Matthew's World of Wine and Drink

Uruguay may lie in the shadow of Argentina and Brazil, but it produces high quality wine, particularly from Tannat and Merlot. Brazil, on the other hand, produces a lot more wine but of lower quality due to its humid climate. This episode discusses the different challenges the two countries face.

Second episode on Argentina, focusing on its wine regions. Altitude is key, to prolong the growing season in the dry, hot conditions. Now, Argentian producers are looking to diversify to show that the country is more than just fruit-forward Malbec - from Torrontés in high-altitude Salta to Pinot Noir in Antarctic influenced Patagonia.

An overview of the history of Argentinian wine and the grape varieties planted there. After a tumultuous twentieth century, the wine industry has boomed over the last thirty years, based largely on the success of Malbec. The question is, where next?

Second episode focusing on Chile, discussing its wine regions and the different styles of wine made up and down the long, narrow country.

Winemaking in Chile goes back to the 1550s - wine has been made continuously in Central Valley, the epicentre of the industry, since 1554. But internationally, Chile has only come to the fore in the last 30 years, meaning it's a country still learning a lot about its wines and their potential. This episode focuses on the history and geography of history and the main grape varieties planted.

The cocktail is one of the great US inventions, bringing together several ingredients to fashion a drink even greater than the sum of its parts. This episode provides a brief history of the cocktail and recipes for some classic cocktails.

Absinthe is one of the most notorious of all spirits, associated with decadence, degeneration, and scandal. This episode explores the history of absinthe and its alternative pastis, as well as looking at other flavoured drinks such as amari and liqueurs.

Both tequila and mezcal have undergone a well-deserved revival in recent years, as both producers and consumers have recognised that both of these agave-based spirits are much more complex than popular preconceptions suppose. This episode focuses on what makes these spirits so distinctive.

The great drink of the Caribbean, rum is made in a vast range of styles, decisions at fermentation, distillation, maturation, and blending all affecting the final drink. This episode explores the different production methods and styles of rum that make it one on the world's great spirits.

Gin is a juniper-based spirit that excels in many cocktails. The fashion for gin has hit extreme highs as well as troughs - we're now living in a golden age for gin drinking, which is why it's necessary to have a good understanding of its history and production.