Original subtitles

Take note, I get warmth,

color, joy, festive from the opening to the episode.

Hi, Tannin TV. I'm Heather Marquez.

And on today's episode of "Read Between the Vines"

we venture through this Bordeaux inspired estate

of Enchante Wines in Temecula, California.

While Enchante is known for their delicious varietals,

they also offer something special in the winter season:

The ultimate Christmas picnic.

Escape the winter chill and come to sunny California,

where even the wine is merry and bright.

Ho, ho, ho, Tannin TV.

And for this opening,

nature, beauty, joie de vivre.

Tell me, Heather,

do you see the difference between these two

Christmas specials?

Um...

Well, the Bev Channel Christmas Episode

features a happy couple,

while our Tannin TV episode

features... me, alone.

No. Your whole single lady agenda is not what bothers me.

- Uh, oh. - I'm referring to the complete

lack of winter and Christmas in our Christmas episode.

But to be fair, you gave me strict order to make sure

that my Christmas segment had absolutely nothing

to do with Christmas because Christmas episodes

are "gauche".

That was then. This is now.

And right now, Tannin TV needs to appeal to the family demo.

For this year's Christmas episode,

I need a story that captures the essential pairing.

That is family Christmas and wine.

So, cancel your holiday plans

because you'll be working through Christmas. Again.

But, Tami, I...

I promised my dad that I was gonna be home

for Christmas this year.

I've missed the last three Christmases

- because of work. - I'll tell you what,

if you knock this Christmas episode out of the park,

and generate the ratings we need,

I'll finally green light "Read Between the Vines:

- The European Tour". - Okay. I-I'll do it.

That's the spirit.

And I will find my perfect Christmas pairing in Washington.

- Washington? - Mm-hmm.

- Why Washington? - Well,

nothing says family Christmas better

than a snowy winter town.

And Lake Chelan practically

is the North Pole in December.

Plus, I will feature the O'Reilly Family Vineyard,

the most beloved family-run winery

in all of the Lake Chelan Wine Valley.

They host the annual Christmas Food And Wine Festival.

That sounds... perfect.

Now, off you go. I am very busy.

- Hmm. - Go for Tammy.

Yes!

Um, you just left a Tami Tanimoto meeting smiling.

- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. - Yeah, that thing on your face.

- What gives? - I still get to go home

- for Christmas, Shannon. - Okay.

Mm-hmm. And you are coming with me.

- We leave in a week. - I-I'm sorry, what?

Ooh, pack snow clothes.

I don't own snow clothes, Heather.

Now you do.

Hmm? You're the GOAT.

Uh, this will be fun. This will be fun.

My beach side body was not built for this climate.

Where have you taken me, Heather?

My girl is finally home for Christmas!

Aw.

Shannon, welcome to the Marquez home.

I, uh...

Heather, I thought we were staying at a luxury hotel?

Who needs a fancy hotel

when you have my comfy family home?

I do. I need the fancy hotel, Heather.

- Nah. - Yeah.

Niche. Niche.

Okay, okay.

- Thank you! - You're welcome.

- Oh, I'm just... - You're the best!

...so cold!

Oh, look how cute it is!

I suddenly am so aware of how Jewish I am.

Okay, here's the plan.

We go to the O'Reilly Family Vineyard

and we get this party started.

Uh, the O'Reilly Family Vineyard

doesn't exist anymore, Anak.

Oh! Did they buy a bigger

vineyard somewhere nearby or something?

Well... they moved to Florida.

- What?! Wait, wait, when? - Last year.

Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

We were gonna feature the O'Reillys

in our Christmas episode.

Well, you didn't think to call and confirm?

Well, no! Their website was still up and running.

I figured the O'Reillys are practically like family.

We'd just surprise them, tell them they're gonna

- be on TV. Done deal. - They still haven't taken down

the website. It's been so confusing for everybody.

You don't say.

Okay, so what are we going to film?

Do we even have a story?

Did I fly to the Arctic tundra for no reason?

Oh, chin up. There's a new winery.

You can interview the owners.

I bet there's a story there.

Okay, new plan, we pivot.

I'm gonna go schmooze the new owners.

- We stay the course. - Great, what can I do?

You and I are gonna go on an old-fashioned

winter adventure.

- Heather. - Yump.

Yump.

Take one for the team.

There's no I in team.

Ugh...

So, I heard through the grapevine,

your oldest is Lake Chelan's newest goalie.

- Congratulations. - Oh, thank you.

Oh.

That's for Chuck. You tell him that we hope

he has a swift recovery.

I'll be right back.

What's the verdict?

It's gone a bit reductive.

I'm beginning to think that this vineyard's

one big white elephant.

It's okay, we'll just give it some love tomorrow.

Mm-hmm.

Hey, you gotta give it time, bro.

Anton, if we don't find a way to draw in new customers,

the winery's not gonna last another year.

We'll figure it out.

And as Oma says, "Have a little wine."

Hi. Hello.

Do you know where I could find

the owner of Knobloch Family Wines?

I do.

Great.

Could you direct me to them, please?

Sure thing.

- Hi. I'm Rudy. - Heather Marquez.

What could I do for ya, Heather?

Oh... you're...

- you're the owner? - Yes.

It's just you're so...

you know, you're like...

- Look at you. - Huh.

I did not mean it like that.

What exactly could I do for you, Ms. Marquez?

Oh. You know, I had come here

because I love the O'Reillys

and I wanted to feature their vineyard

in a Christmas episode for Tannin TV,

because the O'Reillys represent family

and they practically built this town.

But it looks like their vineyard has been taken over

by a kinda stoic, unfriendly, out-of-towner.

So, uh, no, I don't know that you can help me.

Well, the Knobloch Family Wines

is also a family vineyard,

and we've integrated into this town just fine.

The thing is, if you're a local,

why haven't I seen you before?

'Cause I've met almost everybody in this town,

except you. So, perhaps you are the out-of-towner.

Hello!

My brother isn't giving you any grief, is he?

Huh.

He was raised by wolves,

so he's still learning how to human.

Oh! Well, that explains so much.

- Ms. Marquez was... - Heather, actually.

Oh.

