The Perfect Pairing

This program is rated G

and is suitable for general audiences.

Hey.

Okay.

Christina Joy Osborne?

Uh-oh. Busting out the middle name.

Um, am I in trouble?

Your review of Heublein Chophouse

ruffled a few feathers.

They served Kevin's steak 15 minutes after mine

and by the time he got his, mine was cold.

Ruined the entire meal.

You know, technically, you're allowed to eat if it's hot.

No one ever does that.

Oh, come. Would you sit down?

My feet hurt just looking at you.

Christina: Oh, I'm fine.

I'll just sit for a second.

Now, here is your next assignment.

Oh. Winter wine festival.

Well, you haven't done a wine review

since Hollingbrook's corked Merlot.

Um, I probably shouldn't show my face

at that particular winery.

You won't need to. There are a dozen other wineries

doing barrel tastings that same week.

Hmm.

That's your all-access pass for the entire event.

You'll get a sneak preview of their newest vintages.

Report on the wines getting the most buzz.

In January, though?

The winemakers like to see

how things are progressing while their wines are aging.

It's like touring a house during construction.

Buyers can get a feeling for how the wine is going to finish.

Oh. Now, you'll take the Amtrak in,

but then, you'll transfer to this adorable vintage train

that'll take you right into town.

Do you think I could get an extra pass for Kevin?

It seems pretty romantic. We could make it a work-cation.

Good idea. Maybe he'll be inspired.

Stop it.

Christina: Mom, you want some more coffee?

Please.

Oh, but you don't need to do

the whole complicated, you know, thing here.

Um, of course I'm doing the thing.

I've got it down to a science. It turns out perfect every time.

So, when you and Kevin finally get engaged,

be sure to register for a plain old drip coffee maker.

Well, you might be waiting for a while.

- Okay. - (bell dinging)

Oh. All right. This is it.

If I can't get it right this time, I swear, I give up.

- (gasping) - Christina: Aha.

Looks good.

Come on. (Sighing)

Ugh.

Christina...

I don't understand.

I did everything the recipe said. Ugh.

Baking is as much art as it is science.

Maybe you just need to embrace the art a little more.

Yeah, or I could embrace that new dessert delivery app.

But then you'll miss all the fun.

Ugh. Well, this isn't that fun either, Mom.

Sometimes it isn't about the final product, sweetheart.

It's about how you get there.

That sounds like a quote people put on

reclaimed barn wood, Mom.

- Because it's true. - Well, not for everyone.

Some people like to know what's coming.

Like when people go to a restaurant

or order a bottle of wine,

they don't want to risk wasting their time or money,

and that's why I do what I do.

We can't control everything in our lives, Chrissy.

No one really knows what's down the road.

What do you think, Michael? These ready for harvesting?

Almost.

We're supposed to be getting another freeze this week, Gene.

If that happens, I think these grapes are going to be

at their absolute sweetest.

Michael?

Yeah?

We just got a shipment of these ice wine glasses.

Can you call the distributor and tell him he made a mistake?

The distributor didn't make a mistake, Dad. I ordered them.

For the tapping party next Friday. Come on.

I mean, we got to get people to sample

our first batch of ice wine. You know that.

I don't think it's a good idea

to introduce something new right now, Michael.

We're trying to regroup

from what that C.J. Osborne review did to our bottom line.

I thought we both agreed

to never mention that name ever again.

Believe me.

I want to forget it ever happened, too.

I'm just trying to create some buzz. That's all.

I mean, come on. You know everybody in this region...

No one's doing ice wine. You know that.

For very good reason.

- What? - It's too risky.

It was risky back in the day,

when you tried it, but things have changed.

Dad, come on. Forecasting, soil testing...

Merlot, cabernet, Pinot noir,

that's what built this winery a hundred years ago,

and that's what's going to keep it going

for the next generation, for you and for Britney.

Dad, we've got 500 bottles of wine

from last year's harvest sitting in that ice room, okay?

Not to mention, these grapes are almost frozen

for this year's harvest.

Come on. Why don't we just show them what we've got?

It's temporary.

You know how much it costs to maintain that ice wine room?

We'll finish this harvest and then we'll go back to normal.

What if normal is not good enough, Dad?

It will be.

Grandpa, the sign at the front fell again.

Oh. I'll take a look at it, sweetie.

Maybe I'll leave it down and wait for the new one to come.

We'll talk later, all right?

As long as it's about Merlot, cabernet...

Pinot noir. Dad, we get it.

Okay.

Dad, can I have some frozen grapes?

Of course you can, but you can only have two.

We need all the grapes to make the wine, all right?

I know, but I can't have that for nine more years.

I'm your dad,

and you can't have that for 90, all right?

So, you're going to go for it anyway?

Gene, come on. The grapes are already frozen.

I'm not going to let them go to waste.

Old man will come around.

You know, her mom used to do that.

Wander around the vineyard,

eating grapes like there was no tomorrow.

I can't believe it's been three years.

Yeah.

Sara loved the idea of the ice wine.

I got to follow through with it, Gene.

I have to. For her, for Britney.

Hey, princess,

I see you're wearing another one of Mom's hats again, huh?

- I like wearing them. - Michael: Oh.

It's like a head hug.

Oh. A head hug, huh?

Well, how about a hug for the rest of you?

I love you.

Love you, too.

Hi. Should be under "Kevin."

So, which table is C.J. Osborne at?

Waiter: I don't know. No one knows what he looks like.

Oh, honey, look.

That's my friend C.J. and his wife.

No, no. But let's not go over there and talk to them.

I think... I think he's working.

Okay.

That guy is the most feared food critic on the East Coast?

Maybe that's just his disguise.

We have to pretend we don't know him.

Fine. Just give him anything he wants.

Go.

This is why I love being anonymous.

I can give my readers a completely honest,

authentic experience of the restaurant,

and someone else gets treated like royalty.

Win-win.

Hmm.

So, what do you think? It's fantastic, right?

Could be better. I mean, the spices in the purée

overpower the glaze.

What?

Maybe once in a while, you could give someone a pass.

Then I wouldn't be doing my job.

Speaking of which,

Sam has me going to this winter wine festival

in upstate New York.

He booked me in this gorgeous B&B.

It's very romantic.

I mean, come on.

We keep saying we need to talk about our future.

This would be perfect.

Yeah, yeah. We will get away, Chrissy.

But I've got client meetings all week.

I can't just take time off.

Except you also say

that the market is too volatile to plan ahead.

I mean, it's always something.

Well, I've got to do my work, too.

I just think it would be good for us.

Come on. We could use a reset.

Could we? I mean, I thought we were...

I thought we were fine.

We are, but...

we should be better than fine.