Alan Carr:And you can follow us on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, exactly. Do not fall behind. And as ever, we do want to hear from you if you want to get in touch with your questions, queries, or any of your dilemmas that you want us to solve. At Bottoms Up Show on socials or email us, bottomsup at listen.co.uk. Bottoms Up with Alan Carr and Lee Peart is a Platform Media production. Sunny Hodge, everyone. Bottoms Up. Oh, should we go and have an Ando's? Let's do it. Yeah. For old times sake. Sheffield, here we come. I'll get me card.
From the publisher
This week on Bottoms Up! Alan and Lee are back at The Gore Hotel, sipping their signature cocktail from the iconic Bar 190, where The Rolling Stones famously hosted some of their wildest parties.
With a heatwave in full swing, the boys are heading to see short-shorts superstar Harry Styles. But just how short is too short? Long, short or downright slutty?
After weeks of living under the same roof, Lee has finally moved out of Alan's house. Faced with an empty flat containing little more than a bed, can Alan help Lee figure out his interior design style?
Plus, wine writer Sunny Hodge (@sunnyhodgewine) joins the boys to chat about his book, The Cynic's Guide to Wine. He explains why wine doesn’t actually taste like grapes and introduces Alan and Lee to bottles from China, the Czech Republic and Georgia, proving there’s a whole world of wine beyond the supermarket shelf.
Drinks featured:
The Clover Club - Bar 190's Signature Cocktail
Punk Pet Nat - a biodynamic, sparkling Solaris from the Czech Republic
Dove White - a blend of Italoriesling from China
Rachuli Mtsvane - an orange wine from Georgia
Chapters:
00:00 – Coming Up
00:34 – What’s In A Clover Club Cocktail?
03:31 – The Bar Where The Rolling Stones Partied
04:51 – Who The Hell Is Leo Pearl?!
08:55 – Harry Styles’ Slutty Shorts
10:23 – Lee’s Got No Rizz
13:49 – Alan & Lee Can't Handle The Heat
17:02 – Lee’s Finally Moved Out!
25:19 – The Cynic’s Guide To Wine
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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