Wine Situation Final Five (Now With Drunk Dialing!)

The Wine Situation hosts everyone from winemakers to writers to find out what a person’s situation is…with wine. It’s the solo season with host Ellen Clifford, but listen in with a glass, and nobody is drinking alone! In lieu of guests, at the end of every action packed episode Ellen is phoning a friend with her Final Five questions. This week Ellen talks to Casleah Herwaldt, the blogger behind By the Stem, creator of Casleah wine, wine club owner and more! Check out the full episode here : THE FINAL FIVE (Ever so slightly edited for length!): QUESTION ONE Ellen: Whatcha drinking these days? Casleah: I’m always into bubbles, Champagne , obviously and I’m really into Franciacorta , Limoux …also I’m really into Muscadet right now. It’s like the perfect summer wine—a little bit lower in alcohol, nice and refreshing, high acidity. QUESTION TWO Ellen: Awesome. Question number two, do you have either a best pairing or unusual pairing you’ve enjoyed? Any kind of food, any kind of drink. Casleah: It’s a classic. I’m really into Sauternes and bleu cheese. It’s one of the best pairings in the world. I’m obsessed with it. I love how both the wine and the cheese change so much when they come together. QUESTION THREE Ellen: I absolutely concur. Your blog and Instagram handle are “By the Stem”, so I take it you have a thing for stemware. Do you have a favorite glass? Casleah: I do; yes, I do have a thing for stemware. I think it really enhances the experience. For Champagne, I love the Riedel Performance. I like Champagne glasses that have a little more of a bowl to them and a nice thin stem. For my everyday glass, I use my Schott Zweisel from Crate & Barrel. They have the Bordeaux style and then also Riedel has one—I can’t remember the name—but designed for Pinot Noirs from Oregon, and it has a tulip shape. I really love that. QUESTION FOUR Ellen: Next question! If you could go to any place in the world, where would you want to go? Casleah: Of course Champagne! I’ve never been and I really really want to go and go in the caves. And also I really want to go to German wine country, like in the Mosel . But literally anywhere! Bordeaux , Burgundy , Loire , Italy …anywhere at this point. New Zealand too! Mendoza … QUESTION FIVE Ellen: Question number five is just what’s bringing you joy these days? Casleah: I am really loving going to the beach, to spend time with my husband. I love just going out to a restaurant, having a nice dinner with a nice wine with my husband or with friends. I’m so glad restaurants are back open again. Just quality time with people I love. That’s what’s bringing me joy! *** You can follow Casleah @bythestem on Instagram, check out her blog bythestem.co and look for a link to her wine and wine club in her Instagram bio! Check out the previous Wine Situation podcast with Matthew Lindsey here .

Vilmart & Cie

Emotion Brut Champagne Pinot Noir - Chardonnay Rosé Blend 2012

60/40 Pinot/chard blend, saignee style rose. Savory, intense and complex, paired wonderfully with charcuterie — 3 years ago

Adam, Severn and 21 others liked this

Château Coutet

Chartreuse de Coutet Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2011

Consistent with notes from 20mo. prior, still delicious... Apricot++ tonight! So wonderful. Paired to a great NY cheddar, Adam's Reserve Extra Sharp, perfecto! 👍👍
Last bottle.

Nose has over-ripe apricot, almond oil, marzipan, meringue cookie and cold butter.
Palate has warmed apricot pie with extra flakey, buttery crust, sweet sand, white flower honey and mango.
— 3 years ago

Paul, Ericsson and 25 others liked this

Cortefusia

Brut Franciacorta

Prufrock import. Like champagne but not. Chardonnay Pinot noir blend. Champagne method. Bready, citrusy, yeasty, nice fine bubbles. We love it! — 4 years ago

Torey Nelson
with Torey
Severn liked this

Maal Wines

Bestial Vistaflores Malbec 2016

Maal Bestial Malbec 2016: Full-bodied. Medium tannins. Big & bold fruit flavors. Plum, blackberry, black cherry, tobacco & spice, ending with a long smooth finish. A tremendous “beast” of a Malbec and the perfect pairing with Perry’s Famous Pork Chop dish! Cheers🍷 — 3 years ago

Trixie, Mike and 1 other liked this

Domaine de la Combe

Réserve Personnelle Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2019

This is like Muscadet with the volume turned up. Lots of lees action! — 3 years ago

Shawn, Lyle and 4 others liked this

Selbach-Oster

Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese Riesling 2016

Part 3 of Columbia County weekend: the last leg of a great dinner, w ginger ice cream. At 7.5% abv it’s remarkable the archeological dig of flavors— from candied yam to gummy bears. The texture stands out-so caressing, friendly even, like a golden lab. I don’t drink enough Auslese, & at 20$, it’s even possible — 3 years ago

Owen Mazon
with Owen
Ira, Severn and 12 others liked this
Peter van den Besselaar

Peter van den Besselaar Influencer Badge

Very nice choices 👏
Peter Sultan

Peter Sultan Influencer Badge

High praise indeed@Peter van den Besselaar !😌

Mt. Beautiful

North Canterbury Riesling 2017

My first NZ Riesling. Off dry. Heavy petrol aromas with slight notes of lemon, green apple and a hint of cat pee. Pronounced flavors of apple and flint with a bit of lemon on the finish. Very much a Riesling, but also somewhat unique. — 3 years ago

Michiel, Bob and 4 others liked this

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1998

1.5 hour decant (decent chunky/fine/cloudy sediment). An amazing dark purplish ruby red color...still looks young. On the nose: Nice big beautiful aromatics of graphite, currants, forest floor, sweet tobacco, creme brulee, and a little green veggie/barn yard funk. Taste: NICE! A smooth, soft, elegant, vibrant medium plus body wine with cedar, leather, blueberry, earth, smoke, and a crushed gravel-pencil lead_medium plus finish. Could drink this all night, but will probably be gone in the next hour. — 3 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Deborah and 24 others liked this
Sharon B

Sharon B Influencer Badge

@Tom Garland a bottle can go fast when it’s good!
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

@Sharon B Yep, unfortunately so true. Cheers!

Gérard Bertrand

Cuvée Thomas Jefferson Crémant de Limoux Brut Chardonnay Blend 2017

Yellow-y gold. Bright melon and florals. Creamy... you can taste the chardonnay... but light. A nice drinkable affordable french brut. — 4 years ago

Josh, Mike and 1 other liked this