The Wine Situation

It really is a new time but Ellen is here to entertain you. Alone. Until she drunk dials someone. But she has decided it is literally her season and...she has a ton of fun planned. The beverage accompanying this episode is 2016 J Vineyards Canfield Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and YAS please join in. The segments this week include the the new WhoWhatWhenWhereWhyWine game—listen for clu...

This week Ellen is joined by Punam Patel, an Emmy nominated actor for her work in “Special”! First, Ellen and David give their hip sip tip: Ellen has been enjoying Tasmanian Pinot Noir and David is loving Malbec from Mendoza. Next everyone gets into this week’s wine: Barbolini “Lancellotto” Lambrusco di Grasparossa di Castelvetro! It’s a dry bubbly red from Italy and everyone agrees, a total winne...

This week Ellen sits down with pastry guru Ronnie Pessin, who has presided over Republique and currently manages a restaurant by Dominique Ansel, aka the man who invented the Cronut! She brought back up (sensible seeing as she and Ellen met in an uber) in the form of Candace Rubens, who weighs in with her own hospitality expertise. First, David and Ellen make their 2020 wine resolutions. Ellen is...

The episode kicks off with hip sip tips! Ellen has been getting into aged sparkling wine—a 2004 bottle of Roederer Estates l’Ermitage recently took her fancy! David, meanwhile has come to embrace the greatness of pineapple, particularly in the kombucha he makes. The guest is Dana Farner, who works for Massanois, an importer/distributor and carries an advanced sommelier pin! She brought two sparkli...

Ellen goes it solo today—but with David Zwick’s help! She reviews what people buy when they want to splurge. Burgundy and Champagne are big!  Next they welcome casting director and acting coach extraordinaire Caroline Liem! She’s a vegan so they are drinking a bottle of Gothic Winery’s “Maelstrom” Pinot Noir. They cheers to Caroline’s new acting studio The Village! They talk about being vegan vers...

Episode 3.3 starts with a hip hip hurray because it’s hip sip tip from the team. It took him some time but Shaughn is coming around to carbonic maceration reds! Ellen, meanwhile is enjoying Palo Cortado sherry. Then, they welcome Adam Roberts, author of the Amateur Gourmet blog and host of the Lunch Therapy to the podcast! Shaughn and Ellen both agree the Amateur Gourmet Instagram is a favorite. ...

Episode two of season 3 kicks off with a high five and a hearty welcome to J Ryan Stradal, author of "Kitchens of the Great Midwest" and "The Lager Queen Of Minnesota". Shaughn and Ellen have an assignment for you: What's your splurge wine? We are up for the Barolo and Burgundy but we wanna hear more or...which producers? And the timer is on for producer David Zwick to chime in as much as possible...

Welcome to season three! Shaughn and Ellen decide that if their spin-off podcast (#sola) was on season three they should be too! They kick off the pod with a Grape of Thrones, which they need a new name for. Grape of the Week? This week it’s Semillon! Their guest this week is Prairie Rosé, author/host of the Bit by a Fox blog and podcast! They crack open a Mondeuse by Domaine d’Idylle, a chillable...

A slightly loopy Ellen and Shaughn kick the episode off with the replies they got from their “what’s your pool party wine?” question. They got some good responses! They then welcome Jim Clarke, representative of Wines of South Africa and wine writer at large to the show. He pours them a bottle of Treinspoor from Swartland made of a grape traditionally used in Port: Tinta Barroca!  They then get in...

For the 69th episode of the show, Shaughn and Ellen welcome their boyfriends: Preston A. Wilson and Brennen Hernandez! But first the hip sip tip! Ellen is recommending mixing up a Vieux Carré. Shaughn has been drinking Hendricks gin—his martini has just a whisper of vermouth. They crack open a bottle of Sancerre rosé and introduce the world to their significant others. Brennen is a writer who is a...

This week Shaughn and Ellen are joined by Coly Den Haan, owner of wine shop Vinovore, where all the wines are made by women! But first they reveal the Grape of Thrones. This week it’s Vermentino, aka Favorita, aka Pigato, aka Rolle...it’s delicious! Coly Den Haan brought them a gem from her shop, a Petillant Naturel made by Margins Wine. It takes a little while to open without spilling but in the...

It’s a very special family catch-up episode! Shaughn, Ellen and David are catching up on their busy busy year while taking down a bottle of Furmint...then later a surprise guest shows up and they crack open a second bottle. But first! They have new wine homework: what’s your pool party wine of choice? Shaughn wants a chilled Gamay or rosé while Ellen is contemplating cans. David has a sangria-moji...