Well, Heather was coming

to see the O'Reilly's vineyard, not ours, Anton.

Oh, that's a pity.

Us Knobloch's have award-winning wines

and personalities, if you couldn't already tell.

You know, actually,

I was hoping to get a tour

and get to know Knobloch Family Wines

for a possible Christmas episode for Tannin TV.

Well, what are we waiting out here for?

Yeah.

Right this way.

Much like the O'Reillys,

we are a family-run winery.

In fact, our family has been in the wine-making business

for over a century. And our grapes are harvested

in the same manner they were harvested a hundred years ago.

That is pretty extraordinary.

There's a lot of corporate competition these days,

but those wineries don't use the old methods, like we do.

- Hmm. - It's not as cost effective

- but we... - Makes our wine superior.

Well, we'll see about that.

Hmm.

Let's have that tasting, shall we?

Ooh, yes, please. Hmm.

- Ready for that tasting? - Yes.

Ahem.

- Ice wine. - Ice wine?

Hmm.

Special. Huh.

Mm,

that's like a snow globe in a glass.

Apricot and peach.

You have a sharp palette.

Level 3 sommelier.

Hmm.

Well, when you pair it with my Oma's

Christmas Spritzgabech cookies...

Oh.

Mm, mm-hmm.

This is chef's kiss.

Hey, you two. What'd I miss?

Rudolph didn't scare you away, did he?

Oh.

Wait, your name is Rudolph? Like the...

Reindeer, yeah.

And before you go and make a joke

that you think is highly original, I assure you,

- I have heard it 100 times. - Oh, dear.

Okay.

Okay, wow, the name is a sore spot for you.

Noted.

I had a tasting of the ice wine and the cookies.

And it was the most sensational pairing since...

ever.

It's our Christmas specialty.

I can see why.

Speaking of, what are you doing for the Christmas festival?

You are planning on hosting the annual Christmas

Food And Wine Festival,

just like the O'Reillys used to do?

- No, actually, we're not. - You're kidding?

Oh, you're not kidding.

Look, as much as we would like to, there's...

not really much we can do this year.

Hopefully next year.

But the festival is integral to this town,

to Christmas, to my feature for Tannin TV.

This feature,

do you have any other leads?

Well, uh...

not exactly.

Hmm.

I think we can help each other, festival or no.

Most people don't know about ice wine,

let alone how it's made.

And a snow-covered vineyard

is sort of the hallmark of wine meets Christmas.

It is.

I propose...

we let your viewers in on our traditional,

century-old process of making ice wine.

- Whoa. - It's not a Christmas festival,

- but it's... - But it is pretty darn Christmassy.

And after tasting this pairing,

I'm sold. Okay, let's do it!

- Absolutely not. - We accept.

Why don't you two talk about it?

Once you've made a decision, shoot me a text.

Preferably within the next day or so.

No need. Not interested.

We're very interested and we'll let you know

- by end of day. - Hmm.

Well, thank you so much for this tasting and this tour.

It has been very...

- surprising. - Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

I know what you're gonna say

and the answer's no. I don't want some outsider

coming in here and using us for a TV show.

You said yourself, we need to gain more clientele

or we're belly up.

I can't think of a better way to solve our problem

than to be featured in a TV show.

- I don't trust that woman. - You don't know that woman.

- Exactly. - Rudy,

you can't live your life

suspicious of every person you meet.

It's not sustainable.

I disagree. I think a healthy level of cynicism

keeps one from making big mistakes,

wasting one's time, and ending up...

Alone?

Don't let another good thing pass by because you're scared.

Right.

And it's called Knobloch Family Wines for a reason.

You're not the only one who cares about this place!

Hey, shh.

Ah! I can feel her power posing through her phone.

Oh, did you take Shannon ice skating?

Heh, what better way to experience the lake?

I'm gonna go for a soak.

Okay, Dad.

I am sore in places I didn't even know existed.

And can no longer feel my fingertips.

I think your dad is trying to kill me.

Any luck with the new winery owner?

Luck is not how I would phrase it.

How would you phrase it?

Difficult, confusing.

- Hmm. - Just snowball's chance in...

They're in!

Woo!!

Ah!

You okay?

No.

Okay...

Hi. Hello.

Well, you sure are determined, I'll give you that.

Thank you. I brought the contracts.

- Do you wanna step inside? - What contracts?

I told you we're not interested.

What?

No, you texted me saying...

Did you...

You did text me, right?

No, I did not send you a...

- Anton. - Your brother.

- Yeah. - Oh, great.

Okay. Listen.

Listen, hi. Hi, I'm already here, right?

The contracts are written up,

and it is just a few days of filming.

And from my experience, all of the wineries

that we showcase get a huge influx of customers

from being on our show. I mean, there is no downside here, Rudy.

Easy for you to say.

I need a family-oriented vineyard

for my Christmas episode.

And by the looks of it,

you need some more bodies up in here.

So, this is a win-win, buddy.

Come on, what do you say? Hmm?

- May I? - Mm-hmm.

All right.

Everything looks above board.

So, does that mean...

I have a proviso.

Oh, well, I would be surprised if you didn't.

We get final approval. If there is anything

that is said or filmed that doesn't live up

to the Knobloch Family Wines' name,

we have license to redact.

License to redact? Proviso?

Oof, you really are a sweet-talker, aren't ya?

What can I say, I like a good contract.

Fine. Fine,

if I give you this proviso, is that a yes?

- Yes. - Yes! Yes.

You have a deal.

Which is great because I had zero backup plan.

This is gonna be fun. You will not regret this.

We'll see.

Okay, Mr. Proviso.

Yah, whoa! I'm good. I'm fine.

Rolling.

It's December in the Lake Chelan Valley

and the grapevines are laden with snow.

Perfect conditions for German-inspired Eiswein.

I'm here with Rudy Knobloch of Knobloch Family Wines.

Rudy, for those of us unfamiliar with ice wine,

could you walk us through your unique harvesting process?

- Oh, uh... - Cut!

My mind went completely blank. Huh.

That's okay. That's okay. It happens.

Just take a deep breath and start again.

Yep.

Rudy, could you walk us through your century-old

harvesting process for ice wine?

Yes. Yep.

- Great. - Well, uh...

