Figure skater Adam Rippon has already dazzled the judges at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and we'll be pulling for the American in his next performances tonight and tomorrow. Why? Because afterward, he's going to celebrate Unfiltered-style: "I'm gonna go to Target, and I'm gonna get a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc—Oyster Bay, with the twist top … immediately," he told ABC News' Amy Robach on Good Morning America after helping the U.S. snag a team bronze medal earlier this week.
The New Zealand winery was delighted to get the shout-out. With no Kiwis in Rippon's event, an Oyster Bay spokesperson told Unfiltered they're now Team USA all the way, passing along a message for Rippon: "We’ll all be cheering you on as you compete in your next event. The world is your oyster and we look forward to celebrating with you." The rep added, "We are genuinely proud and grateful that Adam will celebrate his incredible win with Oyster Bay."
It's in the true spirit of the Olympics that Rippon, who's playfully dubbed himself "America's sweetheart," would choose to celebrate his accomplishments with a wine from overseas. As Oyster Bay put it: "Compete as a country, but celebrate our achievements together." Here's hoping the Pyeongchang Target has stocked up.
Is This the New Jane Fonda of Wine Lovers?
You don't have to be an Olympic athlete—or an NBA superstar, for that matter—to be into both fitness and wine. Megan Vaughan, a 35-year-old radio personality from Clarksville, Tenn., has proved just that with her viral "wine workout" video series.
Vaughan created her first video back in May 2015 while having a post-gym glass of wine. "I was still in my gym clothes, and it was one of those things where I was like, '… I bet I could do pushups and drink wine,'" Vaughan told Unfiltered. "I grabbed a straw and stuck it in my wineglass and [my husband] filmed it. I put it on my radio station's Facebook page thinking it would get a few likes. I didn't expect 20 million views."
Since then, that 20 million has turned into 300 million cumulative Facebook views for the 15 videos Vaughan has made. She's worked out with a wine bottle attached to a barbell, rolled out her abs with sips of wine in between and gone for runs with a wine box strapped to her back.
"I use what I like," Vaughan said, citing Yellow Tail and Robert Mondavi as her go-to producers for pseudo-gym equipment. "I'm a Merlot and Cabernet girl."
As with basically anything to ever exist on the Internet, someone's mad about Vaughan's videos, which have brought out a few anti-alcohol trolls. "I don't work out with wine in real life, obviously. It's just a joke," she stressed. "As a fitness person, I think it's kind of cool to show the fact that you can still be in great shape and you can still enjoy a glass of wine. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive."
Chris Hemsworth Trades Hammer of Thor for Riedel of Shiraz at Jacob's Creek
In the world of Australian wine mascots, Yellow Tail Guy and Chester Osborn appear to have new competition in Avengers actor Chris Hemsworth. Last week, Hemsworth was seen hoisting glasses at Quay restaurant and Montalto Vineyard alongside Danny McBride in a Crocodile Dundee spoof ad for Tourism Australia; now he's turned up in Barossa for a visit to Jacob's Creek. Hemsworth is an Aussie native and previously lent his voice to the winery's "Two Barrels, One Soul" ad, but according to winemaker Ben Bryant, he'd never been out to Barossa before.
"We began our tour in the Double Barrel Shiraz vineyards, where Chris was able to taste grapes straight from the vine," Bryant told Unfiltered via email. "We then headed into our barrel room and played with red wine blending to demonstrate how we craft Jacob's Creek Double Barrel." (The wine is aged in oak and then finished in used whiskey barrels.) Hemsworth also hung out with local growers, winemakers and coopers during the trip, and the whole gang capped it off with a barbie, where the barrel staves got their third and final act under the grill.
Alaska Airlines Will Give Your Case a Lift
Alaska may not have much in the way of local wine, but it does have Alaska Airlines to tote other places' wines around the country. The airline has announced the expansion of its nifty Wine Flies Free program along the West Coast, adding an additional 18 cities of departure from which passengers can check a case, gratis. To celebrate the program spreading its wings, passengers on certain flights will be receiving a complimentary glass of wine this Sunday for what is apparently “National Drink Wine Day” (we know, we know).
Wine Flies Free debuted in 2007 for fliers out of Sonoma County Airport (which, fun fact, is named in honor of Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz) and expanded to other wine country–adjacent airports in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Notable among the new cities of departure are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. "Wine and food are huge passion points for travelers when choosing their next travel destination," said Alaska Airlines' managing director of marketing and advertising Natalie Bowman in a press release. "Our Wine Flies Free program makes it easier for our guests to experience some of the country's best wine regions and take their favorite wines home.”
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