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, as host Ellen Clifford is in quarantine, 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 Kiersten Dolbec: actor, model, and co-founder of the My Workout Party, the online themed workout parties! Check out the full episode here THE FINAL FIVE (Ever so slightly edited for length!): QUESTION ONE Ellen: IS there anything you are drinking these days that you are excited about? Kiersten: I’m into tequila , in general. But also, I mean with wine…I’m so go with the group, go with the flow, but I know when it’s a good wine. So I don’t have a specific one, but I love red wine, and I love tequila. I love a good Don Julio Reposado . QUESTION TWO Ellen: Do you have a favorite snack to eat when you drink wine? Or tequila? Kiersten: It is really strange to say garlic bread? Ellen: I mean, it’s rich, it’s buttery… Kiersten: I never thought about why I like it, but it holds up. Otherwise I’m like food can’t compete with this; versus when you’re high, you want a lot of food. QUESTION THREE Ellen: Now I need carbs. Okay, so your workout thing is My Workout Party, so have you ever imbibed while doing a workout or workout party, or if you did what would you imagine your ideal workout wine would be? Kiersten: Normally tequila. I’ve had shots of Don Julio, or strangely when you’re working out you go back into college mode. Like there’s so much adrenaline flowing that your decision-making processes aren’t as refined. That’s when I’m okay with Patron. QUESTION FOUR Ellen: If you made a wine is there a type you’d make to epitomize you—or a cocktail? Kiersten: I wish there was something between tequila and red wine because I really enjoy both of them. Ellen: I could tell you about some whisky cocktails that include wine, like the New York Sour. It looks really goth. BRIEF INTERLUDE WHEN KIERSTEN’S GRANDMA STOPS IN—tune in to hear what Barbara drinks! QUESTION FIVE Ellen: Final question, what’s bringing you some joy these days? Kiersten: My gosh so many things; I am so blessed but only because I started doing exactly what I want to do, and everything that’s on my social media is something I would welcome more people to offer me instead of things. As a model you put a lot of photos of yourself being pretty with a blank look on your face, like a doe-eyed look. That never attracted me nor is that the look I want because when I show up on that set when they ask me to be doe-eyed I’m like cool, wipe off all my thoughts, that’s how I’m gonna make you guys happy. I don’t want that anymore. So everything I put forward these days is comedy oriented, or it’s goofy, or it’s strange, or it’s bizarre. All I’m doing is inviting that into my life. I dove into that and now I get to have my own show and bring more weirdos and creators into my life to create with. Find Kiersten and her show on Instagram @suddenlypuppies! Check out the previous Wine Situation podcast with Julia Coney here .

Patland Estates

Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

"Odedi"

9.3

It's time to get my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inky in color with a nice reddish/purple rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, cooked cherries, raisins, black currants, vanilla, light cedar, Mediterranean spices, tobacco leaf, earth, sweet tea, light cinnamon, turmeric, coffee, curcumin, graphites and peppercorn.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked strawberries, spices, pencil lead, tobacco, coffee, earth, vanilla, oak, dark chocolates, herbs, light vegetables and black pepper.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a young and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel and nice complexity.

Rich, extracted and elegant. Spicy with a great balance of earthiness and fruit.

This 4 year old Single Vineyard, is drinking very nicely now, and will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. A good quality wine with good potential to get to 95+ points.

Needs 2 hours to open up properly and show the tannins.

This is one you want to have with good friends, and talk about. Really enjoyed the nose, and kept smelling on it for a long time.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

An interesting blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Malbec. Aged in French Oak barrels for 20 month (80% new). A small production of 4,800 bottles this is bottle number 1,354.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$155 — 4 years ago

Ted, Bob and 14 others liked this

Don Julio

1942 Tequila Añejo

Boris Mathiszik

9.3

Delicious! Smooth and very long finish. Notes of vanilla, but still classic Tequila. — 5 years ago

Eric and Severn liked this

Decades 5

Stagecoach Vineyard Petit Verdot 2014

Willie Carter

9.1

When was the last time you had a 100% Petit Verdot? Or have you ever? It’s a grape that can stand on its own. If done right. Deep dark inky black, maybe the darkest wine I can recall, with quite a sheen to it and a purple rim. A nice mix of soft and more muscular notes on the nose. Dried cherries and cedar burst forth with violets, warm spices, and lavender along for the ride. The floral aspects balance out some of the rougher edges.

It goes without saying that this needs plenty of air and time in the decanter. You certainly feel that 15.0 but it blows away after a while. Full bodied and girthy, the delicate balance of huge yet elegant is played well here. Chewy and juicy, very velvety on the tongue. Hefty tannins and a rich streak of tobacco throughout.

On the palate, there’s an initial shout of smoked meat and more cedar. Stewed plums and blackberries abound. There’s a touch of vanilla and cigar there, as well. Spice on the medium to long finish. Yes this a big wine but it ain’t too big. Beautiful fruit and craftsmanship. Outstanding stuff. — 4 years ago

Ira, Trixie and 8 others liked this

Trixie

Bravo! Superb review!🍷

Cline Cellars

Ancient Vines Contra Costa County Zinfandel 2018

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Zin goodness. Classic Zin goodness. It’s like the well worn blue jeans of Zins. Comfortable, friendly, familiar and casual. That’s a lie I hate blue jeans and really like this wine but I hear normal people do like jeans, very blueberry, vanilla scented, and there’s so raisins and licorice to boot. Oh maybe this is the perfect pair well-worn boots. As opposed to jean. Yeah that’s it.
On another note, has anyone actually worn blue jeans or boots since pandemic? — 5 years ago

Eric, Paul and 15 others liked this

Ellen Clifford

@Vasanth Balakrishnan nice, yeah you gotta love a good zin!

Paul T HB

Ran out of 😷 so I used cut up blue jeans with some leather from the boots instead.

Ellen Clifford

@Paul T- Huntington Beach oh good as long as you have a glass of Zin on the side you should be okay

El Tesoro

Paradiso Extra Añejo Tequila

Paul T HB

9.6

Dessert outside,

2019 Best Extra Añejo Tequila from the Beverage Tasting Institute: "Gold color. Attractive aromas of cedar, caramel, crushed pineapple, eucalyptus-vanilla, and fine tea with a round, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a smooth, complex, very long allspice, lime leaf, dried mango, smoke, and sea salt finish. Exotic aromas and superb integration make this the Cognac or Single Malt-lovers Tequila; a must-try." (04/2019) Distiller's note: "A distinct tequila, El Tesoro Paradiso® is slowly aged for five years in French oak ex-Cognac barrels. Created by Don Felipe Camarena in collaboration in with Alain Royer of A. de Fussigny Cognac, this unique tequila has an earthy taste with a hint of minerality, tropical characteristics, and sweet notes of butterscotch." — 4 years ago

Shay, Severn and 27 others liked this