- Please do. - To start,

we have frozen grapes.

Or else there's no um...

ice wine.

- Cut. - Cut.

Oh, I uh... I'm not very good at this.

- Terrible. - Wonky.

Terrible. Um, this really isn't for me.

Anton, he is the outgoing one. Get him to film it.

Yeah, but Anton doesn't look like you.

What? Are we going to pretend he's not incredibly handsome?

I mean, the camera fricking loves him,

minus the whole can't say anything

without freezing up thing.

Okay, Shannon, you are not helping.

Rudy, you're the owner.

You're the one the audience wants to hear from.

Okay? We just need to shake

things up a little bit.

Get you feeling more comfortable.

How?

Team-building exercises!

Ooh, I like that.

Your dad was mentioning a snowman building contest.

I declined on account of it being too small town

for me, however, it seems right up your alley.

Mm-hmm, okay, I'm gonna take that as a compliment.

Mm...

But I am down, if you are, Rudy.

Team-building it is.

Haha, yes! That is the spirit, Rudolph!

Sorry.

Hmm...

I can't believe we're doing this.

Oh, lighten up, grumps. Okay?

The whole point of this is for us to have fun

and get to know each other. Hmm?

Okay, teams, let the snowman building begin!

All right.

Ouch.

What's that giant hat made out of, industrial steel?

It is not a giant hat

and I'm clearly not the hard-headed one here.

Why don't we just start by rolling the snow?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa!

We need to come up with a theme first.

- A theme? - Yeah.

But it's a snowman. That is the theme.

How do you know it's a snowman?

It could be snowwoman.

Or a magical snow elf.

Or a Scandinavian sled dog.

Can we just make a normal snowman, like everyone else?

Sure. If you wanna lose.

Normal is boring.

Normal will not set us apart from the rest.

Are you always this difficult?

Are you always this stubborn?

Okay, teams, do not forget,

you only have 20 minutes to build your masterpiece.

Fine, okay, we will roll the snow.

I will still think of a theme.

- Sounds reasonable. - Hmm.

So, do you like living in Lake Chelan?

Yeah, I do.

That's it? Seriously?

You're not gonna ask me, what about you?

Where did you grow up?

Or, where do you live now, Heather?

Where do you live now, Heather?

Hmm. I live in LA, thank you so much for asking.

And I love it there. The people are friendly,

it's always sunny, and I can have

really good sushi any time I want.

Does actually sound pretty nice.

It is.

So, you must not come back to Washington very often?

No.

Work has kinda taken over my life.

In a great way.

But uh, it is tough

not seeing my dad since we lost my mom.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Thank you.

That was six years ago.

Huh.

Doesn't even feel that long.

Well, no amount of time changes how much

we miss the ones we love the most.

Wow, Rudy.

That was actually a very human thing of you to say.

Well, I'm a quick study.

Oh, I have an idea.

It's pretty clever.

Except, it's missing something.

Hey! Hello? Ha.

There.

Okay, that is pretty perfect.

Thank you.

But you were right. It's a lot more interesting

picking a theme than doing something normal.

Oh, what?

And the winning snowman is...

Classic Mr. Frosty.

I see...

It was rigged.

So, this was fun.

Oh! Did you just say that you had fun?

There's no need to go make a big thing of it.

Ha! Oh, making a thing out of things

is kinda my thing, Rudy.

So?

- Right. - Mm-hmm.

You know what we should do next?

- Hmm? - Get a Christmas tree.

Well, the winery could definitely use one.

But definitely not from there. Nope.

What, do you have some kind of inside Christmas tree guy?

Maybe from the North Pole, hmm? Little backwoods kinda deal?

Yeah, something like that, yeah.

Trust me, it'll be worth it.

And it even involves your team-building.

Deal.

- Okay. - Okay.

Uh, I-I should probably go.

I don't know what kinda new Christmas activity

my dad is putting Shannon through.

Right.

Well, I will see you tomorrow then.

Yeah.

Tami, hi.

Heather, the footage Shannon sent is unusable.

What exactly are you doing over there?

Well, the first day of filming was a bit rocky

but I think we've remedied the problem.

At least, I hope we have.

I don't wanna put unnecessary pressure on you,

but you can't screw this up.

We are depending on you to steer the ratings

in the right direction.

That sounds like a lot of pressure.

Well, then, let that motivate you.

I've gotta go. Busy, busy, busy.

Don't worry Tami, it's all good. I... hello?

Tami?

Great.

Great, great, great.

Oh, Dad, matching PJs? Ha!

Guess where your dad took me today.

A donut shop?

A Jewish bakery called The Challah Garden.

No!

I kid you not.

I appreciated the gesture.

Plus, he got me the same PJs too.

Oh, well, wow.

Whether you like it or not, my dad has officially

adopted you. Welcome to the family.

I'll all here for it.

So, how did team-building go?

You loosen him up a bit?

Yeah, actually.

Um, it was pretty great.

We lost the snowman building contest

but we worked surprisingly well together.

- Nice. - Mm-hmm.

Let's hope it makes a difference tomorrow.

Yeah.

- Yeah. - I mean, it's...

- Stress eat instead? - Yes!

- That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. - A feast!

Cheers!

So, that's what it's like to live here?

Holiday PJ matching complete. Nice, Dad.

- Yes! - Good morning, sweetheart.

Come, I've made your favorite.

Ooh.

So, I've decided to host friends' Christmas,

now that you're finally home.

We haven't done that since...

Mom.

Wow, yeah.

I'd really like to do that.

What's a friends' Christmas?

Oh, friends' Christmas is a potluck

where each guest brings food from their cultural background

and we celebrate everyone's diverse

and unique holiday traditions.

So, my mom's family was from Ireland.

- And mine from the Philippines. - And I grew up with this

mishmash of different holiday traditions.

And somewhere along the way, we decided to celebrate that.

And friends decided to join in on the fun, too.

Well, food is my love language,

so I'm in.

Heather, uh, you should invite the Knoblochs.

I don't know.

I don't know if that's a great idea, you know.

Hmm, well, if you don't invite them, I will.

Oh!

Ooh!

Fine, I will invite them. You happy?

- Very. - Mm-hmm.

