
Dom Joly: Politics, pranks and a love for Lebanese wine.
From Vintage Politics by Abbie Bennington
April 2, 2026 · 40 min · Season 1 · Episode 4
About this episode
Dom Joly discusses his love for politics and wine, sharing surreal stories from his experiences.
This week’s guest is better known for his satirical sketches and Trigger Happy TV than his love of politics. That insight would be wrong! Dom Joly is a lover of both wine and politics, which makes him the perfect guest on the show. From his self-confessed love of champagne and Lebanese wines to stories that feel almost too surreal to be true — including accidentally breaking David Mellor’s glasses with a football, chasing Peter Mandelson around and his own time working as a diplomat in Prague — Joly has had a front-row seat to the strange theatre of political life. In this episode, we dive into “Vintage Politics” through his eyes: the larger-than-life personalities, the bizarre moments that history tends to smooth over, and the enduring sense that politics has always been, at least in part, a kind of performance.
People in this episode
Host: Abbie Bennington
Guest: Dom Joly
Topics covered
- politics
- satire
- wine
- diplomacy
- humor
- personal stories
Keywords
- Dom Joly
- politics
- Lebanese wine
- satirical sketches
- Trigger Happy TV
- diplomat
- humor
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Prague
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- Decca Aitkenhead: Sauvignon Blanc, “weird" wines and conversations with The Chancellor of the Exchequer at his Highland croft · April 23, 2026 · 42 min
- Guto Harri: His political broadcasting career, the final days of Boris in Number 10 and a passion for Rhône Reds · April 16, 2026 · 33 min
- Jo Coburn: From Kabul to the Commons—and a Glass of Albariño on the Side · April 9, 2026 · 37 min
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