Wine Situation Final Five

The Wine Situation hosts everyone from winemakers to writers to find out what a person’s situation is…with wine. At the end of each episode, host Ellen Clifford wants to know the basics of her guests’ final thoughts on wine, drink and food. This month, Ellen talks with renowned wine writer, author of The Wine Bible, and champion of the Come Over October movement, Karen MacNeil! This was edited for length! QUESTION ONE Ellen: Question number one: whatcha drinking? What are you into these days? Karen: In my office here in the Napa Valley, we do a lot of tasting, and we taste maybe about 3,000 wines a year. So what I’m drinking is lots of everything because I feel like I must stay abreast. I’m very excited, always, by what’s happening in every different part of the world. Every day, my staff puts together a different tasting, and I go over to our tasting room, and I sit down, and I think, “Okay, what is it today?” QUESTION TWO Ellen: Question number two is: do you have a favorite or unusual pairing? Karen: I love to pair any really crisp, minerally white wine, nice and cold and snappy, with a very oozy, creamy cheese. The seesaw of that, something decadent and rich like the cheese, and somewhat fatty, and then the high energy, almost vibrating crispness of the wine, is fascinating to me. QUESTION THREE Ellen: Question number three: if you were to make a wine, what would you make, and what would you call it? Karen: I would make Pinot Noir …because it’s so damn hard to make. I like stuff that’s hard to do. Come Over October didn’t exist before. The Wine Bible didn’t exist before. I developed the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America that didn’t exist before. So, I like taking the blank slate and trying my best to make something. QUESTION FOUR Ellen: If not wine, what beverages do you enjoy? Karen: I am Irish and Scottish. I drink nine cups of tea a day. I feel if words are going to come out, tea has to go in…strong black tea. QUESTION FIVE Ellen: Question number five: what’s bringing you joy these days? Karen: Come Over October is really bringing me joy. I feel as though it’s my gift back to the industry that I love. Wine itself has imbued my life with such richness, focus, and meaning. So wine itself brings me joy, and the ability to share that, via a campaign like Come Over October, is extraordinary to me. I’m very grateful. You can find Karen at Winespeed, www.winespeed.com and Come Over October is at www.comeoveroctober.com Follow on Instagram @karenmacneil.co or @comeoveroctober Check out the previous Wine Situation podcast with Elyse Wilson here .