Look Ma. I'm Famous. I'm on TV! (Wine Takes a Supporting Role)

Disclosure on images: These stills are downloaded from the Apple TV website & are available for download. Photo credits to Apple TV / Shrinking.

with legalese aside, let’s get into it

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the portrayal of wine in entertainment and media. Both Cheers and How I Met Your Mother are set in pubs. But I can’t think of a sitcom set in a winery, although that script would certainly be a melodramatic comic-tragedy. Most recently, the prominence of wine in the Apple TV series “Shrinking” caught my attention. Briefly, the storyline follows three Los Angeles based therapists navigating their professional and personal lives. It’s sharp and well written. But more interestingly, wine plays a supporting character.

How do we sign up Bruliam for product placement?

WINE AMONG FRIENDS- LOVE TO SEE IT

Wine is featured often and appropriately, always in social settings, among friends and family. When neighbors gather for impromptu, backyard hang outs, they share a bottle of wine. B roll shots include a phalanx of effervescent champagne flutes to celebrate a wedding and clinking glasses of red wine toasted among girlfriends. Characters arrive at both raucous communal meals and romantic date night dinners armed with a wine bottle. Wine accompanies both intimate moments and casual cohorts congregating “IRL.” This subtle messaging is on point: wine is a joyful, fun, delicious accoutrement to shared social experiences. In fact, wine is always best enjoyed alongside friends and food, exactly as showcased in Shrinking.

Enjoying a glass of vino among friends

Across three seasons, I only recall a single instance of a character drinking alone. Indeed, as this character languishes in her daytime, self-wallowing pity party, her concerned bestie admonishes her to put down the wine glass, exit the bubble bath, and face her feelings in a healthier way. Just to be clear, I’m all for a self-care routine that involves say, a glass of wine, a bubble bath, and a juicy novel. This scripted scene was not that.

WINE ACCOMPANIES MOST SOCIAL SCENES

Me when someone intentionally choses a natty wine (just kidding - meme of my own making)

Also me: “Seriously? She paired Amarone with scallops?” (still just kidding)

Still me: “Bragging about a trip to Napa? Everyone knows real wine lovers visit Sonoma.” (not kidding)

SHOUT OUT TO GEN X

Also interesting: most of the characters appear to be Gen X, my cool kid demographic. Shout out to Gen X despite last year’s dismissal by the Wine Market Council.  In December, WMC reported that Millennials now comprise the largest category of wine drinkers (31%), outpacing both Gen X & Boomers (each measuring 26%).  But in Shrinking, the majority of the over 21’s lean Gen X, parents with college aged and college-bound kids. If we really want to parse Shrinking’s demographics, the cast includes one “Boomer” couple and another who projects “Millennial.”  Still, the next-door neighbors who host the bulk of the backyard hangouts are Gen X. And don’t be fooled by their contemporary attorney pal just now adopting a baby. Per the storyline, these guys met in college, meaning “Adoption Dad” is Gen X, too.

WINE & HEALTH IS COMPLICATED

The show portrays wine honestly, crouched in the nuanced choices we make around drinking. TBH, I experienced a frisson of angst after a physician advised a character to give up drinking to improve his sleep hygiene. Again, to clarify, wine is not blamed for this character’s cognitive decline. (Duh, we all know his condition is caused by the dearth of dopamine neurons in his substantia nigra, not wine). On the other hand, we also know that nighttime alcohol interferes with quality sleep. Thus, when his neurologist advises 8 hours/night of deep, uninterrupted sleep as supportive care, this character gives up alcohol. Afterwards, I had questions:  Would this shift result in moralizing around wine consumption? Would his abstinence alter his partner’s or daughter’s capacity to enjoy a glass of wine? Would this impact Shrinking’s portrayal of wine as avatar of amity? Whew! I’m happy to report not at all. In fact, the singular time this character breaks his abstinence is to fete his colleague’s professional win, with an expensive sushi lunch (plus sake).  Again, we see drink featured appropriately, in a social setting, celebrating, with food, among friends.

Yeah, it’s bourbon. Just pretend it’s wine.

wine as metaphor

Clearly, the placement of wine as supporting character is intentional. Here wine signifies goodwill, friendship, camaraderie, and graciousness. In fact, there’s a recurring “grape” gag stemming from a misheard pop lyric that replaces “great” with “grape.” The gag is undercut by a poignant, emotional edge, like much of the storyline. Shrinking’s characters are imperfect, grappling with all kinds of real-life crises, conceived as both big overarching themes and petty scrapes. But in the end, their deep friendships soothe the heartaches. And these friendships are cultivated regularly, by sharing meals, memories, and hard truths alongside a glass of wine.

Glassware doth not make the glass. But props for proper stemware: Riesling in a Riesling glass & Pinot in a tulip goblet.

In these days of fraught and conflicting messaging around alcohol, I think the wine industry must reframe their marketing. In fact, I’m tickled to see wine showcased on TV, especially intertwined with these convivial, inclusive gatherings. 100% yes to making wine as fun, playful, and inviting as the backyard hangouts we see on TV. Wine cultivates togetherness. So, share it. Haters will argue that wine’s position in Shrinking broadcasts exclusivity, socio-economic privilege. I’ll counter that no character has ever named what they’re sipping. That glass of red wine might be grocery store, bottom shelf booze or a cult-y $500/bottle Napa cabernet. The name, brand, and varietal are immaterial to the sharing and togetherness that happen around the bottle.

I guess a Burgundy bottle would be too obvious? And to think: I pegged him for a pinot guy.

IT’S ALWAYS A BOTTLE

In Shrinking, it’s always a bottle and usually 4-6 people sharing it. That’s either a hearty glass per person or a short pour per person. I believe that one glass per person, whether slightly under or slightly over 5 oz., seems exactly the right amount to elevate your backyard hang. So, make like they do on TV; reach out to your pals and neighbors and uncork anything at all.    

One bottle, 25.361 fluid oz, is (im)perfectly divided by 4, 5 , or 6.