Winding Down with a Wine Movie

Wine drinkers are usually romantics at heart. We love the history, the legacy, the terroir of the grapes.  We’re swept away by an Italian wine harvest, a Spanish wine cellar, even a sunset over a vineyard.  So it makes sense that most wine movies are romantic comedies.  Most, but not all; here are a few wine movies to consider for your Autumn viewing.

A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

A Walk in the Clouds is actually a remake of a 1942 Italian film, Four Steps in the Clouds.  It tells the story of a WW II soldier who has returned home to California after the war, determined to make a go of his hasty wartime marriage.  But fate intervenes and he meets a pregnant young woman on a train in need of assistance.  Posing as her husband so that her traditional Mexican family will not know the truth, he decides to stay at her family’s vineyard and help with the harvest.  A growing attraction develops between the couple, but there is still a wife and angry father to be dealt with, along with a raging fire.  Maybe a bit melodramatic, but nothing a brooding glass of Zinfandel won’t set right.

French Kiss (1995)

In French Kiss, wine is more of an after-thought than a star player.  The plot centers around the girl planning her wedding, when her guy goes to France and falls in love with someone else. Girl goes to France to win him back, but accidentally joins up with a petty crook who has stolen a vine cutting.  There's a lot of racing around France where confusion reigns supreme.  But all’s well that ends well - in a vineyard. Pour a lighthearted French Beaujolais Nouveau and enjoy this American romantic comedy.

Sideways (2004)

After almost ten years without a wine movie, Sideways came barreling in to theatres with very little romance, but a whole lot of wine character(s). The movie was actually adapted from a book by the same name.  Billed as a comedy-drama, the movie follows two friends as they take a weeklong road trip to the Santa Ynez Valley wineries to celebrate one’s last few days of  ‘freedom’ before his wedding. Of course, trouble ensues in the form of two wine savvy local women, and one friend’s perpetual tendency to be depressing.  The ending, while somewhat predicable, is not totally what you expect and it leaves you waiting for the sequel – Vertical to be made.

Sideways is the movie that pushed Merlot to the back of the shelf after regaling the attributes of Pinot Noir.  (Sales of Pinot went up 16% after the movie’s release.) So depending upon your alliance, pour a glass of California Pinot Noir to sip and savor, or allow yourself to be seduced by an oaky Merlot – Miles be damned!

A Good Year (2006)

A Good Year is a blend of nostalgia and fond memories, with a focus on the future.  Based on a novel by Peter Mayle, this British romantic comedy is set at a vineyard estate in Provence. When a British investment trader inherits his uncle’s estate, his life becomes even more complicated.  He also inherits a possessive vineyard manager/winemaker, an unpredictable café owner, and a long-lost cousin.  Suffice it to say the vineyard manager’s dedication, so far as to sing to his grapes, and all of that gorgeous French countryside had me at "Bon Jour."  Pour a robust French Syrah, add some cheese and olives with a hearty French bread and aimer la vie.

Bottle Shock (2008)

The movie, Bottle Shock, is based on the 1976 wine competition called the Judgment of Paris.  For the first time ever, a California wine beat out a French wine in a blind wine tasting.  The movie depicts how California wines were regarded before Napa Valley was famous, and how, with the right amount of devotion and dedication, you can craft a wine that literally speaks from the glass.  Billed as an American comedy-drama, this is a favorite of those who root for the underdog!  Pour a glass of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay (the winner in the 1976 competition,) sit back and say “Cheers” to the home team….again.

With Autumn's arrival comes cool nights, perfect for stoking up the fire, pouring your wine of choice, popping in a wine movie, and getting lost in an entertaining tale about wine.

Enjoy!

~ Joy

Cheers to National Wine Day

This Friday, May 25, 2012 is National Wine Day in the U.S.  Although the origins of the holiday are unclear, the purpose is self explanatory, a day set aside to celebrate wine!

Wine has been enjoyed throughout the world for centuries. The earliest known production of wine dates back to around 6000 BC.  Evidence was found near the boarders of what is now Georgia and Iran.  The oldest known winery was discovered in a cave in the mountains of Armenia.

The earliest wine production in Europe, dates back 6,500 years ago, and was discovered at an archaeological site in northern Greece near Macedonia.

 Wine was very common in Ancient Greece and Rome, playing an important part in religion.  Wine was known as the "Juice of the Gods.” (And rightly so ; )

For the Greeks, Dionysus was the god of wine and revelry.  Dionysus was worshipped from c. 1500 – 1100 BC.  He is a popular figure of Greek mythology and religion, and his festivals were the reason for the development of Greek theatre.

