Actor Cara Buono showing off Karen Wheeler’s killer bottle of Chardonnay

The hit Netflix series Stranger Things wrapped up recently after five seasons. The good news is that wine plays a prominent role in the show’s final season. The bad news is that its portrayal is, at times, a little uncomfortable.

Here are six times that wine is featured in Stranger Things Season Five. Note: There are spoilers below.

Chapter One – The Crawl: Mrs. Wheeler as a lush

Karen Wheeler has quite the arc in Stranger Things. She goes from devoted, if clueless, mom in Season One to cougar in Season Three. In Season 5, she’s clearly an alcoholic.

In Chapter One, her husband says of her drinking, with a wine bottle prominently pictured in the scene, “I’m not talking to you when you’re like this. Is that number one tonight or are we already on to number two?” We have to assume he’s talking bottles here.

Mrs. Wheeler is clearly drinking excessively. She pours herself a glass of wine. We see this from a perspective looking back up at her, as she appears almost literally ‘lost in the bottle.’ Mrs. Wheeler then puts the bottle to her lips to get every last drop.

We see her drinking wine as she walks up the stairs. It seems as if she’s unable to even wait until she makes it to the landing! Mr. Wheeler goes out to smash some golf balls to get out his frustration.

Meanwhile, the Wheelers’ argument sends young Holly Wheeler, their daughter, upstairs to her bedroom crying. It is a sad scene, a portrayal of alcoholic family dysfunction and the impacts that it can have on children. I see a lifetime of therapy for Holly Wheeler, Vecna aside.

Chapter 2 – The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler: Mrs. Wheeler as wine bottle wielding mom

In a continuation of the scene in Chapter One, we see Mrs. Wheeler drinking a glass of wine as she drunkenly draws herself a bubble bath. Soon, Holly comes into the bathroom and says that there is a monster in the house.

Once they get back downstairs into the kitchen, the Demogorgon is about to attack. Mrs. Wheeler grabs a wine bottle as a weapon.

It’s here we find out what Mrs. Wheeler is drinking: Chardonnay. No surprise.

Everyone else was riveted by this scene. I paused to Google if Angeline Chardonnay was actually produced in the ’80s.

Mrs. Wheeler smashes the wine bottle and screams, “Stay away from my daughter!”

She subsequently repeatedly hits the Demogorgon right in the kisser with the broken bottle. Mrs. Wheeler is ultimately struck and injured by the monster. Holly is abducted.

Overall, while this is a redemptive moment for Mrs. Wheeler where she comes full circle and then some, it’s hard to see this as a ‘wine positive’ scene. Also, you can almost feel the Anything But Chardonnay backlash on the horizon. Scary stuff indeed.

Chapter 2 – The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler: “Karen. With her wine.”

Later in Chapter 2, as Eleven explains to Hopper what happened at the Wheeler house, she notices the blood of the wounded Demogorgon, which has crossed back over into the Upside Down with Holly.

“It’s bleeding. She must have hurt it,” Eleven says.

“What? Who?” a confused Hopper responds.

“Karen. With her wine,” Eleven replies.

It is a laugh line for sure. But it’s also a squeamish reference to Mrs. Wheeler’s alcoholism. Clearly Eleven is aware of it, as surely are the other friends of the Wheeler children.

Chapter 3 – The Turnbow Trap: “Dad is wasted again.”

It’s dinnertime at the Turnbow household. A wine bottle and wine glasses are shown on the table.

This is good! Wine on the table! Wine as food. Right?

Not so much. Mr. Turnbow, who has been secretly drugged by Erica Sinclair, struggles to speak while holding a wine glass in his hand.

“Holy shit. Dad is wasted again,” Derek Turnbow says. (“Again.” Ouch.)

I’m sure that most people were laughing about Derek’s consistently foul mouth. Meanwhile I was thinking, “Is that Lafite they’re drinking? It’s showing a lot of sediment. I wonder what vintage. He really should have decanted it.”

Overall, it’s another scene of parental drunkenness in Season Five. I feel for these kids. Demogorgons are the least of their troubles.

Chapter 3 – The Turnbow Trap: Wanton disregard for the Turnbow wine collection

Later in the same episode, the group prepares a trap for the Demogorgon at the Turnbow home. As Steve cuts through the floor of the family’s living room, we see that the Turnbow’s have an extensive wine cellar, complete with a racking system.

As the floor falls through, the wine racks fall over, smashing bottles all over the basement floor. All characters seem unconcerned.

This is surely the most traumatic scene of the season – and perhaps even the series. (Sorry, Eleven. Sorry, Barb.) While watching, I forgot all about the imminent arrival of the Demogorgon and was just praying that the Turnbow’s had insurance and that some of their wine was stored off-site. I see this scene – not the Demogorgon – when I close my eyes at night.

Chapter 8 – The Rightside Up: Celebrating at Enzo’s

Late in the final episode, we see Hopper and Joyce at Enzo’s, the expensive local Italian restaurant in Hawkins. They are having a celebratory dinner after Mike’s graduation, and Hopper is ordering wine for the occasion.

This is good, right? Wine as an important part of celebration! Wine as food!

Wrong. Hopper, once again, struggles to say the wine variety name when ordering the wine.

“Cabernet…” Hopper says and hesitates. Joyce helps him with “Sauvignon.”

This is a call back to a prior season. At the same restaurant, Hopper mispronounced Chianti and is corrected by the waiter. (Double cringe!)

On the face of it, this is intended as another harmless laugh line. The reality is, however, that wine variety names can be difficult to pronounce and intimidating to people. Ordering off a wine list can be intimidating to people too! Stranger Things captures both in this scene.

I feel Hopper’s discomfort. We’ve all been there. It’s not fun.

A number of people were disappointed with this final episode of Stranger Things. Others were wondering if Eleven really was still alive.

Personally, I was left wondering why Nancy and Robin weren’t drinking Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers in the rooftop scene instead of what appears to be rum and Coke. Major missed opportunity there. Still, you have to appreciate the product placement.

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Overall, wine takes a prominent place in Stranger Things Season Five, which is great to see. However, it’s not generally portrayed in a positive light. I guess we all just have to be happy that they were drinking wine instead of Old Milwaukee, right?

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