Episode 11: Dracula

Emma and Winston discuss one of their favorite novels, Dracula by Bram Stoker. We talk about what is sexy, what is subversive, and what is problematic in the book, and how its influence has subsisted through time, almost like Dracula himself! Also, we're drinking a wine from a winery that basically heralds the mission statement of this podcast, Villa Spinosa, a producer of Valpolicella in Italy. Listen to the episode to find out why Emma is a Vampire person, what "appassimento" means, and why corvina is a great grape for Dracula. Also: most books have page numbers, the Land of the Black Earth, androgyny, and love letters to Gary Oldman & Keanu Reeves.

Content warning: discussion of sexual assault and inclusion of potentially triggering language. If you are looking for help or support please visit rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-3673).

Episode 10: Battlestar Galactica (with Sarah Shachat)

Emma is joined by the highly astute and talented writer Sarah Shachat (Wolf 359) to discuss one of their favorite shows, Battlestar Galactica. Sarah shares her insight on what it's like to write for a serialized Sci-fi show, and we talk about artistic integrity v. commercial accessibility, as it relates to both writing and wine. Listen to hear about religious tensions, diurnal shifts, and genetically modified grapes (and cylons). Plus: The Princess Bride Rules, music as main character, astrology, and laugh track/commentary by Zach Libresco. Follow Sarah on Twitter @sarahshachat

Episode 9: The Two Towers, Part Two

This episode is one of our favorites so far, in which Emma and Winston primarily discuss the wine regions of Spain and Germany! This is the second part of our discussion of The Two Towers, which is the fifth installment of our Middle-earth and Old World Wine Series, wherein we pair every place in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien with different wine regions in Europe. Listen to the episode to learn about Ribera del Duero, the Spanish Civil War, and Julius Caesar. Plus: Christopher Lee's Chocolatey Voice, "dramatic-ness", Federico García Lorca, Angela Merkel: leader of the free world, pancakes, and the Daddy Issues grape.

Episode 8: The Two Towers, Part 1

We made it to The Two Towers! This is the fourth episode in our Middle-earth and Old World Wines Series, in which Emma pairs every place in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings with a different wine region in Europe. In this episode, Emma and Winston talk mostly about Austrian and German wine, including the weird, animal-themed classification of Austrian wine. Learn how to say "falconry" and "emerald lizard" in German, what a fiasco means in the wine world, where Ents came from, and what one of the oldest wines in the world is. Plus: Vikings, Éowyn's badassery, Karl Urban's amazing career, the most fun grape to say, and Tolkien's environmentalism.

Episode 7: Macbeth (with Zach Libresco)

This week Emma is joined by special guest Zach Libresco to discuss William Shakespeare's spookiest play, Macbeth. Zach and Emma reminisce about their time together performing Shakespeare in college and discuss Zach's most recent experience with the Scottish Play with the Humanist Project. There is much laughter, critical thought, and possibly a visit from the Weird Sisters during a discussion of moral ambiguity and deception, both in Shakespeare and in wine. Find out what oak-aging does to wine, the difference between reading a play and hearing a play, and the Corsican name for Sangiovese. Plus: Hamilton, travel plans, Patrick Stewart, and the land of a thousand grapes. Stay tuned after the episode for a *Easter Egg*. 

Episode 6: Women in Wine

Happy (Belated) International Women's Day! In honor of Women's History Month, Emma & Winston talk about some amazing, badass women in the world of wine, art, history, and pop culture. Learn about some of the rockstar women in the wine world including winemakers, winery owners/directors, and scholars, through a discussion of the representation of women in fine art, the Bible, Sci-Fi, and modern entertainment. Plus, the reasoning behind swishy, sniffy, sippy, Nestor & Bambi, how Emma & Winston met, intersectionality, and Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul. Content warning: discussion of sexual assault. If you are looking for help or support please visit rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673).

Episode 5: The Fellowship of the Ring Part II (Middle-earth and Old World Wines, Part Three)

The journey continues through Middle-earth and European Wine Regions for Emma & Winston! This is the third episode in the Middle-earth and Old World Wines series, wherein Emma pairs each place in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien with a different wine region in Europe. In this episode, we talk about the second half The Fellowship of the Ring. Find out why Riesling and Chenin Blanc are Emma's two favorite white grapes (probably), why Port is really confusing, and what Emma's "cosplay" was to Dragon Con last year. Plus: a patented Winston tangent, romances & bromances, Errol Flynn, and the world's best die-er. 

Episode 4: The Fellowship of the Ring Part I (Middle-earth and Old World Wines, Part Two)

This is the second episode in the Middle-earth and Old World Wines series, wherein Emma pairs each place in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien with a different wine region in Europe. In this episode, we talk about the first half The Fellowship of the Ring. Find out why this is Emma's favorite book of the bunch, what "noble rot" and "carbonic maceration" are, and what Winston Churchill's favorite Champagne was. Plus: Emma's Patronus, the Santa Claus Deus Ex Machina, Champagne versus Sparkling Wine, and the Nexus of Nerd-dom.