Welcome to the first in a series of Marvel-themed episodes! We're kicking it off with a discussion of none other than the First Avenger, Captain America (aka Steve Rogers) with the amazing podcasting guru Lauren Shippen (The Bright Sessions). Lauren and Emma talk about how Cap is actually a character with a lot of darkness and needs to practice more self-care while he saves the world. Listen to find out how rosé is made, why we love Chris Evans, and who is, objectively, the best Avenger. Plus: the Great Phylloxera, villains, pettiness, ice wine/eiswein, $20,000 wine vs. frosé, Cap's deathwish, maceration & phenols, PSAs, and our new official slogan: Like what you like, and have a good time. Also featuring: Loki the Cat!
Episode 16: His Dark Materials (with Gabriel Urbina)
Emma is joined by friend & collaborator Gabriel Urbina, the inestimable creator and head writer for Wolf 359, to discuss His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Gabriel explains why these are his favorite books of all time, and Emma gets excited to re-read them, as they discuss this "Hippie Acid Trip of a Book." Listen to hear Emma and Gabriel bond over being pretentious teenagers, winemaking as an art form, and not liking what your idols like. Plus: backflips, orange wine, Sancho Panza, cats!, daemons (and demons), Harry Potter and the Patronus Quiz, Pixar, "Schrodinger-esque", cookie-dough, and the silliness police.
Episode 15: Australian Wine on the Fury Road
At last! An episode focused on a wine region in the Southern Hemisphere! As Australia is one of the great wine regions in the world, we thought we'd talk about one of the greatest films of the 21st Century, George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road. Winston and Emma talk about how much they love this movie, while they butcher Australian geography and accents (sorry Aussies!). Listen to hear about our favorite action hero, Charlize Theron, the difference between Australian wine regions, some amazing fun facts about Mad Max, and what our top five Action Movies are. Plus: feminism, throwbacks to Lord of the Rings, helicopters, religion & the patriarchy, masterful storytelling, musical interludes, Shiraz v. Riesling, Moby Dick, naughty wine names, and Tom Hardy impressions.
In case our "terrific" explanation of Australian wine regions isn't clear, check out this article on Australian Wine, including a map.
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Episode 14: Gas Station Wines (With Michelle Agresti)
This Episode we take a departure and just have some fun, because that is ultimately what wine and art is supposed to be! Emma is joined by Michelle Agresti to talk about Guilty Pleasures, aka "Gas Station Wines for Gas Station Media." Listen to the episode to hear us talk about Britney Spears, the repertoire of Will Ferrell, Manischewitz, Excalibur, musicals, and Dolly Parton. Also: petting zoos, Moscato revelations, Enya renditions, Amaretto Sours, "Adult Sunny-D", high-brow goldfish, and Cougar Juice. This Episode also features Scotty Shoemaker. Special thanks to Scotty Shoemaker for his help with audio recording during this episode!
Episode 13: Dune
Emma and Winston discuss the novel Dune by Frank Herbert, a seminal novel in the Science-fiction genre, and how it represents a Holy War on a cosmic scale. We talk about religion, mythology, the function of Sci-fi and fantasy in society, the hajj and the influence of Islam, Cistercian Monks & Chablis, and Winston recites beautiful poetry. Plus: desert (not dessert) wines, the American Southwest, the prayer of the Human Computer, diurnal shifts, the Crusades, cockamamie, and Sting.
Content warning: discussion of sexual assault and predatory behavior in the novel Dune by Frank Herbert. If you are looking for help or support please visit rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-3673). If these subjects bother you, we recommend skipping minutes 33-38.
Episode 12: The Return of the King
Welcome to the last installment of our Middle-earth and Old World Wine Series! Almost as epic as The Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien) itself, this episode is a raucous good time (and Emma gets audibly tipsy). Listen to find out which wines to pair with a king, with the dead, and with the pure of heart. Plus: Greek mythology, the veil between life and death, Scotch, the literal Deus Ex Machina, Cougar Juice, seafaring grapes, and DOOM!!!!
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