Vintage Politics

From Spin Doctor to Baroness: Ayesha Hazarika on Politics, Comedy & Power

From advising some of the biggest names in British politics to finding freedom in comedy, this week on the last Vintage Politics of the series I’m joined by Baroness Hazarika, broadcaster, comedian, former political adviser and now member of the House of Lords.Over a series of remarkable wines (and the first rosé of the series) we talk about the pressures of family expectation, navigating Westminster, what politics was really like behind closed doors including some pretty bad warm white wines!Ayesha reflects on working at the heart of government, the personalities who shaped her career from Tony Blair to Harriet Harman and the surreal reality of going from the political trenches to becoming Baroness Hazarika. Honest, funny and deeply insightful, this is a conversation about ambition, identity, power and finding your own voice in some of Britain’s toughest institutions.Wines featured:M&S Classics Gavi (M&S [https://www.marksandspencer.com/food/mands-classics-gavi-docg/p/fdp60472878])Bosio Boschedor 2015 (Hedonism)Les Clos Peyrassol 2024 (Majestic [https://www.majestic.co.uk/wines/clos-peyrassol-organic-08826])Glenfarclas 20 Year Old Whisky 1975 (Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/glenfarclas-20-year-old-1975-whisky])Barbeito Single Cask Boal Vinha do Charlot 2005 (Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/barbeito-single-cask-boal-vinha-do-charlot-2005])

Empire’s End: Lessons from Hong Kong and a Life in Power with Lord Patten

In this penultimate episode of Vintage Politics series one I’m joined by Lord Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, who oversaw the historic 1997 handover. We look back at that pivotal moment and ask how relations between Hong Kong, China and the West have shifted and, in his view, deteriorated in the years since. We also explore why the University of Oxford seems to produce so many British prime ministers, and what that reveals about power and political networks. And after a lifetime in public life from Westminster to the world stage, Lord Patten reflects on the lessons that still resonate today and the role he considers his greatest achievement - it might just surprise you. All over some great wines from Oxford to China and a first for Vintage Politics… a cocktail with a royal connection. Wines featured: Yalumba Y Series Sauvignon Blanc 2022/23, Australia (Majestic [https://www.majestic.co.uk/wines/yalumba-y-series-sauvignon-blanc-59108]) Hundred Hills First Edition 2018 England (The Finest Bubble [https://thefinestbubble.com/english-sparkling-hundred-hills-first-edition-2018-75cl]) Célèbre Red, Yunnan China 2018 (Vinum Eurus [https://winesofchina.uk/products/celebre-red]) Heritage Grande Champagne Cognac 1944 (Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/hermitage-grande-champagne-1944-cognac])

John Pienaar: Brexit, Boris and Champagne at Dawn

A true heavyweight of political journalism joins Vintage Politics. This week, John Pienaar brings decades of reporting from the front line of politics to the podcast — with candid insights on Boris Johnson, Brexit and why it remains “lying in the bloodstream of our politics”, US presidential elections, and the legendary political all-nighters that sometimes ended with a champagne breakfast. It’s a rich conversation full of stories, sharp analysis and hard-earned perspective — with, of course, great wines along the way. Expect great conversation, great insight and a vintage political discussion not to miss. Wines featured: Mid week wine: Morrisons The Best Beaujolais (Morrisons [https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/morrisons-the-best-beaujolais-75cl/114564411]) Pauline Collin Bereche Ludes Vielles Vignes 2019 (Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/pauline-collin-bereche-ludes-vielles-vignes-2019]) Côte de Brouilly, Domaine Lafarge Vial, Beaujolais 2016 (Corney and Barrow [https://www.corneyandbarrow.com/cote-de-brouilly-domaine-lafarge-vial-2016-10150162016bt12-1.html]) Aloxe-Corton Les Vercots 1er Cru Maison Morey-Blanc 2019 (Corney and Barrow [https://www.corneyandbarrow.com/aloxe-corton-les-vercots-1er-cru-maison-morey-blanc-2019-10164762019bt06-1.html]) Hermitage Grande Champagne 1957 (Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/hermitage-grande-champagne-1957-cognac])

