Vintage Politics

About Vintage Politics

Where journalists, politicians and politicos share their stories over great wines. Each week wine educator and former BBC political producer Abbie Bennington sits down with journalists, politicians, and politicos to uncork the wines to match defining moments of their careers. For every story told, Abbie pairs a wine from the same vintage or a style they enjoy. Guests also give us an insight into their lives by revealing their midweek supermarket tipple (strictly for show) and take on the ultimate challenge: guessing the current price of a wine from their birth year.

Publisher

Abbie Bennington

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Mar 2026

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

8 of 17 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Gillian Keegan on Life in Government, Crumbling Concrete and That Hot Mic Moment

   Host Michael Crick interviews Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan about her unconventional political journey, leadership challenges, and a memorable hot mic incident.

2. 

   8 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   George Osborne: Candid conversations on Brexit, AI & the British Museum…

   Host Anthony interviews former Chancellor George Osborne about Brexit, AI, and his role in bringing the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum.

3. 

   1 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Anthony Scaramucci: All the Wrong Moves. Trump, power and what comes next

   Host [Host Name] interviews Anthony Scaramucci about his book, Trumpism's rise, and the future of American politics.

4. 

   24 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Jeremy Bowen: War, Wine and Four Decades on the Front Line

   BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen shares insights on war, truth, and journalism with host Abbie Bennington in this candid interview.

5. 

   10 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Vintage Politics Is Back

   Host Jeremy Bowen interviews Anthony Scaramucci and George Osborne about the return of Vintage Politics and its compelling stories.

6. 

   2 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   New Vintage at No 10: A Vintage Politics Special

   James Lyons, Keir Starmer's former Director of Strategic Communications, discusses Labour's future and political strategy with host [Host Name] in this interview.

7. 

   14 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   From Spin Doctor to Baroness: Ayesha Hazarika on Politics, Comedy & Power

   Host [Host Name] interviews Baroness Ayesha Hazarika, broadcaster and former political adviser, about her journey from Westminster to comedy and finding her voice in power.

8. 

   7 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Empire’s End: Lessons from Hong Kong and a Life in Power with Lord Patten

   Host Chris Smith interviews Lord Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, about the 1997 handover, evolving East-West relations, and lessons learned from a life in power.

9. 

   30 Apr 2026

   John Pienaar: Brexit, Boris and Champagne at Dawn

   Host John Pienaar shares candid insights on Brexit, Boris Johnson, and political journalism during this interview on Vintage Politics.

10. 

    23 Apr 2026

    Decca Aitkenhead: Sauvignon Blanc, “weird" wines and conversations with The Chancellor of the Exchequer at his Highland croft

    Host Decca Aitkenhead, Chief Interviewer of The Sunday Times, shares wine insights and candid political interview stories with the host.

11. 

    16 Apr 2026

    Guto Harri: His political broadcasting career, the final days of Boris in Number 10 and a passion for Rhône Reds

    Host Guto Harri, former Downing Street Director of Communications, shares insights into Boris Johnson's final days and his personal connection to wine.

12. 

    9 Apr 2026

    Jo Coburn: From Kabul to the Commons—and a Glass of Albariño on the Side

    Broadcaster Jo Coburn shares insights from her extensive career covering global and domestic politics, revealing a personal appreciation for fine wines.

13. 

    2 Apr 2026

    Dom Joly: Politics, pranks and a love for Lebanese wine.

    Host [Host Name] interviews satirist Dom Joly about his surprising passion for politics and his surreal encounters with public figures, revealing the performative nature of political life.

14. 

    26 Mar 2026

    Jon Sopel: Trump, Tensions and a Taste for Fine Wine

    Broadcaster Jon Sopel shares insights from navigating global politics and his passion for wine, offering a personal lens on a life lived between press briefings and vineyards.

15. 

    26 Mar 2026

    From Downing Street to the White House: Nick Robinson on Power, Presidents & the Today Programme

    Veteran broadcaster Nick Robinson shares insights on power, presidents, and his career covering history in this interview with the host.

16. 

    26 Mar 2026

    Missiles & Merlot: Anna Foster on Conflict, Resilience & Wine

    Broadcaster Anna Foster shares her experiences reporting from Lebanon, discussing conflict, resilience, and finding balance through wine in this interview with the host.

17. 

    3 Mar 2026

    Vintage Politics Teaser

    Abbie Bennington interviews Jon Sopel and other political insiders about career-defining moments paired with vintage wines.

Inside a recent episode

Gillian Keegan on Life in Government, Crumbling Concrete and That Hot Mic Moment

Published 15 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So I thought I had experienced education from the other side. And I maybe could bring the perspective of, you know, we're not all thick, we're not all statistics, we're actually people who can get on. And I could just see in the eyes of most of the people in the Department of Education, they could not quite believe that the Secretary of State had been educated all the way through a secondary school in Noseley. They couldn't believe it because they'd heard about this thing, but they'd heard about it in such poor terms that they couldn't believe there was somebody with a pulse who was actually going to be their Education Secretary. […]

Who has been a guest on Vintage Politics

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Gillian Keegan
• George Osborne
• Anthony Scaramucci
• Jeremy Bowen
• James Lyons

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Contact Vintage Politics

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Vintage Politics