Capsule x Villa Maria
At a loss for your next pop culture pick? Have no fear – thanks to Villa Maria’s glorious range of wines, we bring you the ultimate Capsule collection of the best things to see, do, watch and listen to for the month of March.
We’ve matched up this month’s pop culture highlights with a wine from Villa Maria to allow you to enjoy every moment perfectly!
We’re Listening To…
Podcasts That Will Have You Hooked (And Maybe Kind of Afraid…) with Villa Maria’s Cellar Selection Syrah
Lost Hills
It’s the 80s, and while I’m at home in Howick obsessed with Charlene and Scott on Neighbours and taking notes in my Dinky Diary, apparently the adults over in Malibu, California are obsessed with jazzercise, spa pool parties and cocaine.
It was the heydays of the wild 80s and, perched right on the beach, folks were starting to catch on that Malibu was the place to be – particularly the rich and famous. But the small, budding community was soon rocked by one hell of a scandal.
In January 1981 Verna Johnson-Roehler and her young son, Doug, drowned while boating nearly 50km off the coast. Mother-of-two Verna, had been aboard the luxury yacht she shared with her high-flying husband, Fred Roehler – a widower who also had two children. The happily blended family had been enjoying a little getaway – joined by Fred’s parents.
One rather unremarkable day, Verna, Doug and Fred left the rest of the family behind as they took out their small dory for a little adventure to nearby Bird Rock when tragedy struck. They’d bought along the family dog, who suddenly lunged at a flock of birds, swamping the boat and sending the trio into the water.
At first, it was ruled a terrible, tragic accent. But then, a call came into the local police office and detectives wanted to know more about this rather strange accident at sea… and more about what happened to Fred’s first wife.
This podcast takes so many twists and turns, it’ll have you hooked by episode one – and there’s plenty more scandal and rollercoaster moments from there.
Plus, the production is slick and wonderful to listen to, hosted by The New Yorker’s Dana Goodyear. We definitely reckon the Villa Maria Syrah is the perfect drop to have in hand while you listen to the drama unfold – medium-bodied, with an intense floral and spiced aroma to start, leading through to a smooth finish.
If you enjoyed the doco-series The Staircase on Netflix or the podcast Teacher’s Pet, you’re gonna love this one. But, if you’re totally new to the genre, this is a great place to start.
Tenfold More Wicked: Season Four
Let’s go back in time, even further, for a complete change in pace. We’re still in California but now we’re in the thick of it in Hollywood, during the roaring twenties. It’s glamorous, it’s exciting… and there’s also a dark, sinister underbelly…
Clara Phillips is a charismatic (and stunning) former chorus girl, who is married to her handsome husband Armour. The pair have set up home in West Hollywood where they appear to have it all – the beautiful home, car, telephone and nice clothes. Armour tells everyone that he works in oil… which explains the glitzy lifestyle.
It all seems to be going so well, until Clara hears an upsetting rumour from a neighbour that Armour is having an affair with a young widow who works at the bank…
She simply can’t have this. So one day Armour arrives home and surprisingly, Clara is nowhere to be found – but she soon arrives home, drenched in blood, calming declaring, “I just killed the one you love, and now I’m going to make you the best dinner you ever had!”
And so begins the scandalous tale of ‘The Tiger Woman’. This is one hell of a true crime tale that has it all – a gruesome murder, layers and layers of lies, a potential framing, a love tryst, and even a prison break. It’s all told by the wonderful Kate Winkler Dawson – who travelled to West Hollywood to hear new insights and sides to the story from family members who have never spoken before. Kate transports you right into the roaring twenties – with background effects and music that will make you feel like you’re there, flapper dress on, a long string of pearls around your neck with a glass of Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah in hand to spice things up.
If you needed any other convincing to give it a listen, it’s made by the Exactly Right team, with true crime superstars Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff of My Favourite Murder fame working as executive producers of the show.