Decca Aitkenhead: Sauvignon Blanc, “weird" wines and conversations with The Chancellor of the Exchequer at his Highland croft

Decca Aitkenhead, Chief Interviewer of The Sunday Times, joins Vintage Politics for a lively, free-flowing conversation over a glass or two. She shares her love of Sauvignon Blanc and is introduced to an aged white from Alsace—an experience she expresses as just “weird.” In a wide ranging career she has interviewed major political players from Hillary Clinton to Nigel Farage, getting to know the characters behind the political personas. In this episode she shares stories from a weekend spent in the wilds of Scotland with a former Chancellor of the Exchequer just before the financial crisis and reflects on interviewing Tony Blair after the pandemic—who, Cherie reveals, was perhaps not quite the domestic goddess he would have had her believe! It’s sharp, funny and full of surprises and, as for the wines, were they a hit or a miss? Well, you'll just have to pour yourself a glass and watch and or listen to find out… Wines featured: Mid week wine: Exceptional by ASDA Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Asda [https://www.asda.com/groceries/product/sauvignon-blanc/exceptional-by-asda-marlborough-sauvignon-blanc-75cl/9181117] Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Rosé, Joseph Perrier [https://www.josephperrier.com/en/champagnes-et-cuvees/cuvee-royale-brut-rose] Vacheron Sancerre 2024, Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/vacheron-sancerre-2024] Domaine Weinbach Gewurtztraminer 2008, Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/weinbach-altenbourg-gewurztraminer-2008] Château Trotanoy 1971, Hedonism [https://hedonism.co.uk/product/trotanoy-1971]

Guto Harri: His political broadcasting career, the final days of Boris in Number 10 and a passion for Rhône Reds

Guto Harri, The Savoy, ambition and fine wine collide in this week’s Vintage Politics. The former Downing Street Director of Communications, journalist and strategist spills all over a carefully chosen glass or two or three. Guto revisits his years alongside Boris Johnson with a sharper edge. Behind the theatre and bravado, he paints a picture of a man he tried to pull back from the brink of Brexit. Warnings issued, the sense that the country was being nudged toward a choice whose consequences would outlast the moment. It didn’t work and that failure lingers between the lines. But politics, in Harri’s telling, is never entirely separate from the personal. Wine runs through it all. “Wine lubricates life,” he says, and in his case it truly does, from the family lore that he was conceived over a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, to the long, looping conversations that shaped careers and convictions alike. There are lighter notes, too Krug opened in moments of rare pause, a reflective glass of Rivesaltes, even the occasional midweek Californian Chardonnay — but they sit alongside the heavier vintages. Because then comes Number 10. In the wake of Partygate, Harri found himself not just defending a government, but reckoning with it navigating fallout, loyalty, and doubt. This is politics uncorked full-bodied, conflicted, and impossible to separate from the life that surrounds it. Wines featured: Mid week wine: Bread & Butter Chardonnay, Majestic [https://www.majestic.co.uk/wines/bread-butter-chardonnay-18139] Champagne Krug Grande Cuvée 172 ème edition, Ramsay Group [https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/restaurant-1890/bar/] / Spritz Marketing [https://spritzmarketing.co.uk/] / Krug [https://www.krug.com/en-gb/champagne/krug-grande-cuvee-172eme-edition] Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Tradition Vignobles Gonnet 2022, Corney & Barrow [https://www.corneyandbarrow.com/chateauneuf-du-pape-cuvee-tradition-vignobles-gonnet-2022-10088162022bt12-1.html] Gérard Bertrand Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1969, Ramsay Group [https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/restaurant-1890/bar/] / Gérard Bertrand [https://www.gerard-bertrand.co.uk/en/products/legend-vintage-vins-doux-naturels-1969-rivesaltes-75cl] Graham's Vintage Port 1966, Ramsay Group [https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/restaurant-1890/bar/] / Graham's [https://www.grahams-port.com/wine/graham-s-vintage-port/24?year=1966]