Wine Situation Final Five! With Dana Farner

This week on The Wine Situation, host Ellen Clifford welcomes Dana Farner. She’s an Advanced Sommelier! As always the episode closes with a final five questions—here are Dana’s answers, edited for length. Listen to the full episode here . Ellen: What’s the best pairing you’ve ever had? Dana: There’s a lot that I can think of off the top of my head. I think that the pairing that surprised me the most – I had the opportunity to drink some really good older vintage Burgundy with cigars. I thought that the cigars were going to obliterate these delicate wines, and they did not. It was fantastic. Ellen: When you’re not drinking wine, what do you drink? Dana: I’m a cocktail geek. And my favorite spirit is gin . I’m excited about trying a lot of different gins. Ellen: Oh god I have too much gin, you have to help me. Dana: I drink a lot of things. I drink a lot of sparkling water. I drink a lot of LaCroix. Ellen: Favorite flavor? Dana: Pamplemousse. Ellen: What’s the biggest lesson wine has taught you? Dana: We touched on it earlier, actually, that there is no wrong answer. What you like is what you like, and I’ve always felt my job in wine is to make sure that you have what you like and to hopefully expand your horizons of what you like a little bit further. What you said earlier, that Twitter quote about “I don’t know how to like it yet”, “I don’t know how to eat this” [note: earlier in the episode Ellen spoke of a Thai saying she found on Twitter], that’s my dream, is to take someone who loves something passionately and get them to look over their shoulder and find something else new that they love passionately. But I’ve never believed it’s okay to say “that is wrong, you can’t drink California Cabernet with your shellfish tower”. That’s not my job. My job is to say “This is great. And next bottle maybe you want to try…”. Ellen: Improv people would call it “yes and”. Next question. If you made a wine, what would you make and what would you name it? Dana: If I could make any wine in the world I would make sparkling wine. And it’s a dream, right? I’d go to Champagne . And I will name it “Danae”. My name is Dana but I’ll put an ‘e’ at the end and no one will know how to pronounce it. Ellen: Be an enigma. Dana: That’ll teach them! Ellen: Final question—what is bringing you joy? Dana: My studies with Sonoma State. This wine MBA program is bringing me way more joy than I would have imagined it would bring me. I’m loving learning stuff I didn’t know before. Cheers to that! Check out the previous Wine Situation podcast with Caroline Liem here .

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2006

Patrick Derdeyn

9.4

Starting to show well, but obviously has miles to go. The vintage works well for the classic Krug style as this is opulent and loaded with rich toasty fruit showing apple, citrus and toffee. Supported by great acidity and has barely started to develop. — 5 years ago

Mark, Arden and 10 others liked this

Hendrick's

Midsummer Solstice Limited Release Gin

Maxence Guilluy

9.1

Candyish, rose, lavander 👌 — 5 years ago

Hermes liked this

Black Forest Distillers

Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin

James Forsyth

I bought a 1000ml bottle of this gin and it's nearly gone. Monkey 47, when served with Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Tonic, is a stunningly fresh, lively, complex and intriguing drink - no guest has ever been satisfied with just one. It's a hell of a gin. Aromatic and arresting, the myriad herbs that comprise Monkey 47 each play their note in the orchestra that is this gin. I'm English and I like London gins, and perhaps I'm lacking loyalty by loving this Black Forest beauty, but so be it. This Monkey's Gone to Heaven. — 5 years ago

Byron, Hugh and 23 others liked this

Paul T HB

Yes thats the one,

Conrad Green

It’s the best gin I’ve ever tasted. The perfect G&T to give those who say they don’t like gin.

MaJ CappS

Fever tree does wonders.

Ployez-Jacquemart

Extra Brut Vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2008

Brian S

9.2

Just a nice phenomenal champagne. Has everything I am looking for, big, bold and great acidity with just a touch of dosage. — 5 years ago

with Ellie

Severn, Billy and 3 others liked this

Domaine Marquis d'Angerville

Clos des Ducs Monopole Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir 1995

Jeremy Noye

CEO Morrell & Company

9.4

Great bottle. So much fruit and depth. Hints of truffle and underbrush with decaying leaves. Tannin was super refined and silky. — 5 years ago

Raj, Severn and 2 others liked this

Ruinart

Dom Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2007

Ron R

9.6

Jason’s birthday (with his wifey). Stunning presentation. Lovely nose of toasted hazelnuts and baked bread. Palate is energetic. Tilts towards spices with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. Really nice acid profile with excellent balance and mid palate weight. Delicate minerallity comes along for the ride, and completes what is a polished example. Very impressive. — 6 years ago

with Anne-marie

Vanessa, P and 41 others liked this

P A

@Ron R Happy Birthday to Jason Cheers 🥂

Dick Schinkel

Happy birthday Jason 🥂🥂🥂🥂

Alex Foillard

Brouilly Gamay 2016

Severn Goodwin

9.3

Thanksgiving week with my in-laws.

Nose has wood smoke, crushed rocks, deep purple fruits are very generous, ripe blackberry and plum are prominent.

Palate has nice depth, sweet blackberry, black cherry, smoked ripe plum, confectionery sugar, hints of mild oak with a medium-long finish. Perfect entry to the world.

Debut commercial vintage from a son of one of the Masters of Beaujolais, at long last, Alex Foillard is bringing his wines to the world. Starting with an epic hail vintage, supply was quite limited for much of the North. Luckily Bouilly and Côte de Brouilly had minimal damage. For those in the know, 2016 Burgundy's will be wines for the ages. — 5 years ago

Ira, Dawn and 33 others liked this

Severn Goodwin

Yes, but he had a great mentor, so one could expect a debut at this level. I also opened the Côte also this evening, I like the valley fruit better than the mountain by a smidge.

Dawn E.

@Severn Goodwin I need to find this!

Severn Goodwin

@Dawn E. Good luck, you might be able to source 2018's.

Brooklyn Gin

Small Batch Handcrafted Gin

Matt Sterr

9.0

American style gin. Light with restrained juniper and citrus. — 5 years ago

Ron liked this

Clos De La Roilette

Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Gamay 2016

Jordan Wardlaw

9.1

Sweet roses, hints of smoke and licorice on the nose. Wonderful freshness and mineral quality, persistent on the finish. Slightly tart (but never bitter) cherry pit character, showing a bit more flesh with several hours aeration. Firm and structured expression of Fleurie that maintains its balance and sense of delicacy. You should expect this to do well in the cellar, 8-10 years. — 6 years ago

with Pedro

Pedro and Severn liked this

Pedro Rusk

Had a bottle two days ago. Super good and your price is insane on it! Love this producer always quality even in hard years