Top 5 Podcast and Wine Pairings

If you prefer podcasts over playlists, you’ve come to the right place. We asked Rob Ranieri, Co-Founder of Ranieri & Co, podcast guru and former cello player for Lady Gaga (yep, true story!) for his top five February picks. Teamed up with our newest wine releases, you’re in for a killer night of twists and turns. Take your pick…

Doctor Death

Dr. Death is all about the gross malpractice of a US based neurosurgeon. ‘Gross’ not only refers to internal spinal injuries, but also the scale of malpractice. Spoiler alert: Dr. Christopher Daniel Duntsch winds up maiming and killing 33 patients in Texas. It’s totally chilling, but had me 100% hooked and also afraid of setting foot into a hospital any time soon.

Fun fact: this is being turned into a limited TV series with an all-star cast featuring Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater. Can. Not. Wait. 

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Wine match: a classic McLaren Vale shiraz grenache, jam packed with blood plum, cherry and spice. Savoury, firm and dangerously good. 

Business Wars

Admit it, you love drama. We all do. But if Real Housewives isn’t your thing, give this a whirl. My favourite line from the episode on Facebook vs. Snapchat has to be “And like Facebook, Snapchat will EXPLODE. And that’s what the upstart is shooting for: to oust Facebook, or nearly die trying.” Other famous rivalries include Nintendo vs. Sony; Ford vs. Chevrolet (also Ferrari vs. Lamborghini if you’re fancy); Hershey vs. Mars and heaps more. Yep, there’s something for everyone. Pass the popcorn.

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Wine match: we can’t think of a better match than The Don, a rage-against-the-machine mafioso kingpin, on a mission to liberate a pond that’s been muddied by dubious characters, *ah herm*. Us, competitive? Nah… okay, maybe a little. Read between the lines. 

StartUp

As someone who’s started a business in the podcast space, listening to a podcast about starting a podcast company was a very meta experience for me. Did I say podcast yet? This was one of the first series I fully binged. Alex Blumberg was a former producer for public radio and television, as well as a radio journalist - you get to hear all about the startup experience… beautifully told. The sheer amount of recordings he has, whether it’s from his wife in the middle of the night or while pitching to a venture capitalist, is astonishing. This is high quality craftsmanship and it’s no wonder the startup, Gimlet Media, was recently bought by Spotify for north of US $200 million. Boom, show me the money. 

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Wine match: level up with this Grand Cru Champagne - magnum sized! 

Dying for Sex

Okay, aren’t we all? Lols aside, this podcast hasn’t been released yet, but the description has got me hooked before it’s even available:

“When host Nikki Boyer’s best friend Molly is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, she decides to do something bold. She leaves an unhappy marriage and embarks on a series of sexual adventures to feel alive.”

Molly will share anecdotes about what she does with her time left. Cue waterworks and inspiration to live a little more to honour Molly.

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Wine match: the Henshke name is wine royalty in the Barossa’s Eden Valley. Live your best life and raise your glasses to… well, living, with this celebrated shiraz. 

S-Town

It’s difficult for me to fully articulate my feelings around S-Town without fully “giving it away.” The series is hosted by ‘This American Life’ producer Brian Reed, who goes to Alabama to investigate an unsolved murder. What results is a podcast about so much more than a true crime investigation. It’s about society and mental health. It’s about conspiracy theories, our connection to others and lack of connection. It’s somehow about each of us in some weird tangential, subtle way. 

And if this is too vague for you, just know that S-Town was downloaded a record-breaking 10 million times in four days. So trust us, it’s worth a plug in.  

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Wine match: you can’t go past our Black Market deals - mysterious, addictive and unexpected - just like S-Town. 

And there you have it, our top 5 podcast and wine recommendations for February. Let us know what you’re listening to, tweet us @vinomofo.