Happy National Red Wine Day: Cheers to the TV Characters Who Love the Drink

By Kelsey Klemme Aug 28, 2019 1:00 PMTags
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Cheers! It's National Red Wine Day!

There is a national holiday for every kind of activity it seems, but we're not complaining! Today is the official day to break out your favorite merlot or pop the cork off a malbec you've been holding onto. 

We're not the only ones filling up a glass of pinot noir today, either. The deep-hued drink has been a staple on our television screens for years and we're here to celebrate the characters who are love to raise (or sometimes throw) a glass.

After all, red wine seems to be the beverage of choice for many fictional power women, such as Scandal's Olivia Pope or any of the ladies of Big Little Lies

It's also the refreshment that Game of Thrones' Tyrion Lannister reaches for after battle, that Cersei Lannister sips while in the Red Keep and that Tormund Giantsbane has spilled onto his beard. OK, what we're saying is it's basically what everyone in Game of Thrones enjoys!

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The cultural influence of red wine on TV doesn't just stay on the screen, either. Some of your favorite TV shows have spun off their own lines of alcohol, such as The Walking Dead and Outlander.

So whether you prefer a zinfandel or a shiraz, dust a bottle off your shelf or head to Trader Joe's for some two-buck Chuck to celebrate with these characters who would join you to toast to the occasion.

Bottoms up!

The Women of Big Little Lies

The Monterey Five can be spotted sipping wine in their mansions, at parties or deeply staring into the ocean as the waves crash over the rocks. 

Eleanor on The Good Place

Eleanor (Kristen Bell) loves a glass of wine in The Good Place, especially when the architects in the afterlife turn on a "filter" where you can't get hung over. Um, we wish we had that.

Jen Harding and Judy Hale on Dead to Me

Sharing a glass of pinot is what friends are for! Although, you'd hate to drink a little too much and spill that you accidentally killed your new friend's husband. In Dead to Me, Judy (Linda Cardellini) has to keep that secret from Jen (Christina Applegate), even as the two bond over wine and binge-watching TV.

Jessica Day on New Girl

Who's that girl? It's Jess (Zooey Deschanel)! The lead character on New Girl was all about getting a deal on rosé, once admitted that "pink wine makes me slutty" and may or may not have opened a bottle of the pink stuff when she was feeling low in hopes of being alone and listening to Taylor Swift.

Jane Sloan, Kat Edison & Sutton Brady on The Bold Type

Jane (Katie Stevens), Kat (Aisha Dee) and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) are the epitome of millennials on the Freeform series, so when they're not kicking butt at Scarlet or meeting in the fashion closet to spill secrets they are drinking rosé by the bottle (or any wine will do) and we salute them. 

Keltie Knight, Becca Tobin & Jac Vanek on LADYGANG

The women of LADYGANG need one thing to fuel their podcast and their TV show...rosé. These three ladies are basic bitches and they know it and it's why we love them so, well, that and the fact that they are hilarious.

The Summer House Cast

Bravo's Summer House squad is all about day-drinking in the Hamptons all summer long and their drink of choice is usually rosé, because duh.

Ally Mayfair-Richards on American Horror Story: Cult

Sarah Paulson as Ally on American Horror Story: Cult kicked off the show's premiere episode with one very memorable scene...grabbing a bottle of rosé to defend herself against killer clowns. Great weapon? Probably not. Great drink choice? For sure!

Wine Country BFFs

OK, we know this is technically a movie, but because you can watch it on TV (or on your laptop) we're letting it stay here. Plus, all of the characters on Wine Country drink lots and lots of wine, even if they don't know what wine they are drinking and laugh with their besties while doing so, which is totally great.

Olivia Pope on Scandal

Every week that Scandal was on air you could find us on the couch with a glass of red saluting the fierce female that was Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington). She cleaned up everyone else's messes, and did it with style and sass, which is why we'll always drink red wine in her honor...with a side of popcorn.

Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife

Alicia's (Julianna Margulies) life was very stressful, so she liked a good glass of wine. What's wrong with that? Her husband went to jail after a sex and corruption scandal leaving her to fend for the family, so yes, you'd drink too. Plus, like Alicia always says, she doesn't need wine she likes it.

Karen Walker on Will & Grace

Karen's (Megan Mullally) drink of choice might be vodka, but the lady also likes to bring "juice boxes" to parties AKA boxed wine, so she's a wino like the rest of us.

Liz Lemon on 30 Rock

White wine, ice cubes and sprite AKA "funky juice" is what Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) loved on 30 Rock and we're all in on this concoction. 

The Cul-De-Sac Crew on Cougar Town

The one thing we loved most about the Cougar Town characters, besides their friendships with one another, was their obsession with wine. When they drank wine they went big...like really, really big.

Robin Scherbatsky on How I Met Your Mother

The whole crew on How I Met Your Mother could drink with the best of them, but the Canadian cutie AKA Robin (Cobie Smulders) drank even more. She loved all kinds of alcohol, but when she was feeling low she'd drink from the wine bottle under her desk at work. Don't act like you've never been there!

Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones

Both of the Lannister siblings like their wine and we love (and at times hate) them even more for it. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) however does two things really well and he tells everyone about it saying, "I drink and I know things." Preach, Tyrion, preach!

Grace Hanson on Grace and Frankie

In almost every episode of Grace and Frankie, Grace (Jane Fonda) is drinking. She either goes for vodka or wine and when she doesn't have a drink in her hand you know something is terribly wrong!

Hoda Kotb & Kathie Lee Gifford on Kathie Lee and Hoda

Wine Wednesday was the best day of the week on Kathie Lee and Hoda. These two hosts weren't acting—they're not TV characters, but they were on TV—when it comes to how much they loved drinking wine and living it up together, especially when they'd travel (or when they were just at work, obviously).

Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights

Tami (Connie Britton) didn't drink as much as some of the characters on this list, but that doesn't mean she didn't like white wine at dinnertime. In fact, after a long day of helping her husband coach his team (or at least mentor them) she deserved a glass of wine...and she always got what she wanted.

Carrie Mathison on Homeland

Carrie's (Claire Danes) life is probably as stressful as one's can get and she navigates it with lots of help from wine. Maybe it's a little too much at times but we still love her.

Dr. Mindy Lahiri on The Mindy Project

Have you noticed that women in high-powered professions indulge in wine? Well, Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling) was a doctor and a single mom on The Mindy Project who held it all together with humor and grace and maybe a little wine. OK, she loved all alcohol, but wine was usually her go-to.

Every Real Housewives Star

What is the one thing that every Real Housewives series has in common? Wine! Sure, they all have lots of drama as well, but these ladies have bonded over their serious love of wine.