Emma is joined again by Julia Schifini (now one of our editors!) to discuss the fifth and divisive book in the Harry Potter series, The Order of the Phoenix, as well as the wine region of Argentina! We discuss mental health, corruption, and Emma's tumultuous relationship to Malbec. Plus: the Luna Lovegood and Hermione Granger of the Wine World, goats, espionage, fighting fascism and going to therapy. Content Warning: discussion of trauma, abuse, alzheimer's, and dementia. Julia is a co-host of S...
Jul 19, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 42
Finally, Emma gets to share her passion for pink wine in this more unusual, wine-centric episode. Learn why "White Zinfandel" ruined rosé's reputation, and why people like Emma are spreading the good word for delicious, dry rosé. Find out which rosés to look out for, how it's made, and listen to Winston blind taste (and pair video game/Sci-fi characters with) three rosés. Plus: the Pirate Code of Wine, the Knights Templar & conspiracy theories, history corner with Winston, Klingon wine, Anto...
Jul 05, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 41
Emma and Winston continue their conversation with filmmaker Rafael Hernán Gamboa about Godzilla and the other Kaiju who inhabit his world. We talk about dinosaurs, volcanoes, monster origins, and Japanese geography. Plus: Batman, the Kaiju version of Easy Rider, Rodan not Rodin, the truth about wine sediment, botrytis, Bradley Whitford, and #justiceformothra. Rafael is the host of the YouTube channel The Long Take , make sure to check it out and subscribe! You can also watch his award-winning sh...
Jun 21, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 40
Winston and Emma are joined by filmmaker and writer Rafael Hernán Gamboa to discuss the King of the Monsters, Godzilla. We talk about Godzilla's evolution from monster to protector, and how the differences in his role represents the cultural divide between America and Japan. Plus: radical empathy, embodying social trauma, more sake, the king of wines, sound effects, and complex sentiments about a guy in a rubber suit. Rafael is the host of the YouTube channel The Long Take , make sure to check i...
Jun 07, 2019•52 min•Ep. 39
Amanda McLoughlin (Multitude, Spirits) returns to Pairing to talk about another great fantasy novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We talk about how pivotal this book was not only for the series but for the fandom, and Amanda educates Emma on a different kind of "pairing." Plus: Luna Lovegood and Newt Scamander, Pinot Gri-Gri, media criticism, if Ginny were a Slytherin, and sexy Australian fanfics. Amanda is the co-host of Spirits and Join The Party , and the founder of Multitude Producti...
May 24, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 38
Lauren Shippen (The Bright Sessions, The AM Archives) returns to Pairing in the wake of Avengers: Endgame to talk about all our feelings. Winston joins for this one as we share all our thoughts on Captain America, Tony Stark, Thor, Black Widow, and the rest. We talk about how we felt about the film, why Lauren should write for Marvel, and what we're looking forward to in the future of the MCU. Plus: time paradox theories and wine paired with emotions. SPOILER WARNING for Avengers: Endgame DO NOT...
May 10, 2019•54 min•Ep. 37
Endgame is upon us, and so Emma is joined by Mischa Stanton, Audio Sorcerer, to talk about the heart of the MCU itself thus far, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Listen to hear how we think the Iron Man films stack up against the other Marvel films, and where we think Iron Man will go from here. Plus, wealth and its affect on accessibility, wines that overcompensate, and Mischa's Marvel OTP. Mischa works on so many wonderful podcasts including LeVar Burton Reads , The Bright Sessions , The AM Archives ...
Apr 25, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 36
Winston returns as we prepare ourselves for the upcoming Endgame by talking about the pluckiest movies in the MCU, The Guardians of the Galaxy. Listen to hear why we love both Guardians movies and what wine each Guardian would drink. Plus: which actor we'd like to join our DnD campaign, why the soundtrack is so great, the upcoming Dune movie, the perennial Hemingway-Faulkner debate, the inimitable Vin Diesel, and true hero Selma Blair. Thank you so much to our first-ever sponsor, ZipRecruiter! Z...
