The Mike Graham Show Podcast

Join Mike Graham for a chaotic, hilarious and surprisingly educational blind wine tasting session on Plonk of the Week! This week Mike is joined by wine expert and connoisseur Chris Walkey — the man behind the Glass of Bubbly Awards — and comedian and TV personality Lewis Schaffer for an hour of sparkling wine, terrible guesses, and completely unhinged conversation.Six sparkling wines. Black socks on the bottles. Can three very different men tell their Champagne from their Cava?The wines tested (revealed at the end!):🥂 Baron Amarillo Cava Brut — £5.75 from Aldi🥂 LaGioia Prosecco — £9.50 from Tesco🥂 Crouch Ridge Estate Blanc de Blancs (English Sparkling) — £42🥂 Legras & Haas Champagne — 100% Chardonnay, ~£45🥂 Hunters Miru Miru — New Zealand Sparkling, £17.99 from Laithwaites🥂 Graham Beck Cuvée Clive — South Africa, £46.99 from Tesco🍾 BONUS: Ratafia de Champagne liqueur — a rare treat from the Champagne regionTopics covered:Is English sparkling wine too expensive?How do professional wine judges score at competitions?The Glass of Bubbly Champagne & Sparkling Wine AwardsWhy the bubbles in your glass tell you more than you thinkFree pour in New York vs 25ml measures in BritainBlind tasting techniques used by expert sommeliersBest value sparkling wine on the market right nowWhat does "legs" mean in wine tasting?Ratafia — the Champagne liqueur almost nobody knows aboutPlus: New York in the 80s, celebrity autographs, Woody Allen, stand-up comedy legends, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, and whether time is actually real.🔔 Subscribe so you never miss Plonk of the Week or the Mike Graham Show👍 Like and share if you enjoyed the tasting — and let us know in the comments how you'd do on the blind taste test!The Mike Graham Show — every Monday from 7am | Plonk of the Week every Saturday#PlonkOfTheWeek #WineTasting #BlindTasting #SparklingWine #Champagne #Prosecco #EnglishWine #CavaWine #SouthAfricanWine #NewZealandWine #MikeGraham #ChrisWalkey #WineReview #BestValueWine #AldiWine #TescoWine #WineLovers #BubblyWine #GlassOfBubbly


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Plank of the Week features Mike Graham alongside Lewis Schaffer, American comedian, and Will Geddes, security expert, breaking down the biggest political and cultural failures. The panel covers activist stunts, rising crime concerns, and international tensions including Iran, with sharp analysis and unfiltered debate. Angela Rayner, Keir Starmer, and ongoing UK policy decisions come under scrutiny as the discussion highlights leadership, accountability, and public impact. A fast-paced segment tackling UK politics, global threats, and everyday issues affecting British life.Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@themikegrahamshow?sub_confirmation=1


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.themikegrahamshow.com/subscribe

Listen, folks – I want to start today by saying something straight from the heart.
Thank you.
To every single one of you who tunes in, who comments, who shares, who sticks with me through thick and thin – thank you. Whether you’ve been with me since the old days on the wireless, or you found me more recently when the mainstream decided to shut the door, your support means everything. You’re not just listeners or readers. You’re the backbone of this thing we’ve built together: The Real Home of Common Sense.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the big broadcasters, the legacy media, the lot of them – they’re not interested in what you think unless it fits their agenda. They want control, they want compliance, and they want you quiet. But you? You’re having none of it. And that’s why this independent platform matters more now than ever.
A quick word on how paid subscriptions work here on Substack, because I know some of you are wondering: when you go paid (it’s £1 per week or £40 if you go annual), you’re not just getting extra bits like the After Show chats, deeper dives, or ad-free listening. You’re directly funding the fight. Your money keeps the lights on, pays for the mics, the tech, the team – and most importantly, it keeps me free to say what needs saying without some suit in a boardroom telling me to tone it down or apologise for having an opinion.
This isn’t corporate radio anymore. No advertisers pulling strings, no Ofcom breathing down our necks to water everything down to beige. It’s you and me – and that’s the way it should be.
Without your support – paid or free – none of this happens. The emails, the messages, the “keep going, Mike” shouts in the comments – they keep me fired up. But the paid subs? They’re what make it sustainable. They’re what let us tell the truth without compromise.
So if you’ve been thinking about hitting that subscribe button, now’s the time. If you’re already paid, you’re a legend – thank you for believing in this enough to put your hand in your pocket.
We’re not going anywhere. The nonsense from Westminster, the woke lunacy, the endless spin – we’ll keep calling it out. Together.
Right, that’s enough soppy stuff. Back to the real work tomorrow.
Stay sharp, stay angry where it counts, and thanks again.
Mike
(The Mike Graham Show – The New Home of Common Sense)


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.themikegrahamshow.com/subscribe

Thank you Gina Sainty, Janet Halliburton, Maria Lewis, Julie, Mark PJ Frend, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.themikegrahamshow.com/subscribe

Thank you SARA L 🇬🇧, Barbs, Janet Halliburton, Philly H, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.themikegrahamshow.com/subscribe