Ooh!

Yum! Thank you.

Mm! Great toad-in-the-hole, Tatay.

Wow! Where did you learn Tagalog?

Hmm, sometime between ice skating

and The Challah Garden. Honestly, Heather, keep up!

Oh! Wow! Okay.

Hey! Get! My toad in the hole.

There's plenty.

Ooh.

Okay.

Okay, just pretend like the camera isn't here.

Just talk to me about ice wine,

like you're giving a tour, or something.

- Okay. - Okay?

So, ice wine is unique in almost every aspect,

from harvesting to fermentation.

We harvest the grapes anywhere between December and January.

Making it the perfect Christmas wine.

- Exactly. - Yeah.

It's made from grapes that have been frozen

straight from the vine. And we're completely beholden

to the weather. So, as soon as the temperature

drops between 12 and 18 degrees,

we rush out to harvest. It's go time.

Ooh, that sounds so exciting.

Yeah. Yeah, it kinda is.

Is this going okay so far?

Rudy, you're totally killing it.

One of the defining features of ice wine

is its high sugar concentration,

which is a result of frozen grapes.

Exactly. Grapes lose almost all their water

when they freeze, which is why they become more concentrated

in sugar and in taste.

Actually, our fermentation process

- is really quite interesting. - Yeah.

So, our grapes are a Riesling and a Bordeaux,

which is what gives our ice wine that golden color.

Kinda like the flecks on Heather's scarf.

Oh.

Hey, did I tell you what we winemakers

call the ice wine harvesting season?

What?

The most wine-derful time of the year.

Oh. No!

Wow. You give a mouse a cookie

and they tell one too many wine-drous wine jokes. Oh!

Good one.

Well played, sir.

So, normal wines ferment for two to three weeks.

Ice wine ferments for two to six months.

And then, it's bottled 10 months after the harvest,

so it takes almost a full year for ice wine to be shelf ready.

- It's a very complex process. - Mm-hmm.

- Mm-hmm. - You know, it'd be really easy

to see frozen grapes as ruined harvest,

but my great-grandparents saw it differently.

They saw an opportunity to try something new,

to do something different.

- Uh-huh. - And what they got

was a deliciously sweet dessert wine.

And it's a great metaphor for people.

You know, some people come off tough and cold

on the outside, but once you get to know them,

they're as sweet as frozen grapes.

- That's a grape one. - Oh! Wine not?

- Ooh! - Oh!

Ah...

So, tell us about your Oma's Christmas cookies.

Oma's Christmas cookies are a German shortbread

called Spritzgabech. They are made with

ground walnuts and an obscene amount of butter.

They're not overly sweet, which is why they pair perfectly

with our ice wine. And much like our ice wine,

the German Spritz cookies are made in a very unique way.

Is that a meat grinder?

It's the most traditional way to make Spritzgabech.

Oh. Okay.

Well, wish me luck, everyone.

So, now we gradually add the remaining ingredients.

There, now you try.

Okay. All right.

This is a lot harder than it looks.

Here.

It looks like you've got this handled.

So, once the batter is fully mixed,

we drop it on top of the grinder

and crank it out the other side.

- Oh! - There it is.

- I got it. - Great job.

We're rolling. Moment of truth.

Be careful, they are warm.

Okay.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Mm! This is so good.

Told ya.

Oh.

- Do you need a hand with that? - No, I'm good!

Huh, okay.

You know, you were a lot more comfortable on camera today.

Quite the natural.

Well, I guess that team-building really helped.

I guess so.

Oh, you got a little...

Oh, uh... oh no.

- Batter. - Thanks.

So, where are the rest of the Knoblochs?

Will they be home for Christmas?

My parents are in Germany taking care of my Oma.

She needs full-time care now, so...

Oh, I'm so sorry.

It must be really hard not having them here.

Yeah. But I have Anton.

Right.

Oh, hi!

- Um, bags, yep. - Sure. Um...

Speaking of, um...

my dad is hosting this multicultural

potluck holiday dinner

and...

I was thinking that maybe

you, you know uh...

Are you asking me to dinner?

No, I mean, yes.

Uh, but I'm asking you and Anton,

like a kinda coworker-y.

Well, when you put it like that.

What can we bring?

- Uh... uh... - Yeah.

Yeah, I should go. Okay. I'll-I'll see ya

at the thingy. Okay.

This looks wonderful.

I'm so, so happy you're here, Anak.

So, so happy.

Oh. Me too, Tatay.

Ho, ho, ho! Happy friends' Christmas.

- That's what it's called, right? - Mm-hmm.

Our very own Gluwein.

Oh.

Gluwein, huh?

Do you know what that means?

That it's delicious hot wine spiked with brandy.

Ha. It means wine that makes you glow,

because of how it makes you feel.

I hope that...

that is filled to brim with Oma's cookies.

It's not a Christmas without 'em.

Hmm.

R-right. Uh, c-come on in.

Coat.

Oh, my God. Get it together, Heather!

Wow, this looks amazing.

- Smells amazing. - Hmm.

Is that Irish stew?

Oh, just you wait!

Where did Anton run off to?

I think I know where he is.

♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪

♪ And a happy new year ♪

Okay. Uh, Rudy, this is my dad.

Dad, Rudy. My professional friend.

- Uh, welcome. - Thank you.

Welcome.

Uh, thanks.

Uh, so, I thought I'd start of friends' Christmas

with a Filipino tradition as old as time, karaoke.

Yeah.

Everyone, eat up!

Friends' Christmas has officially begun.

Hey!

Wow, I cannot believe there's an actual Krampus night

in Germany. I thought that was a made-up thing.

- Oh. - No, it's very real.

And very scary.

Hmm.

Well, my favorite tradition has always been Noche Buena.

It's a huge Filipino feast after midnight mass.

My Lola used to make lechon, a huge, roasted pig.

- Mm. - Yeah, Heather's mom used

- to celebrate Women's Christmas. - Mm-hmm.

- Women's Christmas? - It's an Irish tradition.

On January 6th, after all of the cooking,

and the decorating, and the celebrating,

the women get the day off.

And the men, whoa, the men,

you guys have to stay home and clean up

from all the season's festivities.

