As a former supermarket wine buyer, Helen McGinn found herself at home with three children under the age of 5. Despite being Knackered, she started writing a wine blog. Initially the blog was aimed at friends and family, but Helen’s brilliant sense of humour and unique ability to make the mystifying seem simple meant that the blog’s popularity grew and grew. It amassed a following of equally knackered mothers, but also enthusiasts from all walks of life who wanted to learn a bit more about the world of wine. Off the back of the blog’s huge success Helen published an award-winning book ‘The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club,’ which she has just revised. We are so thrilled to be able to sneak ten minutes out of Helen’s busy day to ask her some questions.

You’ve just published a revised edition of your award-winning book ‘The Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide’. What new nuggets of information will readers be excited to discover?

When I first wrote the book eight years ago I tried to future-proof it as much as possible but obviously things are changing all the time in the wine world. So this time round there’s more about orange, vegan and natural wines. English wine only got a paragraph and I’m not sure I even mentioned crémant first time round so there’s plenty more on those wines too.

Are there are any up and coming wine regions that you are excited about?

I’m loving what’s happening in Australia, particularly South Australia, with a new generation of producers getting stuck in with different grape varieties. Adelaide Hills is a current favourite, along with the Yarra Valley in Victoria. Spain continues to be a source of delight with regions like Valencia making simple wines that are a real pleasure to drink. And hardly an up and coming region but Piedmont is on a roll.   

What would be your one ‘desert island’ wine and why?

1988 Krug, for sentimental reasons (quite the best reason to have a favourite wine, surely). That’s the year I started going out with my now husband. We were given a bottle when we got married and I kept it until we had our first baby. It was the first thing I drank when we got home. Proper pain relief.

You are now a regular on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, what would be your ‘Food Heaven’ and your ‘Food Hell’?

Heaven would be roast chicken and mashed potato, the ultimate comfort food. And hell would be oysters. Just, no.

What’s the coolest thing about being the infamous wine blogger ‘The Knackered Mother’?

Getting feedback from readers is a real joy. Some have gone on to form their own wine clubs with fellow knackered mothers and they get together to drink wine and laugh/cut loose on a regular basis. That makes me very happy. And being on TV I get to drink lovely wines and eat food with incredible chefs and the odd celebrity so that’s pretty cool.

 

The Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide is out now (£8.99, Bluebird).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Knackered-Mothers-Wine-Club-Fact-filled-ebook/dp/B00AKFG16C

Check Out Helen's Blog: https://www.knackeredmotherswineclub.com/

Or follow Helen on Instagram: @knackeredmother

Photo credit: Helen McGinn