Part 2, y’all! Hope you had the time to check these first 3 episodes out. If not, note that we try to keep the podcast largely spoiler-free, but not entirely - it’s impossible to talk in any depth about the show without some spoilers. But jump to the final 15 minutes if you just want to hear about the wines! And then ffs, watch this show!
This podcast will be a 5-part mini-series, dropping 2x per week for 2.5 weeks. The schedule is as follows:
Part 2: Episodes 1-3 (and wine pairings with those episodes) (Today! It’s this post!)
Part 3: Episodes 4-6 (and wine pairings with those episodes) (Thurs, 9/12)
Part 4: Episodes 7-9 (and wine pairings with those episodes) (Tues, 9/17)
Part 5: Interview with Chris Black, Executive Producer and Writer on Severance (Thurs, 9/19)
Wine Pairings
Dave’s Pairing
Pitys Ritinitis (aka Retsina) NV
100% Assyrtiko from vineyards in Katarrachia and Mantineia, Greece. With, of course, pine resin added!
The vegemite of Greece, a daily drinker over there, it tastes like wine made from an alien to everyone else.
Wait, why pine resin? Ancient Greeks used to seal off wine-filled amphorae with pine resin. The resin would then seep into the wine itself (which wasn’t the intent!) and they accidentally discovered that this would act as a preservative! The Greeks then came to love the flavor, too, and so the practice continues to the present day. Note that most modern Greek wine does NOT do this, only those marked "Ritinitis" or "Retsina".
This is a non-vintage (a blend of different vintages, so there’s no year stamped on the bottle) from Troupis Winery, retailing for around $19.99 a bottle. 100% whole cluster fermentation, with minimal intervention / “natural” winemaking methods (outside of adding pine resin, obviously!)
I got citrus notes, slightly sweet tangerine notes, high acidity, and then a whole lot of flavors I’m still trying to wrap my brain around. The winery says it has the flavor of “frankenscence”. Um…sure! Like any of us know wtf frankenscence tastes like!
This wine is weird, challenging, off-putting, while never being unpleasant. It’s well made, balanced, and yet the longer you drink it, the harder it is to get your bearings with it, much like these first three episodes of Severance.
Dallas’ Pairing
2022 Domaine des Sables Verts Saumur-Champigny "Glouglou”
An mostly “natural" wine (minimal sulfites have been added) crafted in the Loire valley, the Saumur-Champigny AOC in specific, by the husband-wife duo Hervé and Caroline Maligne.
Domaine des Sables Verts is a 16-hectare domaine with 15 hectares dedicated to Cabernet Franc (and 1 to Chenin Blanc!) The domaine works as “naturally” as possible, but never at the expense of quality, and is in the process of becoming certified organic. “Sables Verts” means “green sand” and is a nod toward the green sand present in the best vineyards of the Samur-Champigny region.
This bottling is 100% Cabernet Franc and is meant to be drunk young (“glouglou” is the French version of “glug glug” - easy drinkin’!). Fresh red fruit, high acidity, soft tannins, and subtle hints of florals and fresh earth. There’s an intensity here, yet still a bright bite to the flavors, matching experience of the show.
So what do you think about these pairings? Have you ever had a Retsina or Samur-Champigny Cab Franc?
The podcast can also be listend to at any of the below:
Wine and...TV: SEVERANCE Season 1, Part 2 - Episodes 1-3