ReWine That Back: Music and Wine Pairing for the Insecure Soundtrack
If you’re like me, you’ve been tuning in to watch Insecure since season one. In some ways my life can be a lot like Issa. We both went to Stanford, we’re both from LA, and our love life can be a mess at times. But what makes the show so great is how relatable it is to so many people. I was rooting for Issa this season as she focused on her personal growth, did away with what no longer served her, and learned to communicate what she wants (is it too late to join #LawrenceHive).
I look forward to the intense recap sessions with friends over the details of each episode and our favorite song of the night. I love the Insecure soundtrack and how each song enhances the mood of the scene. Case in point, Mya’s Case of The Ex playing as Lawrence slides in Issa’s DMs.
Much like music, wine enhances the mood of many of life’s experiences. Champagne is for celebrating, rosé is for fun summer afternoons in the park, and a full-bodied red wine is for after a long day of work. In honor of the season finale this Sunday, let’s re-wine (get it?) with a wine and music pairing from each episode to create a full sensory experience. Each of these wines brands are Black-owned, because like Issa I'm rooting for everybody Black. So schedule a Zoom chat with your friends, grab a glass, and get ready to recap the season over a glass of wine.
Episode 1: Lowkey Feelin’ Myself
Cautious Clay and Alex Isley-Reaching with a Sparkling Rosé
The tempo of Reaching sounds upbeat but it underscores an awkward interaction with Molly and Andrew. At a wine tasting, you usually start with a sparkling wine because it gets people into a festive mood. If you listen to the lyrics, you hear Cautious Clay calling out his partner for being petty. Ahem, Molly. The song feels like it’s perfect for chill summer vibes but those lyrics let you know not everything is good and catch you off guard. We’re pairing with a Sparkling Rosé from Bodkin Wines because while it is the unofficial drink of summer, the acidity describes the tension perfectly.
Episode 2: Lowkey Distant
Michael Sneed-Hop Scotch with a White Wine
Another summer anthem requires a wine pairing that is light and fruity. Hop Scotch’s high tempo with 808 drums would make the perfect backdrop to summer picnics and rooftop day parties. You’ll have this song on repeat so pair it with an easy to drink wine. The Blanc du Bois is a light bodied, fruit-forward wine with high acidity and best served chilled for those warm summer afternoons hanging with your girls.
Episode 3: Lowkey Thankful
Jidenna- Feng Shui with a Chenin Blanc
Feng shui is the Chinese practice of placing items in a space to balance energy and harmony. Jidenna’s Feng Shui is about being confident in who you are and not letting detractors get to you. This song placement is fitting because it comes after Lawrence practices his interview pitch in the mirror for a company where he knows he is not growing. We also see Lawrence and Condola trying to balance how they fit into each other’s world when Lawrence invites himself to Friendsgiving. To complement the Afrobeats infused track, we are pairing with a South African Chenin Blanc from Seven Sisters. The tone is upbeat so we want to mimic the songs liveliness with a wine with pronounced aromas like pear, passion fruit and peach. Sidenote: This makes a great Thanksgiving wine.
Episode 4: Lowkey Losin' It
Sonyaé-Shade with an Oaked Chardonnay
This song was the outro song for episode 4 where Molly leaves Issa hanging when she needed a hook up to Live Nation through Andrew. The term “shade” was defined for the first time in the groundbreaking documentary Paris is Burning which exposes New York City ballroom culture. This beat immediately takes me to a drag ball in New York in the 80s. Shade’s beat mimics ballroom music which has roots in house music. In the 80s, Chardonnay was the most widely planted white grape in the United States. Unfortunately, Chardonnay was heavy on the oak and butter notes which overwhelmed the palate and turned consumers off. The term shade has become a popular term in mainstream vernacular and Chardonnay has also maintained its place as the most popular white wine in the US. This Chardonnay from Maison Noir is aged in oak barrels, and is creamy and smooth on the palate. It’s a wine that is as easy to drink as it is to throw shade.
Episode 5: Lowkey Movin’ On
Vince Staples-Fun with a Pinot Noir
The block party had a ton of bops but Fun by the headliner Vince Staples is a vibe. Although Staples is from Los Angeles, Fun has a quintessential hyphy sound known to the Bay Area. Sometimes you want to leave the drama behind (Issa and Molly lasted 5 minutes during the Wobble) and have fun with your friends. This Pinot Noir from Carmel Valley is light on the palate, fruit-forward with notes of plum, strawberry and cherry.
Episode 6: Lowkey Done
Yung Baby Tate-That Girl with a Grenache
We all have moments where we are feeling ourselves. A new outfit and your hair on point gives you a new confidence. That Girl is for those moments and Yung Baby Tate delivers a laid back flow that mixes sassy lyrics with vivid visuals to create an aesthetic that is part sweet and part spice. We’re pairing with a Grenache from Longevity Wines which has fruit notes of strawberry and raspberry and spice notes of pepper. Grenache is the perfect wine to drink as your get ready, singing along to “That Girl” and reminding yourself how amazing you are.
Episode 7: Lowkey Trippin’
Melii-Como Si Na with a Merlot Blend
The baecation episode took us to Mexico where we got to hear a variety of artists rapping in Spanish. In Como Si Na Melii raps in Spanish, connecting her Dominican heritage to the hip hop culture of Harlem where she grew up. We’re pairing with a Flo Red Blend, a blend made from Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The Red Blend has aromas of red fruits and spice is a perfect summer wine that is best served slightly chilled while hanging by the pool or sitting at the beach.
Episode 8: Lowkey Happy
Smino-Klink with a Petite Sirah Blend
Klink, Klink, Klink goes the sound of Smino’s chains and the sound of wine glasses toasting to this episode. This song introduces a date between Lawrence and Issa that was long overdue. Smino raps over a flamenco guitar heavy track about money, women and drinking. Nothing about this song is modest so it pairs well with a wine just as bold. Smino’s delivery mixed with the Spanish influence of the guitar pairs well with this red blend from Brown Estate. This blend has bold fruit flavors of blueberry and guava without the bitter tannin, which makes this a wine that’s easy to “drink, drink, drink”.
Episode 9: Lowkey Trying
Tasha The Amazon-Forever Ting with a Zinfandel
On Forever Ting, Tasha the Amazon questions whether someone will always be around despite their promise to be there forever. Some friendships are made to age well while others are not. This season Molly and Issa discover their friendship may belong with the latter. When it comes to wine, most are not meant to be aged and its best to consume them within a couple of years. However, some wines develop more complex aromas with age. The process of aging helps to smooth out the tannin and reveal aromas such as tobacco, cedar and smoke. We’re pairing with a Zinfandel from Corner 103 that has been aged in the barrel for 15 months and could be aged an additional 15 years.
The soundtrack has so many amazing songs and this is only a fraction of them. Insecure outdid itself with 97 songs in the first nine episodes alone. This is not an exhaustive list but for the full soundtrack list check out Complex. Similarly, there are many Black winemakers who we could not include in this article. Head to Wine Enthusiast for a more in depth list of Black winemakers from around the world.
I'm ready for the finale this Sunday and I know you are too. I hope we get to see Issa and Lawrence officially back together, Andrew finally come to his senses and break up with Molly, and find out what's going on with Tiffany and the postpartum depression hints they've been dropping. What do you want to see in the finale?
Wine Spencer is a contemporary wine education and consulting brand specializing in curated wine tasting experiences, in-home wine tastings, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and other special events. We aim to make wine tasting accessible and fun for everyone. From the novice wine enthusiast to the seasoned wine connoisseur, we invite you to Decant The Experience.
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