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Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure is a BBC television programme of which two series have been broadcast. It is presented by wine expert Oz Clarke and motoring journalist James May (of Top Gear), with Clarke aiming to educate May (a committed bitter drinker) about wine while undertaking a road trip. The first season focused on France and the second on California. The sequel series Oz and James Drink to Britain, broadcast in 2009, made the change to a focus on the variety of beverages available in the UK.[1]
[edit] ConceptAlthough technical at times, the programme is light in tone, much of its entertainment stem from the dynamic of personality clashes between the wine connoisseur Clarke, and the more pragmatic May whom Clarke at one point describes as "an utter scruff". (This is in contrast to May's position as "the gentleman" of the three presenters on Top Gear). May acts the part of a difficult student and often behaves rude and grumpily, more interested in drinking wine than in talking about it. When he determines that Clarke rambles on pompously, he blows on a whistle, which he calls the "Ozillator" (a pun on oscillator). At the start of the series, May declares he likes to drink wine, but knows little about it. Clarke teaches him the basics about smells and texture and about grape varieties, shows him how wine is made, what wine goes with what food and exposes May to the culture surrounding wine. They visit various types of winemakers, from those who make wine in small sheds to prestigious producers. Clarke frequently quizzes May, and May gives Clarke challenges. Ultimately May does pick up some knowledge. [edit] First seriesThe first series focuses on French wine and was first broadcast in the autumn of 2006. Over several weeks, Clarke and May travel around France's wine regions in an 1989 Jaguar XJ-S convertible that has been modernized by Knowles-Wilkins Engineering.[2] Repeats on commercial digital channels have split the extended-length (54 minute) first episode into two parts (each focusing on one region) for ease of scheduling, making a six-episode series suitable for broadcast in a set half-hour time slot.
[edit] Second seriesClarke and May travel through California sampling local wines and meet winemakers, travelling north from Venice Beach to the Napa Valley. The chosen vehicle of this series is a Monaco motorhome, and in some episodes, a Ford Mustang.
[edit] Third seriesMain article: Oz and James Drink to Britain The following series, retitled Oz and James Drink to Britain, aired on BBC Two on 6 January 2009. This series features the duo driving around the United Kingdom in a 1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche, in an effort to discover the wide variety of drinks on offer to Britons. For this series, the beverages are no longer limited to wine, with the very first drink consumed a pint of Yorkshire bitter. [edit] Tie-in products[edit] DVDs
These titles are all distributed by Acorn Media UK. [edit] Books
[edit] References
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