What was it like working with Oz again? Has the dynamic between you changed much since the first series? We know each other much better now, of course. For the first trip, we met twice before setting off and it was just brief meetings about the trip. Now he takes me to the pub occasionally to try new wines. Yes he's still irritating and I still irritate him. He thinks I'm a scruff (and I am) and I think he's a pompous bloke. How did this trip compare to France overall? I know a bit more now than I did then, but actually not as much as I think I know, which will become apparent when you see the programme. It's very different in California of course - they speak English for a start. I'd assumed they wouldn't be bogged down by the same old rules and etiquette as the French, but they turned out to be the same in lots of ways. The wines are more accessible though. Most casual drinkers like me would tend to gravitate to New World wines, though not necessarily Californian. People in Britain think about grape varieties - we look for Chardonnay, while the French look for the region, say Chablis. In the US, you get both those things. If you like a light Pinot Noir, you just think 'I'll have that'. In France, you have to choose the region and then work out where to go from there. Do you think New World wines are as good as French wines? Some of them are better. If you're a true connoisseur with money to spend, you should learn about French wine. The really good - and unfortunately really expensive wines - are fabulous, while the average wine is mediocre. If you're an average drinker that likes mid-range wine, you're better off with the New World. There are cheap wines from France, but you need to know a lot to find them. What is the most exciting bottle of wine you've ever tried? Either Château Pichon-Baron, a Bordeaux wine from early on the last trip or - from this trip - Orion, made by a bloke called Sean Thackrey. In California, I tried some incredibly expensive wines and they were lovely, but this one was the most interesting. It's made from grapes from old vines - they're not even identifiable as a variety so he calls it California native red wine. It sounds terrible, but it's really exciting stuff - though it's about £70 a bottle. Do Clarkson and Hammond tease you for being a student to Oz and learning about wine, or do they actually come to you for wine advice?God, no, they wouldn't come to me for wine advice! They just take the mickey out of it - saying I'm on holiday with my boyfriend. Though I have to admit that I've been in a restaurant with Jeremy (Clarkson) and he's handed the wine list to me saying I probably know more than him, though I probably don't to be honest. Did you feel more equipped for this trip than you did before you went to France?Oz is a fantastic teacher. All this stuff about swirling the wine to get the oxygen in it sounds ridiculous, but it's all true - I have to admit I've called him from off-licences for advice. Of course I've learned infinitely more since the beginning of the first series. I knew nothing then. Oz says I have a reasonably good palate and if I concentrated, made wine notes and took it all seriously like him, I might get quite good at it. I'm not interested in taking it that far, which is lucky, otherwise the programme would end up being about two wine ponces. Do you think you could ever become a wine snob? I avoid being a snob of anything; it's a reprehensible concept. If I scrutinise myself, though, I guess I am a snob about music and cars - I'm fighting it! What I don't like about wine is the pretentiousness of it. People think that buying the right wine makes them a good person. The truth is that most people don't know much about it. You need guidance to make an informed choice. You can get very good wines for £3, but you have to know what you're doing and have to put in the groundwork. Oz said that you were often quite shocked at the price tag on some of the wines you tried in California, some up to £2,000 dollars. Has your view changed about the pricing of high-end wines like this? Are they ever worth it?I've always believed my quest is to find good wines that people like me would buy, for around £10. Oz has always been a champion of this too, since his old Food and Drink days. Yes, a 60-year-old vintage from an award-winning vineyard is going to be spectacularly good, very nice thanks, but it's irrelevant to your average person - as is living in a castle - so we have to look elsewhere. As with all luxury things, you get these incremental improvements at a huge increase in price. Do they make better wine or better cars in California?  American cars are dreadful; the Americans are definitely better at drink! We did have a bit of fun with the cars out there though. We drove around California in a Monaco Dynasty, which was great fun, though it was huge, so not a particularly exciting drive. We also had a bit of good car action when we borrowed a Mustang and a Mini from an car enthusiast in San Francisco. In France I'd be inclined to go for the cars. The French have an good take on car design - it's interesting, enduring and radical. Where would you like to go next? We could carry on with the New World and go to Australia or Chile - their wines are so popular in Britain that it would be pretty relevant. Otherwise the Old World - maybe Italy and Portugal? Or we could have a crack at Germany? I'd be interested to do something about British drinks - cider, mead, whisky and beer, of course. |
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