It's a way to appreciate

all the hard work that women typically put into the holidays.

Okay, I am very here for that.

We still celebrate it, in Betty's honor.

Yeah.

Uh, who's ready for some of Betty's famous

- Irish plum pudding? - Ooh!

Actually, before we get to desserts, one thing...

Um...

Ta-da!

No way! You got a Menorah?

Mm-hmm.

I have it on good authority

that Filipinos are not the only ones to celebrate the triumph

of light over dark in December.

Just because we're celebrating Christmas,

doesn't mean we can't help you celebrate Hanukkah.

Okay, so um, how do we do it?

Every family celebrates Hanukkah differently.

Different foods, different activities each night.

But one thing remains the same,

we celebrate the miracle of light.

So, when a small amount of pure oil was used

to relight the Menorah in the temple,

even though there was only enough oil to last

the Maccabees one night,

miraculously, the oil lasted eight nights.

- Ah. - A miracle, indeed.

The center candle is called the shamash.

We use the shamash to light the other candles

on the Menorah, which represent the eight nights of Hanukkah.

Since tonight is the last night,

all nine candles on the Menorah will be lit.

Anton, would you like to start us off?

Now, as you light the Menorah,

you say the blessings,

normally said in Hebrew, but roughly translates

to we thank God for our many blessings,

for sustaining us, and bringing us all into

this wonderful season.

Which is why we kindle the Hanukkah lights.

Ta-da!

Thank you for sharing this beautiful holiday tradition,

Shannon.

This is what friends' Christmas is all about.

Is there a reason why you put it by the window?

Oh, uh yes,

to remind people that miracles, and do, happen.

That was awesome.

You'll have to let us host you for New Years.

- That's a great idea. - We do a ham

and sauerkraut dinner.

Brings good luck for the new year.

We'd love to!

Oh, uh, don't forget leftovers.

- Sorry. Here you go. - Oh. Oh! Wow.

Uh, I'll meet ya at the car, Rudy. Thank you very much!

See you at New Years!

Uh, I-I don't know if I'm-I'm gonna be here.

Yeah.

Hmm.

Tonight was really special.

Thank you for inviting us.

Thank you for coming.

Yeah.

I'm so sorry.

I literally cannot take her anywhere.

That's okay, uh...

I won't kiss you, just because there's mistletoe.

Yeah.

It would be dumb.

Oh, oh. Ah!

I'm sorry,

I hit the panic button by accident, uh...

can I get a hand out here?

- You should probably go. - Yeah, I should.

Um...

- Thank you again. - Yeah, thanks.

Thank you so much. Um...

See ya.

Wakey, wakey, little Christmas sprite!

- Good morning. - Uh. What time is it?

It's like 10:00 AM. You slept in.

Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh, I never sleep in.

I know! It seemed that uh,

being home and flirting with a cute German winemaker

- has done you good. - Oh!

Hey!

I didn't wanna wake you, but Tami keeps calling.

Figured you might wanna give her a call back

before she has a conniption.

- Uh, right. - Yes.

- Right, good. - Yes.

Oh, my God.

Tami! Hi! I'm so sorry I missed your phone calls.

I-I really...

What's going on over there?

You've never been MIA before.

I'm not MIA. Uh, I just slept in.

Oh, am I paying you to sleep in?

No.

I saw the dailies

and I'm entirely underwhelmed.

Really, what...

what part of it exactly is lacking...

in whelm?

The winemaker's great.

And the ice wine element, very unique.

- Interesting, even. - Okay, yeah.

- But what am I missing Heather, hmm?

Um...

Uh... Christmas?

Yes, Christmas.

What did I specifically tell yu this episode needed to capture?

The perfect pairing of family, Christmas, and wine.

And yet, no Christmas! Why is that?

Uh, we did make Christmas cookies.

Huh, did you see that footage?

Not Christmassy enough.

When is the Christmas festival?

That is our story.

About that Christmas festival,

um... funny story.

Unless I see some real family-oriented

Christmas festivities this episode,

you can kiss Read Between the Vines:

The European Tour, au revoir.

Oh no!

Tami?

Okay.

Okay.

Okay. Okay.

Ooh, you got this, Heather.

You got this.

You go, girl!

Hi.

Fixing nets, huh?

So, is this part of your century-old

- German winemaking tradition? - Mm-hmm.

It is.

Everything about ice wine is so complicated.

Kinda like you.

- Like me? - Mm-hmm.

No, I'm not complicated.

Oh, you are totally complicated! Oh!

No, I'm just an internal processor.

- Okay. - I don't advertise everything

- that I'm thinking. - So, the opposite of Shannon.

The exact opposite of Shannon.

- Hmm. - Yeah.

I believe I was promised frozen grapes

straight from the vine, sir, so...

- That you were. - Hmm.

Ooh. Danke schön.

Mmm!

Why is everything about ice wine so delicious?

Okay, um, the real reason I came here

is to talk to you about the Christmas Food

And Wine Festival.

I know you said you didn't wanna do it

but my boss is really demanding something more

and I really, really hope that...

It's just, it's not a reality this year, Heather.

We're strapped right now as it is, so...

Oh.

Um, I'm really sorry. I-I didn't...

Now, we're figuring it out, but that's the real reason

why we can't do the festival.

Huh. Okay, but what if we got some volunteers?

- Oh... - And I use my leftover

per diem I was supposed to use for the hotels,

- and we just filled in the gaps? - I don't feel comfortable

asking people that. It's a lot of work

and a lot of money for a festival.

And maybe this town needs that festival.

- Maybe it's worth it to them. - To them or to you?

Oh.

Why is this so important to you?

I used to look forward to this festival

every year because it was something...

I got to do with my parents.

But since my mom's been gone...

...everything feels different.

The home doesn't feel quite like home anymore

and I don't know...

Maybe if we did the festival,

it might feel like I'd get a little piece of her back.

Even just for this tiny moment, it might feel like...

not everything has changed.

I am so sorry.

I don't even know what I'm saying. Ooh.

- Okay. - I just...

Let's do it.

What?

Let's do the festival.

We can figure it out.

Together.

Um...

Should probably get to... work.

There's a lot of it.

So, what'd I miss?

