Next stop…Broadway!

This week we’re diving into the 2023 mockumentary comedy Theater Camp. The movie is a massive love letter to theater nerds, adapted from a 2020 short film by the same core creative team: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt, and Noah Galvin.

The story takes place in Upstate New York at AdirondACTS, a rundown summer camp for kids. Right before the session kicks off, the camp’s iconic founder, Joan, accidentally falls into a coma thanks to a strobe light mishap at a middle school production of Bye Bye Birdie. What follows is a hilarious, chaotic, and incredibly heartwarming story about finding your people, embracing your weirdness, and the pure magic of artistic communities.

For this segment, we’ve paired Theater Camp with HER Rosé.

The HER Wine Collection features a phenomenal, Black, all-female women-led team. Rosé is obviously the ultimate summer drink, so since this movie takes place at a summer camp, it’s already a match made in heaven.

But the pairing goes even deeper than that. Straight from their website, they say: “HER wines are made for people who, like us, are filled with optimism and are determinedly chasing their dreams.” If that doesn’t perfectly describe a bunch of chaotic theater kids, what does?

As for the tasting notes, it’s a unique blend of two grapes: Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. You’ll get some ripe pear and white peach flavors from the Chenin Blanc, lifted by a hint of fresh strawberry and candy floss notes from the Pinotage.

Cheers, thespians!

This week, we're discussing Left-Handed Girl (2025), the debut feature from writer and director Shih-Ching Tsou.
Set in Taipei, the film follows a single mother and her two daughters as they start a new life running a noodle stand in a bustling night market. When five-year-old I-Jing, who is left-handed, is told by her traditional grandfather never to use her “devil hand,” family tensions and long-held secrets begin to surface. Shot entirely on an iPhone, Left-Handed Girl has a grainy, old-school quality that perfectly captures the energy of Taipei after dark.

We're getting a little scattered and silly this episode as we dive deep into the food stalls, family drama, and a Reddit theory that sent us spiraling. Much like the film, we may go in circles, but eventually, we find our way back.

To sip alongside the film, we chose a Broadbent Vinho Verde from Portugal. It’s bright, fresh, and zesty, with tart green apple, white peach, and melon flavors.
And, as always, we don’t just give you our very unprofessional tasting notes, we also paint a picture so vivid you can practically taste it with us.

The colorful label, sense of place, and connection to family and tradition made this pairing feel right at home with Left-Handed Girl.

Season 4 is FINALLY here! We missed you all so much, and we hope the last few months treated you well. Hopefully, you found some time to reset, relax, and enjoy yourselves, but the hiatus is officially over.

We are back with a brand new episodes, and we’re kicking off the season with a wild one: the 2025 film, Pillion. If you haven’t heard of it yet, think contemporary romantic dark comedy meets the queer leather community. The movie follows Colin (played by Harry Melling), a shy, directionless guy who falls hard for Ray (Alexander Skarsġard), a leather clad biker. It centers on their inventional dominant-submissive relationship, diving deep into themes of BDSM, power dynamics, and self-discovery.

To wash down all that intense dom-sub drama, we’re paring the episode with the iconic Ménage à Trois Red Blend. This classic California wine is incredibly fruit forward and easy drinking, blending Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s basically a jammy explosion of ripe blackberry, raspberry, dark cherry, and plum, with just a hint of vanilla, oak, and black pepper.

We felt this wine paired perfectly for obvious reasons (the title!), but the rule of three turned into a massive discussion point in this episode.

Grab a glass, hit play, and let’s dive in!

And here we are, our season 3 finale!

This week, we’re closing out the season with Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi), a 2025 Norwegian drama directed by Joachim Trier. The film follows two sisters, Nora and Agnes, as they navigate the sudden return of their filmmaker father, Gustav, who abandoned them years prior. Starring Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, the film is a powerhouse that earned 9 nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

To toast the finale, we’ve paired the film with The Pale Rose by Sacha Lichine. We were immediately drawn to the label, which evokes the elegance of Golden Age Hollywood. Just as there is so much complexity behind the scenes of a movie, there is a deep, emotional "sentimental value" beneath the surface of this story.

