HEATED Wine Pairing Rivalry: Episodes 4-6

The Sidebar takes on some friendly competition, squaring off with pairings for HEATED RIVALRY. Vote on who takes home the Wine Pairing Cup!

The Sidebar is all about finding meaning in the margins. And that attitude is exactly what led me to curate a wine pairing for Heated Rivalry. Yes, the soul mending, heart melting, brain chemistry altering show. That attitude, and a push from Vintertainment: Wine and Movies’ Dave Baxter who challenged me to a rivalry between our pairings. This is part 2 of our showdown. You can vote for the best pairing for episodes 1-3 on Vintertainment’s last post. Hopefully, I’ll clinch the Cup from Dave to further justify my rewatch (aka reheat) and perhaps reward myself with another.

There is so much to say about Heated Rivalry. What should have been the corniest show ever was made resourcefully with care and craft. It earned its place in viewers’ hearts through its emotional vulnerability and in the zeitgeist: endless memes from its moments of comedic relief, an infectious soundtrack featured on almost every Reel and TikTok, and parasocial world building (aka the cottage). Heated Rivalry content is still EVERYWHERE. But the Canadian government’s sponsorship of the show’s production–contributing nearly CAD $3.1 million to the project–might be my favorite Heated Rivalry headline. Kudos to a government that supports sending tenderhearted, representative, and just all around good art into the world.

But now to the good part–the Heated wine pairing Rivalry between myself and Dave! Below, we respectively select our best pairing for each episode, give our best argument for each choice, and then you get to vote which is the one you like best, for whatever your reasons. This is no longer a rookie season. We’re in the all-stars tournament now.

Episode 4: Rose

The Sidebar Pick: Unico Zelo Pollen 2023 Gewurztraminer

In episode 4, Shane tries something new. And you should too. Enter this skin contact Gewurztraminer. Known for its aromatics and acidity, expect a refreshing but structured wine with floral notes like rose petals along with lychee, lime, and ginger. Similar to episode 4, this wine celebrates florals (Rose & Lily, hello!) and skin contact. Drink chilled with your crush and a poorly-timed tuna melt.

Vintertainment Pick: Concha Y Toro ‘Casillero Del Diablo’ Reserve Carmenere

The episode where everyone pretends they’re something that they’re not. Shane pretends he’s straight while Ilya pretends he doesn’t care about Shane, that he’s more interested in women than he actually is. It’s a dark and emotionally traumatic place for both of them to be. So likewise, find a wine that once pretended to be something it was not: Chilean Carmenere! Once thought to be Merlot, DNA testing soon revealed it was the darker, bolder, smokier Carmenere. It’s a grape that will challenge some palates, just as the boys are challenged here.

Concha Y Toro is a widely available and very affordable first experience with a woma-...uh...Carmenere.

Episode 5: I’ll Believe in Anything

The Sidebar Pick: Poco a Poco Chardonnay 2022

Everyone’s finally getting closer to accepting themselves and it makes everything better. This biodynamic Chardonnay is oak free, bursting with pineapple, lemon, and refreshing minerality. It was the Chardonnay that broke the mold for me. And just makes me smile. Fermenting in stainless steel allows Chardonnay’s true character to shine through. Often, the best wines let the fruit, land, and environment lead. They’re delicious because they can be themselves. And this is why episode 5 is perhaps the best. Driven by time, unburdening, and love, Ilya & Shane and Scott & Kip get closer to making their longing a reality. Drink as you yearn for summer, while watching the sunset, or at a party with brutally honest friends.

Vintertainment Pick: 2023 Clos Cibonne Cuvée Tradition Tibouren Rosé, Provence, France

This is an episode of contemplation, of re-thinking what each character wants and what they’re willing to do to be happy. Shane and Ilya reconcile their true feelings for each other, and Hunter and Kip take the biggest step toward officiating their relationship. So sip a wine that also reconsiders traditions and expectations. Tibouren is a grape indigenous to Provence, and here they make a rose that is then oak aged like a red wine, for a wildly flavorful, expressive, aromatic rose for people who typically don’t like rose. Throw caution to the wind and sip something you didn’t know you could sip.

Drink when someone wants to make you a Tuna Melt, but only because they were already making one for themselves.

Episode 6: The Cottage

The Sidebar Pick: Gusbourne Blanc De Blancs 2019

Arguably the most simple and tame episode, it is deeply satisfying seeing Shane & Ilya unwind. For the first time, they see a viable future together and lay the groundwork for partnership. For the first time too, England’s wine regions are experiencing warm enough weather to produce quality grapes with ideal character for sparkling wine. This blanc de blancs is crisp and creamy, as well as British, practical, and good in the snow. It is delicate and complex, showing the region’s promise for the future, making it the perfect pairing for celebrating Shane & Ilya’s potential future together. Drink chilled while vision boarding, swimming, or cooking too much food for someone you love.

Vintertainment Pick: 2023 Jaffurs Petite Sirah, Santa Barbara, California (or whatever makes you happy, on any occasion)

A surprisingly tender, slow, romantic coast to a close for Season 1. Nothing melodramatic is thrown at the characters or viewers. Even the one big plot turn proves to be something that never should have been feared in the first place, though it’s always understandable why it is, in the reality of our current cultures. This is an episode of happiness and sincere romance, sincere love. So drink whatever makes you sincerely happy. A wine you can sip and savor in your own cottage. For me, this is always Petite Sirah, smooth and fruity, so stupidly pleasant. And Jaffurs is a personal favorite, always drinkable at any age.

Who will take home the Wine Pairing Cup? Polls close in 14 days!