Well, we are going to put on

that Christmas Food And Wine Festival after all.

Awesome! What made you change your mind?

Heather,

you seem to have the ability

to get under my brother's skin in the most productive way.

Please don't go anywhere.

Aw.

I mean, I do have to get back to LA at some point.

But hey, you guys have got me through Christmas.

- Right. - Oh wait,

doesn't the festival usually happen

the week before Christmas?

Yeah.

So, we have like, seven days?

Mm-hmm.

I don't know if we're gonna be able

to pull it off in time.

Oh, ho-ho-ho, Mr. Bah Humbug.

Do you wanna bet?

Oh, just you wait.

Oh, just you wait, Rudolph!

All right, meet me at The Challah Garden in an hour!

What?

I love your idea about having activity booths for kids.

Thank you.

- Why are these so good? - Perfect segue.

Okay, what are you thinking about food?

Hmm.

No idea.

Ever since the friends' Christmas dinner,

all I can think about is trying everyone's unique

cultural dishes. It'd be great

if there was a festival like that.

Oh! Rudy, you're a genius!

We are gonna turn the annual Christmas Food

And Wine Festival into one giant friends' Christmas.

We'll tell people to make and share

their favorite cultural dishes.

Yes, absolutely. Yes.

To the first annual multicultural

Christmas Food And Wine Festival

hosted by the Knobloch Family Wines.

Hmm, what it lacks in brevity,

it makes up for with oodles of Christmas spirit.

- Danke schön. - Mm-hmm.

Cheers!

Hey!

This is not what I had in mind

when I suggested getting a tree.

Well, nothing beats going in the woods.

It's really quiet.

It is kind of magical.

Yeah.

- Ready? - Yeah.

So, what's the deal with this tree thing?

Ha.

Well, I grew up in northern Michigan

and then, one year when I was nine,

my parents took us back to Germany

because my grandparents needed help with the original winery.

Oh, that must've been tough.

Yeah. Bit of a transition.

- Yeah. - Especially when Christmas

rolled around. I was so upset

that I couldn't go to this one tree farm.

It had a full on train,

carnival games, a petting zoo, everything.

A kid's dream.

Yeah. Yeah, and to make up for it,

my dad took Anton and I out to the woods

to cut down our own tree.

I complained the entire car ride there.

- Oh. - Until we got out in the woods

and I completely forgot about that tree farm.

That is an amazing memory.

- Yeah. - Mm-hmm.

So now, every time something big changes in my life

or I worry that things won't be as good as they were,

I just remember that sometimes

our favorite memories haven't happened yet.

- What? - It's just,

you really light up when you talk about things

that you're passionate about.

You know, you're easy to listen to.

You would actually be very good at what I do.

Thank you, but I don't think so.

I'm serious!

You've got the extensive wine knowledge,

you are way more natural and comfortable on camera now.

Thanks to moi.

Hey, did you see this-this Tannenbaum?

I didn't realize you were fluent.

Oh yeah. I can say gesundheit.

Wow.

Nutella.

My Oma would love you.

Oh, Rudy.

Oh! Uh, just your Oma?

Heh?

Oh!

Huh.

Did I tell you what us winemakers

call the ice wine harvesting season?

What?

- The most wine-derful time of the year.

- Oh, no!

You give a mouse a cookie

and they tell one too many wine-drous wine jokes.

You call that tree trimming, people?

This place has to glisten with cheer!

Can I get a hand over here?

Ugh!

Are you regretting hosting this Christmas festival yet?

No, not at all.

It's been really fun.

All this Christmas décor, and all these people,

really feels like Christmas now.

Hmm.

Oh no, I guess I didn't do that.

Oh, that's a new development.

Ah, I wouldn't get too ahead of yourself.

Hmm?

Well, let's just say that Shannon's

not really Anton's type.

There must be something that you know

that I don't, Mr. Matchmaker.

Oh, trust me,

if I was a matchmaker, I wouldn't waste my skills

on my brother. He has zero troubles in that area.

- And you do? - I don't know. You tell me.

Okay, I just got an alert.

The weather forecast changed.

Our freeze is happening tomorrow night.

Wait, what does that mean?

It means we have to harvest the grapes tomorrow.

And we have to cancel the festival.

- There's no way we can do both. - No!

No, we can't cancel the festival.

We are so close to making this happen.

Heather, we're completely beholden to the weather

for the harvest. I'm sorry.

Okay, wait. Wait.

What if we made the ice wine harvest

part of the Christmas festival?

Sort of once a year, extra special activity,

that only people that come to the Knobloch Family

Wines Christmas festival get to do?

I think people would be excited

to take part in helping out

making this first batch of ice wine.

- Yeah. - Plus, uh, many hands

makes for light work.

That's what my Bubbe always says.

- Huh. - We could give the volunteers

free bottles next Christmas.

- Okay. - Ha!

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

Yep, ahem. Okay.

Would you like to stay for dinner?

Yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

- Here you go. - Mmm.

Well, I think that the stroganoff and the spaetzle

might be my new favorite thing.

Well, I hope you saved room

because we have marble cake

and decaf coffee for dessert.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Decaf coffee?

Where is the hot chocolate, buddy?

Ah,

well this is tradition around here, Miss.

Is there anything you do that is not

an old German tradition?

Um...

nein.

Well played.

- Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

All right, let's see.

All right.

Mm, mm, mm!

Okay. Oh, don't tell anyone,

but the-the coffee and the cake are so good,

I almost don't miss the hot chocolate.

- Your secret's safe with me. - And you?

- A secret for a secret? - Huh.

- What do you wanna know? - I don't know.

Hmm...

Why isn't there a Mrs. Rudy Knobloch?

I was actually engaged before.

Yeah, she was our old tasting manager, Ashley.

It's the first time our family ever hired any outside help.

We dated for three years before I proposed,

and then, when we were engaged,

she finally passed her master sommelier exam.

Wow, that's tough.

Only five percent of people pass that exam.

She was pretty extraordinary.

So extraordinary that she was offered to be the sommelier

at a prestigious restaurant in Paris, so she left, I stayed.

You didn't wanna go live abroad in Paris?

