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!!!! Find Us Online: If you enjoy Pairing, follow us on soci...
Jun 05, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 12
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 ...
May 22, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 11
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, astrolog...
May 08, 2018•48 min•Ep. 10
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: Chri...
Apr 24, 2018•33 min•Ep. 9
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 o...
Apr 12, 2018•36 min•Ep. 8
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...
Mar 29, 2018•55 min•Ep. 7
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 &...
Mar 22, 2018•58 min•Ep. 6
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 Emm...
Mar 15, 2018•38 min•Ep. 5
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 ...
Mar 01, 2018•50 min•Ep. 4
In this episode, Emma and Winston pay homage to the recently deceased Ursula K. Le Guin, one of the greatest Sci-fi and Fantasy authors of the past century. We also talk about the wines of Angela Osborne, a winemaker working with primarily the Grenache grape in Santa Barbara, California. This episode is a break from the "hardcore wine education," as we mostly discuss Le Guin's writing, legacy, and philosophy. We touch upon her relationship with "truth" as an artist, her interest in the balance o...
Feb 16, 2018•47 min•Ep. 3
