![]() When you get bitten by the wine bug, you can’t stop thinking of the precious buzzy liquid. Wine is just so complex and satisfying because it’s about learning and learning some more; the more you know about wine and its nuances, the more you can enjoy each glass. If you think about it, wine is everywhere, from hotels to restaurants, from the supermarket to the Academy Awards. Wine is prominently featured in literature and also plays big parts on screen. Wine TV shows might not dominate prime time, but there are plenty of great shows around. It’s movies that have taken the interest in wine to new heights. These are some movies to satisfy your insatiable thirst for the stuff.
Bottle Shock (2008)This historical movie with hints of comedy portrays perhaps the most crucial event in modern wine history: The Judgement of Paris in 1976. We all know the story, so there are no spoilers here, but the Californian wines defeated the French in a blind tasting for the first time in history. This broke the paradigm of French supremacy opening the wine market not only for American wines but to the rest of the new-world wine-producing countries. To know wine, you must know history, and what a better way to study than with a proper film. This movie is so much fun that even your beer lover friends will have a good time and learn something too.
Sideways (2004)
The comedy-drama is based on Rex Pickett’s novel of the same name. The story follows Miles, a serious wine enthusiast, and his friend Jack on a trip to Santa Barbara wine country. We won’t tell you much more, but this movie makes you laugh and cry in so many ways. Wine pushes the story forward, and while it’s a fun movie for mature audiences, it has plenty of Easter eggs for wine connoisseurs; see how many legendary wines you can spot!
A Good Year (2006)
A romantic comedy that actually appeals to wine lovers. The story follows Max Skinner (Russell Crowe), a stockbroker that inherits a Chateau in southern France from his grandfather. The calm life in the wine country, the bright characters, the scenery, this film is soothing and inspirational. Sunny vineyards and damp cellars, a night out in a picturesque town, this movie is simply evocative.
Somm (2012)
This documentary follows candidates in their path to the prestigious Master Sommelier Diploma. See them study, face frustration, help each other, and ultimately present the most challenging wine exam in the world. The movie handles anticipation well, slowly building suspense and anxiety. A deep insight into the vastness of the study field and the three-part exam that everybody wants to pass. This is the first of three movies in the Somm series, produced and directed by Jason Wise. Somm 2 and Somm 3 are great movies, but nothing beats the original film, the one that started the somm craze that we live today.
Sour Grapes (2016)
Fine wine can carry hefty price tags; some collectible bottles can cost as much as a small house. Wine collectors and the lucky few that have fat-enough wallets to enjoy ultra-premium wines lost their sleep overnight with the news of fake wine being passed around. This documentary, based on the story of Rudy Kurniawan, a masterful forger of counterfeit wine that fooled even the most refined noses in the business. There’s a lesson to be learned here: if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
A Year in Burgundy (2013)
Wine is all about the people behind it. Visit the Cote d’Or and the prestigious vineyards in Burgundy and get to know the people that make some of the most important domains in the region. From grape to bottle, learn about the challenges the vignerons face every season, and appreciate the different approaches to what is considered one of the best wines in the world. The post Somm to Sideways: Our Favorite Wine Movies appeared first on SOMM • Reviews of Sommelier Courses and Wine Schools. from https://www.somm.us/somm-to-sideways/
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