I wanted to...

but I was in charge of the winery in the States

while my parents were back in Germany

taking care of the original family winery.

And Ashley wasn't willing to do long distance.

Rudy, that's really tragic.

- Yeah. What about you? - Huh.

Where is Mr. Marquez?

Well, um...

I've had a few boyfriends over the years.

- Mm-hmm. - You know?

- Mm-hmm. - But the through line

is that uh, I'm too busy.

I travel way too much and...

my career is more important than my relationships.

- Those are actual testimonials? - Yep.

Hmm.

I've never really dated anyone

that was as passionate about something as I am.

So, they never really understood me, you know?

And then, they resented me, I think.

Well, the right person's gonna support your dreams.

You're right.

- Sorry? - You're right.

I just, I'd really like that in writing, please.

Oh!

Uh-huh. Only if I get a proviso.

Ooh, fair.

It must be nice running the winery.

I was born into it.

Just didn't wanna break 100 years of tradition.

Never really took the time to figure out what I wanted.

And do you know what you want now?

Well, I'm starting to.

I know what I want.

Hey, look at this bad boy!

Uh, oof!

You two were having a moment?

Ignore me.

I'm not even here.

You know, I-I should probably go. Mm-hmm.

- Okay. - Mm-hmm.

Would you...

like to go out, I mean, on a date?

I would really like to take you out on a date.

I would... really love that.

And I promise you that Anton

will not be in a 10-mile radius of wherever we go.

In fact, I'm gonna send him on a business errand.

Deal.

Okay. I'll walk you out.

Mm-hmm.

All right, how's everyone doing?

Hey.

All vendors and activity booths are set.

Oh, that whole roasted lechon

could feed a small army. There's plenty of food!

Yeah.

That's good.

I'm really excited for everyone to have

a little taste of friends' Christmas.

Thank you for breathing new life

into our family tradition, Rudy.

Ah, it's hardly me you should thank.

You earned it.

This whole festival, it's because of you.

Well, teamwork makes the dream work.

The people of the hour!

Tell our audience about the festival.

Hmm.

This year's Christmas Food And Wine Festival

was a success,

all thanks to Tannin TV's own Heather Marquez.

- Hmm. - If it wasn't for her,

this festival would have never happened this year.

And without Rudy, we wouldn't have thought

to include cultural and family traditions

into this year's festival.

So far, we have sampled Croatian kifle jam cookies.

Mmm! Siberian salmon pie.

And we've even incorporated our own family recipes,

like my Filipino Puto bumbong and bibingka.

And my Oma's Christmas Spritzgabech cookies,

paired with our very own Eiswein.

The perfect Christmas pairing.

We do make a good pairing.

I am going to upload this footage and send it to Tami

as evidence that we are actually doing our jobs.

You two continue... doing what you're doing.

♪ Silent night

♪ Holy night

♪ All is calm

♪ All is bright

♪ Round yon virgin

♪ Mother and child

♪ Holy infant

♪ So tender and mild

♪ Sleep in heavenly

♪ Peace

♪ Sleep in heavenly

♪ Peace ♪

We did it. We did all that in one night.

Hmm.

Uh... ahem.

Tami! Hi.

Shannon sent the footage from this evening,

and Heather, you outdid yourself.

- Oh! - And this love story between

- you and this winemaker... - Uh...

When I said the perfect pairing

of family Christmas and wine,

I didn't even think to include love.

That was a nice touch.

Uh, I'm...

Uh...

Thank you.

Anyways, you and the crew can wrap.

We have plenty of footage now to make the perfect

Christmas episode.

I sent it to the team in post already.

It will air Christmas night.

Oh... wow!

I-I thought we were filming through Christmas?

Oh, no need. In fact, I need you back here, ASAP.

It's time to launch Read Between the Vines: The European Tour.

The network is so confident that this episode will pull

our family demo that they're willing to gamble

on a January production start date.

Are you serious?

Wh... what, Tami!

Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't know what to say.

- This is... - No thanks necessary.

See you back in the office before New Years.

Oh, but wait, could I uh...

Tami?

Tami?

Oh. Oh, okay.

So, it would seem that this festival

was a success in more ways than one.

So it would seem.

I just wanna say thank you, Heather.

I have a feeling that this festival

and your Christmas episode has singlehandedly

saved this winery.

You. You saved this winery.

It was my pleasure.

I have some exciting news.

- Yeah? - Yeah! My boss just called

and she greenlit the Read Between the Vines:

The European Tour.

Right? Which is huge!

I mean, I have been begging for this for years.

- You said Europe. - Yeah!

Can you believe it? I mean...

The only bummer is that I have to wrap early.

- Mm-hmm. - They need me back

in LA before New Years.

- Oh. - You know, but maybe...

So... so, this is it.

Why does it feel like you're not happy for me?

Oh, no, I... I am.

Of course I am.

If this is what you want.

This is... what I want.

Really?

Because a couple nights ago, you said that...

that you wanted to be here.

I-I-I... do. I...

You said you wanted to be home more and that this...

that this was nice. Was that all just a lie?

No.

No, that wasn't a lie.

Okay? This has been so nice.

And I do, I wanna come home more.

But...

do you want me to turn down this opportunity

of a lifetime to...

what, move back to Lake Chelan?

Yeah, of course not.

It's like you said,

all your relationships fail because of work, so I mean,

why should this be any different?

What are you saying?

We still have a few days left.

Right? You can still take me on that date.

What's the point?

I've been here before, Heather.

I'm-I'm right here.

I'm supposed to just put my heart out there

so you can leave and then break it?

No thanks.

No, I'm not, not interested.

Seriously?

You just thanked me for saving your winery

and now you're just done with me?

Oh, you're unbelievable.

It's been really nice to get to know you. Really.

But I think that we don't need to spend any more time together,

now that filming's done. So...

Good luck.

Have fun on your European tour.

I... I hope it's everything that you wanted.

Sweetheart, you pulled off

the most incredible Christmas festival.

Thanks, Tatay.

So, why do you seem so brokenhearted?

Because I think maybe I am.

What'd those cups ever do to you?

I'd have thought, since everything went so well tonight,

you'd be in a better mood.

What happened with Heather?

She's leaving. To Europe.

