Season 1 Finale

Episode 10. "We're in double digits," Sam said. "We made it." Today's wines come from Patrick H. Hutton, owner of Wine Down Selections in Denver. Patrick is an importer, a wine drinker, and a guy who wanted to be on the show. He showed up.

For the first time this season, somebody asked for a spit cup. We've earned it. Ten episodes in.

The wines

Wine one was electric — Patrick's signature kind of selection. Bright, mineral, ripping crunchy lime candy with a kiss of residual sugar balanced by acid. Sam locked in: Mosel Riesling 2022, retails $45. Justin went Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley, $38. Reveal: Riesling. Mosel. German. The kind of bottle Patrick has been pouring at trade tastings for a decade.

Wine two had strawberry, ripe melon, a slight funk on the first sip. Light on the palate, high acid, very food-friendly. Both contestants got reflective rather than competitive — they've been doing this all season and the wines have started teaching them more than they've gotten right.

Wine three was the Grüner Veltliner Patrick called his current obsession. Spicy, peppery, like a clean radish biting the salt out of a dish. Both contestants liked it most with the food.

The dish + the pairing

The dish was complex — multiple greens, mushrooms, apples, a vinaigrette. The Grüner added spice that reset the palate between bites. "It's like watching Keanu Reeves dancing," Sam said. "Do you remember Speed?"

The Grüner won the pairing. The lasting insight from the season is the one about bitterness — Italian chicories, a slightly bitter Grüner, balanced together in a way that tastes more like alignment than coincidence. Patrick brought wines that taught the show something it didn't know yet.

End of season

This is the season finale. The show survives. Season Two begins.

Thanks for watching, ya'll.