William Shatner's Brown Bag Wine Tasting

On the premiere episode of Brown Bag Wine Tasting, William Shatner sits down with Alton Brown to talk food, family and bubbly wine! Alton discusses the intensity of unspoken cooking competitions between Southern wives to be the very best in town at making certain dishes. He also contemplates the pros and cons of viewing Humphrey Bogart as a father figure, and what criteria justify the use of the word chef to describe someone. Creatively describing their bubbly wine, Alton is reminded of Butterfinger bars.

For this episode of Brown Bag Wine Tasting, William Shatner sits down with magician and television presenter Christen Gerhart to talk wine, magic, and what happens when magicians reveal their secrets! Christen discusses learning magic from old books, the emotional attachment she has to performing magic, and the feeling that anything is possible in the realms of illusion and misdirection. Using magician terminology, Christen describes their white wine.

William Shatner is at Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles to sip wine with Jered Standing, Head Butcher at Belcampo Meat Co. Oh yeah, Jered used to be a vegetarian. Jered talks about the way that the butchers at Belcampo prepare their meat differently, and explains the measures that they take in order to make sure that their livestock live a near natural life. William and Jered discuss the effects that fear has on cortisol production in an animal, and how that impacts the meat. Using butcher terminology, Jered describes the mystery white wine to William.

William Shatner sits down with Dominic, an honest-to-goodness marijuana dealer. They talk about how Dominic got into the business, what kind of living he makes, and when the last time William smoked 'grass' was! William expresses his love for the herb, and Dominic shares that he hasn't sampled his product in over three years. He explains how he can provide a decent life for his son by running his marijuana delivery service. William and Dominic contemplate the relationship between quality and taste for both wine and weed. Dominic doesn't initially enjoy his wine at all.

Chris Dane Owens is a legendary figure. On this episode of Brown Bag Wine Tasting, he joins Mr. Shatner in the great outdoors to discuss fantasy, music, and, of course, wine. Chris talks about his successes with creating music videos that stylistically pay homage to fantasy film trailers, and how he enjoys the boundless and transcendent realities of fantasy worlds. Chris draws upon his musical experience to describe the rosé that he and William share. Wine tasting just got epic.

William Shatner sips with Star Wars cosplayer Stryder, creator of the Hip Hop Trooper. The two talk bartending, hip hop lyrics, and classic Star Trek secrets before popping a bottle of mystery wine. Stryker discusses how his childhood escape routes from reality were hip hop and science fiction films, explaining the amalgamation of the two themes that form his Hip Hop Trooper costume. Utilizing his experience as a bartender, peppered with poetic phrasing, Stryder describes and rates the mystery wine that he and William share.

Star Trek: The Next Generation meets The Original Series in this week’s episode! William and LeVar celebrate their close friendship, and, in between gulps, the two talk about kids, LeVar’s family, and Reading Rainbow’s return. The actor and educator explains how being raised by a single mother, without the immediate presence of a father figure, didn't limit his ability to mature into the man that he wanted to be. LeVar describes and rates the mystery wine as if it were a child.

What goes best with wine? Cheese, of course! In this week’s episode, host William Shatner sits down with Marnie Clarke, who runs two cheese shops in Southern California. Marnie describes her family's rich history with dairy, connecting the circumstances that led to her becoming a cheesemonger. She expertly pairs the mystery wine with a perfect cheese companion after only wafting it, pulling from her experience with cheese to rate and describe the mystery wine.

In this episode, William Shatner shares some mystery wine with a character who juggles two careers, cutting hair and being a clown. Richie the Barber loves clowns so much that he had his own clown makeup permanently tattooed onto his face. Richie explains that no matter his outward appearance, he would actually love to settle down and raise children some day. Pulling from his practice in clowning around, Richie rates and describes the mystery wine. When he reaches his second glass, Richie reassures William that he won't be driving home and that he normally rides a unicycle, anyway.

In this episode, William Shatner talks horses with trainer and friend Tom Foran at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Foran operates Foran Performance Horses and focuses on training reining horses for competition. He shares why training horses intrigues him, which is, in part, the sense of cooperation between trainer and horse. Tom utilizes his equestrian experience to rate and describe the mystery wine.

On this episode, Bill sits down with actress and model Courtney Hope Turner. In addition to appearing in film, TV, commercials, and music videos, Turner was crowned Miss South Carolina 2011. Courtney details the downsides and burdens of being pretty, and explains why she hasn't always felt beautiful. She discusses her roles on the finale of How I Met Your Mother and in Fast and Furious 7. Turner assesses and rates the mystery wine by utilizing her acting and competitive experience.

Beer is the subject of today's discussion, when William Shatner talks to craft beer salesman Sean Durham. Sean enjoys the popularization of craft beer, which is progressing the perception of what a beer can be. Craft beer is prepared in small batches, Sean details, by using both traditional ingredients and innovative methods. He explains how making his own craft beer has elevated his experiences with drinking it, now knowing the intricacies within his favorite beers. Sean harnesses his beer brewing vernacular to rate and describe the mystery wine.

William Shatner stops by Adam Carolla's podcast hideout to film an episode of Brown Bag Wine Tasting. Adam talks about the structure and format of his standup, planning beats across 90-minute sets in order to maintain audience engagement. Foregoing the traditional criteria and guidelines for the show, Adam describes the mystery wine as if it were a prostitute. Then, Carolla turns the tables on Bill and cracks open a bottle of his very own Mangria!

This week, motorcycle enthusiast James Reddick talks bikes over a glass of mystery wine. James details growing up in Indiana, and how his passion for motorcycles was inherited from his father. He weighs the benefits of owning an older classic bike, that you can more easily fix yourself, over a newer bike with more modern comforts. James describes and rates the mystery wine as if it were a motorcycle.

William visits the Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park in order to sip a glass of mystery wine and speak with railroad enthusiast Nancy Gneier. Nancy explains how the rich history of railroading is intertwined with Los Angeles' own history. She has driven a steam engine, and explains their temperamental nature when being operated. Nancy impresses William with her ability to easily describe the mystery wine in train terms.

Music historian Robert Greenberg reveals the true inspiration for Beethoven's symphonies over a glass of mystery wine. William and Robert discuss how time and experience gradually lead to greater appreciation for, and understanding of, classical music. Robert explains how teaching the context surrounding a piece of music allows pupils to more fully realize that the past is important. Relating the mystery wine to Beethoven's gastric issues, Robert describes and rates it as if it were a piece of music.

This week, restaurant manager Blaise Sepulveda explores egg-centric cuisine over a glass of mystery wine with host William Shatner. Blaise explains how the people, even more so than food, draw him into the food industry, because their energies converge from all walks of life when they come to enjoy meals at Eggslut. Blaise blows away William's egg-spectations with his egg-themed descriptions of the mystery wine.

Painter and animal rights supporter Dominique Cruyff is the lucky fan who wins an auction to converse with William Shatner over a glass of mystery wine. Recounting how she won the charity auction that allowed her to come sit and sip with Bill, Dominique views the donation as a win-win. She explains how her concern for animal welfare informs both her diet and her paintings. Dominique describes the mystery wine as if it were her pregnancy.