Wine expert Oz Clarke is teaming up with Top Gear's James May for an unforgettable road trip through France's wine regions.

Titled Oz & James Big Wine Adventure the aim of this six-part series is to educate unrepentant beer drinker James and the Great British public in the finer elements of wine appreciation.

How many times have you sat in a restaurant and looked blankly at the wine list before choosing the second cheapest option so as not to appear tight or uneducated?

Imagine it's a date or you're meeting the other half's parents for the first time. You want to get it right. Oz will make sure you do.

France's vast array of appellations can be overwhelming to the novice. Oz's mission is to arm James and the discerning viewer with the knowledge and confidence to choose the appropriate wine for the appropriate occasion.

Oz realises his task will not be easy: "Six weeks travelling through France with James is sure to be an experience. I'm told James knows next to nothing about wine and I'm guessing he's the kind of fellow that prefers warm ale with twigs floating in it.

"I hope to change this and educate him in the ways of wine. I will relish the challenge!"

James is cautious of Oz's motives: "I like a glass of wine as much as the next bloke, but the trouble with Oz Clarke is that he spends far too much time talking about what sort of soil the grapes grew in and not enough time drinking the stuff. A man could die of thirst."

Elaine Bedell, Commissioning Editor Features & Factual Entertainment, comments on the commission: "I've been looking for a wine programme for a while.

"We all consume gallons of the stuff without knowing much about what we're drinking – apart from feeling that if we pay £9 a bottle it must be ok. The idea came to put James together with Oz on a journey through the vineyards of France that will educate us all about wine."

James will be launched in at the deep end as the incongruous twosome kick off their adventure in Bordeaux before heading south through the Languedoc-Roussillon and on to sun-drenched Provence.

Then it's off through the gutsy red wine areas of the Rhone valley before visiting Bordeaux's great rival, Burgundy. After finding refreshment at Chablis and the Loire Valley's Sancerre the relatively unsung region of Alsace is their next destination.

Not only is it home to cracking whites like Riesling and Gewürztraminer but also 50% of France's beer production!

They finish their road trip in Champagne, where James' acquired knowledge will be put to one final test.

As well as discovering the wines of the area Oz and James will delve into local events and festivities, savour the local produce and capture a sense of each region's character and history.

Will James be able to put up with Oz's pretentious ramblings and will Oz be able to cope with James foibles? All this plus two men camping, classic cars and food glorious food.

Oz & James Big Wine Adventure is an RDF Media production.

Notes to Editors

Accompanying the series is a BBC Book - Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure. Published 5 October 2006, £16.99, BBC Books.

CW

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