Spending a Friday Night at the Movies With Pizza and Wine
It’s Friday night. My wife and I are settling in for one of our favorite ways to unwind for the weekend: pizza, wine and a flick.
We began this tradition in the days of VHS rentals at Blockbuster (yes, it’s been that long) and powerful red California Zinfandels. Today, we have so many more choices. From video on demand through our cable provider to downloads from Apple TV, Netflix and Amazon, the selections are unlimited, as are the genres.
Until a few years ago, one of the more limited genres was wine-themed movies. No longer. Every few months my wife and I are in the mood for something different, perhaps a wine documentary or a fictionalized tale of wine adventure.
This week I present for your consideration an abbreviated compendium of several wine-centric movies available for in-home viewing. Dozens more are in circulation. Contact me for a more complete listing.
I’ve cataloged these movies into four broad categories.
- Fictionalized Tales
Sideways (2004). Please don’t tell me you haven’t seen this yet. Miles and Jack on their bachelor party fling through Santa Barbara wine country. Singlehandedly elevated Pinot Noir to star level while pummeling Merlot into an also-ran.
Bottle Shock (2008). A high budget, big production Hollywood movie that offers background and insights into the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine competition, coupled with a love story and several other subplots. A reasonable portrayal of the coming-out party for California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
You Will be My Son (2011). A brooding, disturbing tale of a tyrannical Bordeaux father who scorns his son as winery heir in favor of an unrelated townie. Each minute swings from touching to antagonistic to vengeful.
- Documentaries That Seem Like Movies
Sour Grapes (2016). An insider collector who became the darling of high-end collectors and then duped them of millions of dollars by selling them counterfeit wines. Yes, truth can be stranger than fiction.
Barolo Boys. The Story of a Revolution (2014). Age-old tale of young rebels pitted against old traditionalists. Interesting plot twists and turns.
Mondovino (2004). Big producers and influential critics impact, even control, the wine world. Small, artisanal winemakers are caught in the dilemma.
Burgundy: People With a Passion for Wine (2016). The perspective in this film is to drill down into the lives and times of the farmers who produce a number of the most famous wines in the world. It demystifies the rarified reputation fostered by high-end collectors.
- Documentaries for the Wine Nerds
Somm (2012). A behind-the-scenes look at a group of wine lovers-turned-students preparing for, and then sitting for, the grueling exam for certification as a prestigious Master Sommelier. Filled with anxiety, doubt and a burning passion to scale the Mount Everest of wine achievement, each candidate is followed in their pursuit of wine knowledge and distinction.
Somm: Into the Bottle (2015). The sequel (in name only) to the 2012 movie, examines the backdrop to the elements that go into a bottle of wine. Along the way, the director interviewed several famous winemakers at their wineries. And of course, there are Somms interspersed throughout the movie, tasting, explaining and interviewing.
Decanted: A Winemaker’s Journey (2016). A new release that explores the glamorous and agricultural components of world-renowned Napa Valley, from the perspective of a startup operation. Just the cinematography is worth the price of the rental.
- Panoramic Documentaries That Combine Winemaking and Landscapes
At one 100-plus minutes, a single viewing of a virtual tour through the history, landscape, culture and wineries of a number of the world’s famous wine regions. Immerse yourself in these high-definition, enthralling viewings: A Year in Burgundy (2013); A Year in Champagne (2014); amd A Year in Port (2016)
This Friday, I encourage you to order a pizza and open a favorite bottle of pizza wine, then sit back, relax with a glass in one hand and a slice in the other, and rent one of the above movies.
Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member of the Wine Media Guild of wine writers. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
