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Join Mike Graham for a deliciously different Plonk of the Week. This time we dive deep into still and sparkling red wines with wine expert Chris Walkey and his son Oliver!

No fizz-only episode today. We explore incredible value reds from around the world:
Dirt-cheap Aldi Australian Shiraz (£4.29 still and £7.49 sparkling). Can budget wine really be this good?
Italian gem from Poggio Trevalli (Tuscany Sangiovese blend) – £25 quality that punches way above its price
French curveball: Maison Ventenac ‘L’Idiot’ Merlot from Carcassonne – inspired by the famous “I’m not drinking any f***ing Merlot!” line from Sideways
English sparkling red from Adgestone Vineyard on the Isle of Wight – full-bodied, summer fruits and spice (£35 direct)
Wild card: Lithuanian blueberry wine (13.5% ABV, rich and silky) – yes, really! Supplied by the Champagne Route Bar

Special guest Anna McGovern joins us for the fun!

Plus hilarious off-topic chat: Mike’s Beatles loop, desert island discs/movies/wines, Diana Award stories, Oddbins memories, supermarket vs independent wine shops, and why red wine might just convert even the biggest white-only drinkers! If you love wine reviews, budget finds, English sparkling, unusual fruit wines, or just Mike Graham’s no-nonsense banter – hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications for weekly Plonk of the Week every Saturday at 7pm!

#PlonkOfTheWeek #MikeGraham #RedWineTasting #AldiWine #Shiraz #SparklingRed #IsleOfWightWine #AdgestoneVineyard #BlueberryWine #LithuanianWine #MaisonVentenac #LIdiotMerlot #PoggioTrevalli #ItalianRedWine #ChrisWalkey #WineReview #BudgetWine #EnglishWine #WineTasting #UKWine #SupermarketWine #AnnaMcGovernWines featured (links/availability in comments where possible):Aldi Cooliburra Shiraz (still and sparkling)
Poggio Trevalli Toscana red
Maison Ventenac ‘L’Idiot’ Merlot 2019
Adgestone Sparkling Red
Lithuanian blueberry wine (Champagne Route Bar)

What’s YOUR favourite red under £15? Drop it below!

36 Comments

  1. On 14 Nov 1969 Apollo 12 was twice struck by lightning shortly after launch whilst on its way to the Moon.

  2. Mike have you no soul?
    The men's curling final is Live – NOW.
    GB 3 – Canada 4.
    It's gripping!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
    Nay 5 – 4 to GB😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

  3. It was a great show, really enjoyable with a drink of some sort in your hand, but certainly worth a view if you enjoy wines.

  4. Great show, Mike. I may have missed a week when you tried rose wine, which I am very fond of. If not, may we have a tasting, especially Spanish?

  5. Mike… Every time I open a bottle of wine I am reminded by my children of the time.. I always say it is 5 o'clock somewhere ! Can your clock show 5 o'clock whenever you do plonk of the week so I can show my children it's ok to open one!!! 😂😂

  6. Can your connoisseur explain why I have migraines with red wine but not white? Is it the type, the vintage, who made it, what's init, my hubby and I used to drink merlot but it gave me 2 day migraines but I could drink white and be fine?? Is it that the more expensive I would be fine or what?

  7. Is there a chance you could do region focused shows. One week do nappa valley another do Chilean another show is south African another show is Italian etc etc. Find the best of every region.

  8. Great show again a real treat. Penfolds Koonunga Hill is a favourite of mine, my late father introduced me to, a great red.

  9. Love the show, love Anna joining too!🎉 OVATA (Oakridge) is a southern Victoria sparkling from Melbourne, Australia (Yarra Valley) and it’s my favourite and is well priced. I’d be interested in a review if it’s available in the UK. Always a bottle in the fridge! Cheers, 🥂 🍾❤

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