Five of the best wine films
Author: Berry Bros. & Rudd
Sour Grapes: This documentary is a thrilling look into the underside of the world of wine, investigating how Rudy Kurniawan managed to fool so many with his fakes. (Suggested pre or post-reading here, as well as our full review.)
Sideways: Loved and loathed in equal measure, Sideways is one of the few wine-themed films to make the mainstream. Culpable for a rapid rise in the popularity of Californian Pinot Noir, and – sadly – the corresponding drop in demand for Merlot thanks to Miles’s famous quote.
A Good Year: It may have a dangerously low Rotten Tomatoes score, but this Russell Crowe classic from 2006 is wonderfully mindless – just the sort of soft and pappy escapism that suits a pandemic-era Saturday night in.
Bottle Shock: This re-telling of the Judgement of Paris – when California’s wines took on France’s finest in a blind tasting (spoiler: the Americans came out on top) – may stray rather heavily from the true story, but enough of the essence remains. A star-studded cast makes for a highly enjoyable jaunt around the world of wine, with the wonderful Alan Rickman playing Steven Spurrier.
Somm: Discover what it takes to tackle the Master Sommelier exam in this documentary following four candidates braving themselves for one of the industry’s top, longed for qualifications (along with the Master of Wine). It offers a wonderful insight into the geekdom of wine.
The runners up: Back to Burgundy (starring Jean-Marc Roulot, no less), Mondovino and Red Obssession
How could anyone hate Sideways? It’s a work of genius. I think Babette’s Feast should be in there.
Also notable: Back to Burgundy (French: Ce qui nous lie [What binds us]; working title: Le Vin et le vent [The Wine and the wind]) is a 2017 French drama film directed by Cédric Klapisch, starring Pio Marmaï, Ana Girardot and François Civil.
I’ll be honest, I’ve not seen any of these films but they all look pretty rubbish.
So how about going for Passport to Pimlico? O.K. it’s not about wine but
a) It concerns Pimlico becoming Burgundian and b) there is a line when all comes good at the “Real Burgundy”
If you haven’t seen it, I’m sure you will enjoy it much more than Russell Crowe
Thanks for the movie suggestions. Re sideways although the message was that he hated merlot, what made me laugh was that his treasured French bottle that he eventually opened and drank out of a plastic cup was a pomerol – a Petrus as I recall. The Hollywood directors/producers/screenplay play writers clearly had no idea what a cepage was – in common with most French people I meet.
How about tu sera mon fils
The bottle was actually a 1961 Cheval Blanc which is >50 % Cabernet Franc
There is a world of difference anyway between California Merlot and say a Petrus or Masseto
The movie itself is great though
“Sideways” is a blunt cake of reality with a little sweet hope sprinkled on top. At its core, the film is about relationships: how the different varietals compare to each other, how people relate to wine and people to each other. These relationships are intricate and easily macerated. And the character’s travails mirror our discovery of the complex, beautiful and alluring world of wine.
I’ve seen a few… and in my humble opinion…
Bottle Shock – Didn’t like it at first but now one of my favourites.
You Will Be My Son – Grim. Why suffer ?
Sideways – Wine bits were great. They could have turned down the angst.
A Walk In The Clouds – Took it straight down to the charity shop.
A Good Year – Beautiful Classic!
I agree with ‘Passport to Pimlico’ – a great film. Once you have seen that, move on to ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ – the vicar is killed by a glass of poisoned port.
You could also watch ‘From Russia with Love’ – I still remember Bond’s quote ‘Red wine with the fish, I should have realised…’
I loved Sideways, although I thought it was too long and contained one unnecessary detour which could have been edited out.
Apart from the presence of the great Hubert de Montille, I found Mondovino excruciatingly boring.
I agree with Harry Eyres about Babette’s Feast and Sideways. They are both so watchable and enjoyable. I like the idea of including Passport to Pimlico in the wine films on the strength of the Burgundian passport. It is such a great film. It makes me really happy that the 24 bus still runs to Pimlico.
This post has elicited some great debate and some top film recommendations. Just refresh with some BBR vino. .