HEATED Wine Pairing RIVALRY: Episodes 1-3
Two wine writers square off with pairings for HEATED RIVALRY and YOU get to vote on which of us wins the Wine Pairing Cup!
Vintertainment didn’t invent Wine and Movie pairing, but we’ve definitely been the most dedicated to the concept, creating a whole podcast and Substack to the concept! So naturally, I’m going to lose BAD going head-to-head with another wine writer even though I have home court advantage. That’s just how the universe works. I’m going to cry “beginner’s luck!” when she wins, but I’ll give it my best shot regardless.
This is a 2-Part collab with Tatum West - we both love Heated Rivalry, which is at times melodramatic and soap opera trashy and yet uncommonly well done. It’s a show we love UN-ironically - it’s actually good! If you haven’t taken the plunge yet, and you like sincere romantic drama, this show is a must.
And then you can come back here and vote on this Heated wine pairing Rivalry between myself and Tatum! Below, we respectively select our best pairing for each episode, give our best argument for each choice, and then YOU, dear reader, get to vote which one you like best, for whatever your reasons. Think of Tatum as Shane (talented but tentative, new to this world) and Vintertainment as Ilya (overly aggressive and constantly fronting, though in truth equally as rookie.)
This post covers Episodes 1-3, and Tatum will be posting Episodes 4-6 on her own Subtack. Let’s see who wins this First Round!
Episode 1: Rookies
Vintertainment Pick: The Vice “Pickleball” Orange of Viognier 2024
Pickle Ball isn’t hockey, but hey, it’s still a sport! And Viognier is a grape that grows well in Canada while displaying tropical fruity sweetness, yet the use of the grape skins in this Orange version offers a balancing bitterness and mouthfeel. Much like the relationship between Shane and Ilya is a mix of astringency and sweetness (at least in this early episode.) And Orange Wine is a style that came back into fashion after the tradition came out from behind the Iron Curtain, just as both men are coming out from behind their own Iron Curtains! (And Ilya literally!)
Tell-tale Viognier flavors of pineapple and honey, supported by tart apricot and tangerine, yellow flower florals, and a creamy mouthfeel.
Sidebar Pick: Lightwell Survey Los Idiots 2023
A coferment of Riesling & Blaufränkisch, two grapes representative of Ilya and Shane. Riesling like Ilya is often divisive, beloved on its home turf but otherwise misunderstood or labeled aggressive. A star player regardless. Blaufränkisch, similar to Shane, is versatile and crowd pleasing while quietly and steadily working towards recognition. Together, it’s magic. Floral, herbal, and best served chilled, this wine is easy drinking and perfect for settling into a new show.
Episode 2: Olympians
Vintertainment Pick: Primitive Wines “Smoke Signals” Malbec 2021 Paso Robles
The relationship (and the sex) heats up in this episode, possibly the most unapologetically erotic of the Season. The relationship between Shane and Ilya gets spicier. So the wine should heat up with a touch of spice, too. There are few hotter wine counties than Paso Robles. And few spicier reds than Malbec. Primitive Wines makes a beautifully balanced 100% Malbec, “hot” without being too hot, bold flavor and a strong body that lingers after each sip. (I could be describing the men here, no?)
“Smoke Signals” are what these two are desperately throwing into the air, trying to communicate and often failing, instead of direct communication.
Sidebar Pick: Biale Beatty Ranch 2023
Episode 2 is all about restraint (relative to the rest of the series), and so is this Zinfandel. Grown in high elevation during a vintage with moderate temperatures and a prolonged growing season, this Zin trades extra ripe red fruit for a fresher and more elegant style with notes of blackfruit, dried herbs, and white pepper. Shane meets Ilya’s forward advances with a denial-driven practicality. However, holding back allows tension and desire to build while trust and care also develops. Drink with girl dinner and tears in your eyes when “we didn’t even kiss.”
Episode 3: Hunter
Vintertainment Pick: Valdespino Vermouth OR Clementine Carter Carbonic Graciano
We switch gears to a different couple - Hunter and Kip - and a much sweeter, simpler, heart-warming one, minus the fronting and the emotional games of Shane and Ilya.
Tatum is spot on with her Beaujolais pairing below, for the “banana” note that Carbonic maceration lends. But you also want the Blueberry! (This is all in reference to a blueberry smoothie with a bonus banana added that Kip makes Hunter regularly.1) And for blue fruit flavors you need lower acidity, take the high down to medium, to shift from red fruit to blue, and Clementine Carter Graciano delivers this. The color itself shifts from ruby to blue-red with a medium, gentle acidity vs. the sharper brightness of Beaujolais/Gamay.
Alternately, drink something sweet yet unnecessarily complicated (thanks to Hunter being publicly closeted) so a sweet Vermouth, steeped in botanicals and high in ABV, but sooo easy on the palate. This Valdespino is a bottle that’s become a staple in my life, just like Kip and Hunter want each other to be.
Sidebar Pick: Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais 2024
Extra banana? Yes, please. Carbonic maceration, fermenting uncrushed grapes in a tank filled with CO2, yields banana aromas and flavors. It results in a fresher, fruitier style of wine, extracting color, flavor, and aromas from the grapes without the tannins. Kind of like Scott & Kip’s relationship, all the good things except it’s not public...It’s clear what Kip really wants: a bottle of Beaujolais over smoothies. And an honest relationship over a secret one. Bright red cherries and a touch of pepper and spice. Drink slightly chilled admiring art with your secret lover.
Polls close in 14 days! Then look for Part 2, our Episodes 4-6 Rivalries dropping from Tatum within the week!
Noboy tell them that adding a banana invalidates the nutritional content of the blueberries! Bananas contain high levels of Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO), which is the same enzyme that causes them to turn brown when exposed to air. Studies found that PPO in bananas reduces the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients, specifically flavanols found in berries, cocoa, grapes, and other fruits. Kip is literally draining Hunter’s blueberries with his sexy banana!
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So much fun! I wish I could get hold of these wines and weigh in on which was the best pairing.
Keep it up guys!
Love the depth here—pairing wine to narrative arcs instead of just flavour profiles is genius. That orange Viognier call is briliant bc the bitterness from skin contact really does mirror that early-episode tension. I've been experimenting w carbonic maceration wines lately and the banana note is real, but you're right that th blueberry needs that lower acidity shift. Graciano's underrated for that exact reason.