We’re Watching…
Shows to binge watch with Villa Maria’s EarthGarden Sauvignon Blanc
Starstruck Season Two
There is SO much good television on at the moment – truly, we are living through a golden age/pandemic – but a lot of it, well, depressing (probably because of the pandemic). It’s a rare show that is as warm-hearted as it is brilliant but Starstruck IS that show. An utter joy to behold, it’s created, co-written and starring NZ’s own Rose Matafeo.
Season one follows Jessie, a Kiwi on her OE in London who goes home with Tom, a handsome stranger on New Year’s Eve, only to wake up and realise he’s actually an extremely famous movie star. Starstruck is quite the ironic title, as his career is a fact that she is less than impressed with. (“I’m an actor,” he tells her during a midnight snack on their first night together. “Ugh, no thanks,” she replies). But coincidence – and serious chemistry – forces them together over and over again, and by the end of season one, Jessie is about to return home to NZ when ROMANCE CONTINUES (I’ll say no more for fear of direct spoilers).
If you haven’t seen season one, please know that it is a perfect television show – and that it was the biggest show from the BBC last year, with more than 5 million people tuning in (also, please stop reading because I’m about to discuss season two!)
Season two is now playing on TVNZ and it’s – again – completely brilliant and completely delightful, which is even more impressive the second time around because the bar was set so high.
Jessie and Tom are trying to make their relationship work as they each navigate various pressures of career, family and also dating when you exist in very different social stratospheres. Starring a whole host of familiar Kiwi faces – including co-writer Alice Sneddon – Starstruck will make you swoon, laugh and wish you could go to London (and shag a movie star?) Pour yourself a vibrant glass of EarthGarden Sauvignon Blanc and be immersed in the warm and fuzzies this series brings. It manages to be everything you love about a rom-com, with none of the cheesiness – an absolute masterstroke to achieve!!
Inventing Anna
This mini series is one of those where the truth is stranger than fiction and as a journalist, I LOVE to see it.
You’ve probably heard of Anna Sorokin – or otherwise known as Anna Delvey – the supposed German heiress who scammed half of New York’s social elite with made up tales of wealth, prestige and glamour.
Despite her claims she had a $120m fortune behind her, In reality she was a broke daughter of a German truck driver who decided that the high life was for her – no matter how she got it.
Raking up bills of more than $400,000 by scamming ‘friends’ and acquaintances, Anna was eventually caught and sent to prison for between four and 12 years – only to make parole early last year, before being imprisoned again after she overstayed her visa.
The saga has been turned into a 10-part Netflix series starring Ozark’s Julia Garner, the miniseries is riveting stuff, and one you’ll definitely want to binge immediately as you ask yourself a lot of ‘why?!’ and ‘how?!’ The amount of times throughout this series that my jaw dropped is utter madness, Villa’s fresh and citrusy EarthGarden Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect vino to bring me back to reality.
Inventing Anna is now streaming on Netflix
We’re reading…
To Escape with Villa Maria’s Reserve Pinot Noir
To Italy, With Love
Ok so it’s still a bit of a mission to go anywhere in the world right now, so why not do it from the comfort of your couch with a glass of wine?
Italy sounds good, right? Wait until you delve into Nicky Pellegrino’s latest novel, To Italy with Love.
Set in small-town Italy, two women have given up on love (God, been THERE). Assunta runs a gorgeous trattoria in a wonderfully romantic mountain town, but love just seems to have passed her by.
Meanwhile, Sarah-Jane has had enough of love after her hot, celebrity ex-boyfriend left. She’s bought an old convertible and plans to drive around Italy for the summer (because of COURSE that’s what you do when you’re newly single).
But then her car breaks down – and she realises that love, actually, really is all around.
This one is the perfect book to curl up with a glass of slightly chilled Pinot Noir and while away a sunny afternoon – match this deliciously fruity red with a Mediterranean-inspired platter and slather on the sunblock, and you’re there!