Apr 12, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 35
Welcome to the most on-brand episode of Pairing yet, Cats and Wine! Emma is joined by film buff John-Paul Cirelli to discuss some of the most prominent and adorable examples of cats in movies, and the surprising prevalence of cats in wine culture. We talk about everything from Looney Tunes to Hocus Pocus to Harry Potter to Alien, and also why German winemakers are obsessed with black cats. Plus: wine puns, our un-ironic love for Keanu Reeves, Antonio Banderas in the role that he was born to play...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 34
Emma is joined by the brilliant trio behind Wolf 359 and No Bad Ideas, Sarah Shachat, Gabriel Urbina, and Zach Valenti, to talk about the third book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and the wine region of South Africa. They all agree that this is one of the best books in the series, but have differing opinions on the movie. There are hot takes on the films, debates about Butterbeer, and wine with wolves on the label. Plus: tackling injustice, hippogriff tatto...
Mar 15, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 33
We're keeping it fresh at Pairing with a brand new topic: games! Emma is joined by Eric Silver (Join the Party, HORSE) to talk about the original Role Playing Game, Dungeons and Dragons. Whether or not you play D&D, if you like storytelling, you'll love this episode! They talk about similarities between Nerd culture and Wine culture, gatekeeping v. inclusivity, and the importance of names. Plus: hot takes on Bards, The Kingkiller Chronicles , Dragon Wines, "sommelier-ing", horror twins, Dadd...
Mar 01, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 32
It's our One Year Anniversary, and we're celebrating by talking about something we haven't yet on the podcast: Rock'n'Roll! Winston and Emma talk about the two most important bands of the British Invasion, their different influences and legacies, and what wine each is more like. Listen to hear lots of bad British accents, a horrible wine pun, and some sappy retrospectives on our first year in business. Plus: John Mulaney, a real-life Vampire, Biodynamics revisited, Paleolithic Rock, the best thi...
Feb 15, 2019•59 min•Ep. 31
Emma is joined by podcasting extraordinaire Amanda McLoughlin (Multitude Productions, Spirits, Join the Party) to discuss one of the most underrated fantasy trilogies ever, The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix. They discuss the three books ( Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen ) and their different experiences reading them: Amanda as a child, and Emma listening to Tim Curry narrate them while on her recent honeymoon. Both agree that they are tremendous novels- listen to find out why, and to find out about one...
Feb 01, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 30
Emma & Winston wrap up their discussion of Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling by the fire, and things get heated as Emma discovers one of Winston's own darkest secrets. Things on Pairing may never be the same again. Listen to find out what caused all the drama, and also who our favorite Dumbledore is. Plus: Wizard People: Dear Reader, Harry's a baus, Emma struggles with her own timeline, remembering good times with our moms, Shakespeare Camp, the Voldemort of the Wine ...
Jan 18, 2019•47 min•Ep. 29
We're back with the third episode in our Harry Potter and New World Wines Series! In this episode, Emma and Winston discuss the second book in J.K. Rowling's seminal children's series: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Because it's a children's book, they discuss many children's book themes, like racism, classism, and slavery. Listen to hear why we think this book is the most underrated in the series, what is problematic about it, and why Emma pairs the wine region of New Zealand with it....
Jan 04, 2019•58 min•Ep. 28
Emma is headed back into the ring accompanied by Julia Schifini (Spirits, Tides), to find out the conclusion of the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble with the WWE! Find out who wins, and who she chooses to face at WrestleMania. Also listen to hear more of Julia's insights into the world of wrestling, and which women wrestlers have their own wine label. Plus: the Stratus-phere, vaguely dominatrix-y, the cats of wrestling, whiskey, hating Ronda Rousey, the Revolution and the Evolution, the anti-diva...
Dec 28, 2018•55 min•Ep. 27
Get ready to rumble! Pairing is breaking new ground as Julia Schifini (Spirits, Tides) returns talk about the WWE and professional wrestling. Specifically, Julia shows Emma the first ever Women's Royal Rumble, and Emma is dumbfounded by its awesomeness. In this first part, we talk about all 30 participants, the beefs, the friendships, the outfits and the hair. Listen to learn what the kayfabe is, who's a heel and who's a face, and what beer you should drink while watching wrestling. Plus:modern ...