You seem to be attracted to strong, ambitious women.

As you should be.

But you're incapable of holding on to them.

You know, when you find yourself in the same situation

more than once, it gets harder and harder

to blame other people.

If this is leading up to some sort of pep talk,

I'd really appreciate you get to the part where

you make me feel better 'cause this really

isn't working for me.

I don't wanna make you feel better.

I wanna help you.

Well... I don't need any help.

Really? 'Cause Heather was interested in you

and I don't know what happened but, I know you're an idiot

- if you let that go. - She's leaving, Anton.

She made her choice. I can't make her stay.

Rudy,

don't let this thing between you go

just because you're scared.

I'm not scared.

You are! Just like you're scared to admit

that running this winery isn't what you want,

and it never has been.

You just don't wanna disappoint anyone.

Hmm.

When'd you become the big brother, huh?

I had a good role model.

Rudy...

find what you want

and try not to be scared of it.

Merry Christmas Eve, Mom.

Christmas flapjacks, coming right up!

Still nothing?

Not even a text.

Do you need to beat him up?

I'm small, but I can hold my own.

No. Thank you.

I just really thought he was gonna reach out, you know?

It doesn't matter.

Fortunately, we've got Europe to look forward to.

And it is going to be absolutely fabulous.

But before that, we celebrate.

Merry Christmas, my family.

Merry Christmas.

Maligayang Pasko.

Maligayang Pasko.

Maligayang Pasko.

Close.

I'll be fluent by the end of the trip, for sure.

- After the pancakes. - Thank you!

Hey.

Look at this.

- There you are. - I don't wanna watch this.

Come on.

- What? - Come on, look at you.

- The most wine-derful time of the year.

This is what you should be doing.

Oh no! Wow!

You were made for this.

You give a mouse a cookie

and they tell one too many

wine-drous wine jokes.

And honestly, the two of you together...

Well played, sir.

Yeah, it's the perfect pairing.

Rudy,

there's nothing keeping you here this time.

Mom and Dad let me shadow you this year for a reason.

This was never your dream.

Admit it.

Huh.

I don't even know what I'm gonna do.

I don't know either,

but you'll figure it out.

Besides,

we have more customers than ever,

just from the festival alone.

Once the Tannin TV episode airs,

we're set.

Well, if it's gonna be busier than ever,

then I definitely can't leave you.

Yes, you can.

I've been interviewing for outside help.

What?

Running this winery is my jam.

I-I've been preparing to take charge for a while.

Be nice if you'd finally let me.

Yeah.

Well...

I don't wanna stand in the way of your dreams.

Hmm. Yeah.

And I think I know what I want.

Well, it's about time.

Yeah.

Oh... oh, okay.

You mean right now. Oh, okay. Yeah!

I'm really gonna miss you kids.

Aw, Tatay, thank you for being like

a second father to me during this trip.

You're a real mensch.

Ah.

Wow!

Aw, Dad, I'm so happy we got to come home

and celebrate with you.

This has been really, really special.

I'm gonna miss this. I'm gonna miss you.

Who knows? Maybe I'll meet you in Europe!

I'm overdue for an adventure.

I would love that.

- I love you. - I love you.

Travel safe. You have your snacks?

- Yes, yes. - Your travel pillow?

- Okay, bye! - Okay.

Have you watched our Christmas episode yet?

You know I haven't.

That is what I thought.

- Now, some people come off...

What are you doing? You know I don't wanna see this. Come on.

I'm gonna hold that there 'til you watch it.

- They're as sweet as frozen grapes.

That's a grape one.

Oh. Oh! Wine not?

Ooh!

You know,

there is still time to do a quick detour

before we head to JFK.

And besides, don't you and your dad celebrate

that Irish Women's Christmas on the 6th?

Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, uh,

you probably shouldn't miss that, should you?

I probably shouldn't.

I know. I know I'm the best and you love me.

Ah, it's so hard being this good at my job.

Oh, and also, can you please bring back some of those

German cookies? Oh! Those were so good.

Go get 'em, tiger!

Rudy. Uh...

What are you doing here?

Well, it's Women's Christmas

and...

I've got a lot of cleaning up to do.

At my house?

No at...

Yeah, I'm helping your dad out. I just...

I mean, between you and me.

Oh.

Well, it's...

a lot harder when you're face to face.

Yeah.

Just...

I told you that I haven't taken the time

to figure out exactly what I want in my life

and you, you know exactly what you want

and you are not afraid to go after it.

And that's not gonna change, Rudy.

I don't want you to. Ever.

Heather, you came into my life and you...

you shook it up in a good way.

All the things that I used to do, they're just...

they're not good enough anymore.

And normal? Well, normal's boring.

I just, I wanted you to stay.

Before you go to Europe, I just want you to know

how happy I am for you

and how excited I am for your next adventure.

And that it was worth it,

getting to know you.

Falling for you.

Even if...

Even if this is goodbye.

Come with me.

- What? - To Europe.

You know, maybe not for the whole time but...

come visit me.

Buy yourself some time to find a new dream.

One that's just for you.

You know, let's see.

Let's see if...

whatever this is, is...

it's real.

Maybe it's just like you said,

our favorite memories have yet to be made.

Well, I think I said it a little bit better.

A little.

Then maybe they're in Europe.

With me.

I don't know.

'Cause I think that we have some memories to make here,

before I come visit you in Europe.

Told ya.

I don't need a mistletoe.

Hi, Tannin TV, I'm Heather Marquez.

And on today's episode of Read Between the Vines:

The European Tour, we venture through this Tuscan winery,

where the Chianti is so intoxicating,

it just might make you fall in love.

Take it from us.

I'm Rudy Knobloch, co-host of Read Between the Vines,

and this Valentine's Day,

we invite you to explore the rich varietals

and sheer romance that Italy has to offer.

Mm.

We will be pairing our rich red wines

with bitter dark chocolate.

For the perfect complementary pairing.

Chocolate and wine, now that is what I call amore.

Oh, I did not know you were fluent.

- Si, si, si, si. - Hmm.

I know how to say, ti amo.

What does that mean?

I love you.

I love you, too.

Uh...

I am gonna need all that again

because I accidentally stopped filming.