In episode 177 of The Drinking Hour podcast, host David Kermode is joined by writer and broadcaster Tom Surgey, best known for his role as honorary fourth member of ‘The Three Wine Men’. The pair discuss his new book How to Drink Wine, which aims to demystify the subject and offer a comprehensive, yet accessible, guide to the world of wine terminology.
Surgey discusses how he became interested in wine while working as a waiter at The Ivy, where he was given opportunities to taste some extraordinary bottles by senior members of staff. He credits this generosity as a driving force behind his career and his motivation to write the new book.
Kermode and Surgey talk about the reasons for writing what Surgey describes as a ‘Wine 101’. He explains his recognition of the need for an accessible book aimed at a younger audience that ‘did away with old school snobbery’. Kermode highlights some of the useful tips and tricks featured in the book but has a bone to pick with Surgey on the topic of adding ice to rosé. Finally, the pair lament the rising use of glass stoppers, something Kermode labels as style over substance.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here
