CASE 0513: How Many Heights Could a Wuthering Heights Wuther If a Wuthering Heights Could Wuther Heights?

DEFENDANT: Emily Brontë EVIDENCE: Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon "Katherine" 2023 SCENE OF THE CRIME: The wild moors of Alexander Valley, Sonoma, CA -- Hey — settle in with a bowl of soup and a good glass, because this episode is equal parts wine tasting and literary sleuthing. We pop a bottle of Goldschmidt’s “Catherine” from Stonemason Hill in Alexander Valley (Sonoma), sniff out garnet color, black cherry and red‑plum fruit, a blueberry peak of ripeness, and a lovely stone‑like minerality with velvety tannins. It’s approachable, not pretentious, and sits in that sweet spot around $40 — perfect to bring to dinner or enjoy on a stormy night with friends (and a dog wedged between you). Then we tumble headfirst into Wuthering Heights: Emily Brontë’s 1847 Gothic whirlwind of obsession, class friction, and moor‑bound drama. We talk about Emily’s short, wild life, the Brontë family dynamics, the book’s thorny questions (are Catherine and Heathcliff half‑siblings? are they in love or simply consumed by each other?), and why the novel is more morally complicated than the romantic myth that often gets pasted onto it. Finally, we air our grievances with Emerald Fennell’s new film: gorgeous visuals, striking costumes, and some undeniably hot scenes — but also some big misses. Miscasting, whitewashing a character whose outsider status is crucial to the story, and a sleight-of-hand that ends up glamorizing an abusive, toxic relationship left us frustrated. If you love Wuthering Heights, don’t be fooled: this adaptation is a visually lush reinterpretation, not a faithful or thoughtful translation of the novel’s core themes. Short version: drink the Catherine (it’s delightful), read the book (it’s messy, brilliant, and not for the faint‑hearted), and watch the movie cautiously — especially if you’re handing it to younger viewers who might mistake obsessive cruelty for tragic romance.