Dec 21, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 26
In this episode, Emma & Winston tackle new subjects and a new part of the world: Hayao Miyazaki, sake, and Japan! Listen to find out what Junmai, Ginjo, and Daiginjo mean on a sake label, as well as which Miyazaki films are our favorites of Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, and Spirited Away. We talk about the magic of these films and the dangers of the deliciousness of sake. Plus: how to pronounce Ghibli (we don't know), alcoholic Fresca, Mr. Hatgood, good mold, nigori, nama, genshu,...
Dec 07, 2018•48 min•Ep. 25
Emma is joined again by her long-time best friend, other Emma, who is definitely a real person, to discuss the first of the most seminal books of their childhood, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (or Philosopher's) Stone. This is the second episode in our HP & New World Wine Series, in which Emma S-Z pairs the Harry Potter novels with different major New World Wine regions. Listen to the episode to find out what we think about Quidditch, which trio of grapes Harry, Ron, & Hermione would b...
Nov 23, 2018•58 min•Ep. 24
Emma is joined by her long-time best friend, other Emma, who is definitely a real person, to discuss the first of the most seminal books of their childhood, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (or Philosopher's) Stone. This is the first episode in our HP & New World Wine Series, in which Emma S-Z pairs the Harry Potter novels with different major New World Wine regions. The Emmas talk about what it was like discovering the magic of these books as kids, and how dark they really are. Listen to the...
Nov 09, 2018•59 min•Ep. 23
Winston and Emma relay tales of their gastronomical, cultural, and artistic adventures while on the Italian leg of their Honeymoon. We relive our favorite experiences in Cinque Terre, Florence, and Rome this month, including seeing the David, the Coliseum, and eating lots of pasta. Listen to hear us misremember Italian Renaissance history, where the best sandwiches are in Florence, and be basic Americans and talk about Under the Tuscan Sun and Gladiator. Plus: the "Alias Grape", pesto, Fellini, ...
Oct 26, 2018•51 min•Ep. 22
Winston and Emma relay tales of their gastronomical, cultural, and artistic adventures while on the Spanish leg of their Honeymoon. Recorded in Barcelona on Emma's iPhone, they remember their favorite experiences in San Sebastián, Granada, and Madrid. Listen to hear about the best pintxo bars in San Sebastián, the astonishing Alhambra in Granada, and the miracle of tapas. Plus: the Grandad Cocktail, Txakoli, raptors, gatitas, Minotaurs (who are always librarians, as everyone knows), Goya, Flamen...
Oct 26, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 21
In honor of the release of our 20th episode, Emma and Winston got married last weekend! So, we decided to talk about the film that first made us realize we were in love, the cult classic The Princess Bride , directed by Rob Reiner and based on the book by William Goldman. This episode is mostly a glimpse into what our daily life is like, i.e. us quoting the film and giggling at each other. Listen to find out what wine Vizzini, Fezzik, Inigo, and the rest would drink, and how much of the film was...
Sep 28, 2018•57 min•Ep. 20
Emma is joined by mythology and podcasting guru Julia Schifini to discuss everyone's favorite goofy hunky Norse god, Thor! The general consensus is that whatever Thor would drink, he'd drink a lot of it (so we did). Julia is not only a mythology expert but also knows a ton about the Marvel comics, and enlightens Emma on how much better Natalie Portman's character was originally. Listen to hear us discuss gender politics, why mead fell out of fashion, and cheese! Plus: gender-queer Loki, Joss Whe...
Sep 14, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 19
Emma and Winston are joined by Mike Schubert of Potterless to discuss our favorite friendly neighborhood superhero: Spider-Man! This is the second episode in our Marvel series, and we touch on a lot of topics that we covered in the Captain America episode, and so much more! Mike, Winston, and Emma enjoy dwelling in some nostalgia while they talk about Spider-Man through the ages. Listen to hear who our favorite cinematic Spider-Man is, why Spidey villains are the best, and which New York wines t...
Aug 28, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 18
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:...
Aug 14, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 17
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...
Jul 31, 2018•56 min•Ep. 16
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...
Jul 17, 2018•59 min•Ep. 15
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 Couga...
Jul 03, 2018•54 min•Ep. 14
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 wa...
Jun 19, 2018•43 min•Ep. 13