And, a message for our listeners: We are eternally grateful to you for carving out time in your busy lives for our chaotic thoughts. We’re already buzzing for next season: new films, new interviews, new ideas, and, of course, new wines. We’ve been pushing ourselves creatively on and off the mic, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next.

We’re taking some time this summer for vacations and family trips, but while we’re away, it would mean the world if you shared the podcast with your friends and family. We’ll see you in August for the Season 4 premiere. Until the next season (and sip!)

It’s hard to believe next Tuesday is our season three finale!

To celebrate, we’re wrapping up the season with two indie films that dominated this past awards circuit. This week, we’re diving into the 2025 film, Hamnet. The story follows William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, as they celebrate the birth of their son, Hamnet. However, when tragedy strikes and Hamnet dies young, it inspires Shakespeare to write his timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

Directed by Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao, the film stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, alongside Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, and Jacobi Jupe. Fun fact: Jessie Buckley actually took home the Oscar for Best Actress this past season for this incredible role.

We’ve paired Hamnet with a 2023 Averaen Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Shoutout to Chantal for the assist on this pairing! This name is a loose translation for “Bird Queen,” a combination of the Latin Avis (bird) and the French Reine (queen). It mirrors the opening scene of Jessie Buckley with a hawk perfectly. It’s amazing to how these pairings always seem to align.

Whether you’ve already seen Hamnet or it’s still on your watchlist, we can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Join us in celebrating our 50th episode!

Good Grief from 2023, written and directed by Dan Levy, was the very first indie film we experienced together in theaters three years ago - and it will forever hold a special place in our podcast history as the film that started it all.

Good Grief is an intimate story about love, loss, and the messy process of moving forward. It follows Marc as he navigates the sudden loss of his husband and travels to Paris with friends, uncovering truths about his relationship, his identity, and the life he thought he knew.

It’s a film that sits in the uncomfortable spaces: unanswered questions, evolving identities, and the quiet, often complicated reality of being human.
Guys…we’ve recorded this episode multiple times, and at this point, we’re convinced it’s a little cursed. Between lost audio, scheduling chaos, and everything in between, this film really put us through it.
But for our 50th recording, we made it!

To celebrate this milestone, we went all out with not one, but TWO, beverages.

The first: La Gioiosa Treviso Prosecco, our sparkling, celebratory pick that truly sets the bar with its crisp, refreshing, and festive profile.

And for a non-alcoholic counterpart: Mionetto Prosecco, offering the same light, bubbly experience so everyone can join in on the celebration.

Lastly, we want to thank all of you, our incredible listeners, for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve been here since day one, joined us halfway through, or are just tuning in now, your support means everything to us.

Here’s to many more episodes, more stories, and to finally, breaking the curse!

Petite Maman (2021), directed by Céline Sciamma, is a French fantasy drama that follows 8 year old Nelly as she copes with the loss of her grandmother. While helping her parents clear out her grandmother's home, Nelly meets a mysterious girl who resembles her mother as a child, giving her a unique window into her parent's past.

We've paired Petite Maman with Pedroncelli Dry Creek Valley Mother Clone Zinfandel. The name Mother Clone felt especially fitting for the story, echoing the film's exploration of motherhood, memory, and connection. Even the label itself evoked the sense of a safe, intimate space that runs through the film. Sometimes the wine gods guide us to the perfect pairing before we even realize it.

Let’s dim the lights and step inside something a little more revealing with Good Luck to You, Leo Grande; a sharp, funny, and surprisingly moving story about what it means to rediscover yourself and start again.

At its heart, this film is about women reclaiming their power - owning their desires, their bodies, and their right to feel joy without apology.

It challenges agism, reframes the idea of sex work, and reminds us that self-love isn’t something you age out of… it’s something you grow into.

Sometimes, what you’re searching for shows up in ways you never expected.

Pairing it with the Keplinger Hangman’s Red Wine from 2017 feels just right - bold, layered, and a little untamed. With rich notes of dark fruit and spice, it mirrors the film’s emotional depth and slow unraveling of inhibition.

Not a passive watch - or sip.

Both invite you to lean into discomfort, vulnerability, and the beauty of truly seeing yourself.