Why Did Kyle Bring Kim to a 'RHOBH' Wine Tasting?

All hail the reality TV gods, because it looks like my prayers for something to finally happen on Season 5 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills have been answered. The preview for Tuesday night's episode shows a ton of conflict between the ladies of the 90210. Kyle Richards inviting her sister Kim, along with Brandi Glanville, Lisa Rinna, and Lisa Vanderpump, to a wine tasting seems to be at the heart of the drama. But why would such a relaxing and sophisticated activity among frenemies inspire such vitriol among the ladies? The fact that Kim is a recovering alcoholic might have something to do with it.

Since RHOBH began, everyone could tell from Kim's erratic behavior and frequent slurring of her words that something was up with her. Kim's cast members, including Brandi and Kyle, called her out on her alleged drinking problem behind her back and even in not-so-delicate ways to her face. While Season 2 of RHOBH was still airing, it was reported that Kim checked into a rehab facility. "I'm an alcoholic," Kim told Andy Cohen in a special one-on-one interview during RHOBH's Season 2 finale in January 2012. You can watch the Richards talk about Kim's alcoholism in the clip below.

Since then, Kim has gotten her life back on track. On RHOBH, she has seemed a lot happier, more optimistic about life, and there's a glow and a spirit about her that wasn't there before. She hasn't had as many mood swings or emotional outbursts. She's even getting along with Brandi now, which you know takes a lot of strength and a healthy mind to accomplish.

Now knowing Kim's history of alcohol abuse, you see why it's such a big deal that Kyle would bring her to a wine tasting. It's not like Kim and Kyle's relationship has always been puppies and rainbows, but that's a really insensitive thing for a sister to do. However, there might actually be a good explanation for why Kyle would do something like this. It was a big misunderstanding.

In a preview clip of the awkward scene from Tuesday night's episode (below), Kyle is just as shocked as we all are that she would bring her sister to a wine tasting. It looks like Kyle was under the impression that the wine tasting was actually just going to be a lunch with wine served, not a full-blown sampling of the winery's arsenal of booze. It's an honest mistake, and it makes way more sense that this would be the reason why Kim ended up there. No matter how much these two sibs fight, there's no way Kyle could be that malicious. I don't accept that.

If you watch the rest of the clip, the bit of the infamous wine tasting we get to see is awkward, but it's certainly not as explosive as you'd expect. Kim has to drink her sad mango juice while the other ladies get drunk off their pinot noirs. That's got to hurt, but Kim tells Kyle she's fine. Of course, Kyle thinks Kim is being serious, but obviously she's not fine, Kyle. No one who has ever said she's fine is actually fine. Gosh.

Accordingly, the preview of Tuesday night's episode, shown below, makes it looks like all of the progress Kim has made in overcoming her alcohol abuse will quickly unravel. I may have been waiting all season for a Housewives-worthy flare up, but I didn't want it to happen like this. Hopefully, the preview is just trying to dramatize the situation as much as possible, and Kim will make it to the end with the sobriety she's been working so hard to maintain in tact.

Image: Nicole Weingart/Bravo