She’s back! Cristie Norman, sommelier at Spago and creator of the Online Wine Course is back to wine without whining! Also returning is Grape of Thrones and Grapes of Thrones. This week is a Nebbiolo! Learn all about this fickle Italian variety. Cristie jumps in the conversation to talk about running a blind tasting group and her marvelous team at Spago. And then they discuss Wolfgang Puck’s very...

This week the pod comes to you from the French onion soup scented air of Oriel, their guest Alain Jeu’s restaurant in Chinatown. Before jumping into the interview Shaughn and Ellen read the results of their first boozey homework assignment. Find out what bizarre drinks the other listeners are drinking!  Alain’s wine situation starts very differently, and much later than many. He rebelled by not dr...

There's booze homework this week! Shaughn and Ellen want to know what the weirdest/most obscure thing you've ever had to drink. Tag us on instagram @thewinesituation or email what it was to winesituation@gmail.com! This week Candy Washington (Sugar Pills) joins Shaughn and Ellen to share some spirit fingers, day-drink a nice Schiava, talk about seizing the day and kicking ass!  Candy recalls her f...

This week Shaughn and Ellen welcome Andrew Ti of the "Yo, Is This Racist?" podcast! First they tackle the Grape of Thrones: Gruner Veltliner. Learn all about this Austrian grape. Andrew recalls that his first wine was probably a wine his friends stole from their parents—and was probably pretty good! He didn’t drink so much in high school though. These days he likes a beer, or a light white or rosé...

It’s the first podcast of the year and Shaughn and Ellen are starting with some wine resolutions! Shaughn resolves to drink more mead and Ellen is going to drink more Chenin Blanc.  They record the episode from the LA Wine Bar, owned by their guest David DeLuca. David also tastes them on the wines he makes. He aims to show people all the different terroir of California wine. He talks about how wor...

It's the last and best episode of the year! Shaughn and Ellen kick it off with their latest hip sip tips. Shaughn has been enjoying TJ’s Newton’s Aged cider, and Ellen is shaking up New York Sour cocktails. They then welcome Richard Hill Parks III (host of Richard's Famous Food Podcast, co-author of Guerrilla Tacos) to the show. Ellen first met Richard at the RAW Fair, so they drink a wine that wa...

This week Shaughn and Ellen welcome Darrin Low, the winemaker behind Domaine Anderson to learn his situation with wine and taste his wines! Waiting for Darrin to arrive they contemplate sabering Champagne and how they are someday going to lose their saber virginity. Once Darrin arrives they dive into a bevy of beverages beginning with the 2011 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut. Cheers-ing out of the...

Diana Dinerman (comedian, writer) joins Shaughn and Ellen to get into her journey from dance to writer to comedian and all the wine that came along the way. The hip sip tip from Shaughn is bottle-fermented Glera from McLaren Vale! Ellen's is Grappa...or is it? The group cracks open a bottle of Chilean Cinsault called GLUP! An unusual style to see out of the Valle de Itata. Diana got a solid founda...

This week Carl Tart (Brooklyn 99, White Women, UCB Comedy) joins the pod to talk about his journey from Carlo Rossi to holding winedown evenings at Covell. First, Shaughn and Ellen tackle a mailbag question about how to try a lot of wine affordably! Carl was in the mood for rosé so they crack open a Sangiovese rosé from La Spinetta, the perfect thing for 85 degree autumn days, and an example of wh...

This week Shaughn and Ellen are recording at Good Measure, just one of the many restaurants owned by Matthew Kaner! Before getting into this Los Angeles wine icons' situation they discuss the Grape of Thrones: Xinomavro. Its a Greek grape that Ellen needs to try and Shaughn can endorse.  They then dig into how Matthew's love of wine led to Covell, Augustine, Good Measure, his own wine line (AM/FM)...

We got online to talk to fellow podcaster Stu the Wine Guru! Before dialing him up we go through the week's hip sip tip: Ellen is loving a Highlands Scotch: Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or and Shaughn is getting into Cremant de Jura! Listen into our episode with Karl Hess if you want to hear us tasting one in action. Once we connect we get into Stu's life in wine and we answer some Instagram questions fr...

Ellen and Shaughn are broadcasting from the quarters of David Zwick and Winston Carter aka the guys behind the Try It You'll Like It podcast! Before welcoming their guests they tackle a mailbag question about orange wine aka skin contact wine. They explain it and unpack the name. Ellen suggests it rebrand as touché blanc. Shaughn's vote is to call it rust.  They then crack open an unusual wine fro...

Scheherezade Daftery, writer/owner of The Delightful Table blog and cooking school joins Shaughn and Ellen to get into her food and wine situation! But first, the Grape of Thrones is Riesling. Don't turn it down because you "don't like sweet wine". Because a) there are a lot of good sweet wines and b) Riesling is not always sweet! Shaughn and Ellen brought Scheherezade the 2015 Alvaro Palacios Pri...