Bacchus was the god of wine for the Romans.  He reigned over the grape harvest, winemaking, and the resulting frenzied festivals that occurred.  Bacchus was believed to be a divine being who could communicate with both the living and the dead.

Apparently the Romans also knew how to bottle wine.  A 1,650 year old bottle of wine, the oldest one ever to be discovered, was found in 1867 during a dig in Speyer, Germany. It was located inside a Roman stone sarcophagus. The bottle has been on display at Germany’s History Museum of the Pfalz for over one hundred years.

During this early ‘wine period,’ winemaking technology improved tremendously in the ancient world.  The wine press underwent great changes and barrels were developed for storing and shipping wines.

 

Even in Egypt, wine played an important part in daily ceremonial life and became a part of the Egyptians recorded history.

By the Middle Ages, wine was the common drink for all social classes.  It was used for the celebration of Catholic Mass, with the Benedictine Monks producing most of the wine for this purpose.  Housewives made their own wines and served them at every meal.  Wine was watered down with 4 parts water to one part wine for everyday use.

Throughout history, Europe has always been known as the premier wine region.  In fact, American wines were looked down upon throughout the world until 36 years ago.  It was during the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, when French wine judges selected, during two blind wine judgings, American wines as the winners in both competitions!! (See Bottle Shock, http://www.bottleshockmovie.com, the movie.) Thus began the serious consideration, and appreciation, of American wines by the rest of the world.

So plan to lift a glass and celebrate National Wine Day this Friday.  Visit Local Wine Events, http://www.localwineevents.com/ to see what’s going on in your area this weekend. Or check with local wineries and vineyards to see if they have any events planned.

Every bottle of wine has a story to tell – so this Friday, listen carefully as those celebrated grapes tell all!  And while you’re at it, rent the wine movie, Bottle Shock and celebrate the arrival of American wines on the worldwide stage – again!!

Enjoy! 

~  Joy

The Basics of Wine Tasting – How to Win(e) Friends and Impress Your Taste Buds!

A great wine movie

Miles and Jack, tilting and tasting

If you saw the wine movie Sideways, you may remember the scene where Miles shows Jack how to taste wine.  That’s pretty much how you do it!  Snob or not, there are five simple steps to remember in order to get the full benefit from a glass of wine, and they’re easy to remember.  They are called the Five S’s of Wine Tasting!

Basics

Wine glasses with tapered sides

Oyster Crackers

But first, a few basics - use a clean wine glass with the sides going slightly inward at the top.  (This helps with S#3, the sniff.)  Hold the glass by the stem so that the heat of your hand does not warm up the wine.  Start with the lightest colored wine first – this is usually the driest, (having very little sugar.)  Try the whites first, then move on to the reds, again, light to dark.  Have some crackers handy, or water, to clear your taste buds between different wines, so you can taste each wine on its own merit.

The 5 S’s

There are five steps to tasting a wine to really experience it.  And an easy way to remember them is by the five S’s.  The first S is:

Tilt the glass so you can

see into the wine

1)  See – Hold your glass up to the light, tilt is slightly and take a good look. With a white wine you’re looking for clarity, brilliance, cleanness.  No floaters, no cloudy substance, nothing dull that detracts from a clear wine.  Some people suggest you hold your glass up to a white or lightly colored wall to see it better.

For a red wine, check for the tell-tale brownish ring at the top – or a brownish tinge throughout - that means it’s oxidized and past it’s prime.  If you find this, chances are when you do the sniff, (#3) you'll smell oxidization, or prunes - this means it’s a dumper.  This could indicate that the wine is past its prime, or that it was hurriedly prepared and bottled i.e.:  “Quick, get it on the shelf before we run out!”  This means that it was not a labor of love and the flavors are catch-as-catch-can.

Also note the color of the wine – a white wine should always look fresh and clean.  Even chilled, it should look welcoming.  White wines range in color from pale, pale yellow, to straw-colored, to golden, to a robust yellow, (found more in sweet wines.)  All are acceptable; the difference is due to the grapes or fruit that were used to make the wine.

 

With red wine, it’s a bit easier.  Reds can be blush colored, ruby, garnet, deep purple, to almost black.  If the red is consistently the same color– you’re typically in good shape.  Reds should also look welcoming – something you anticipate putting in your mouth.

2) Swirl – When learning, this is best done by placing the base of the glass on a table or hard surface and giving the glass a good rotation, ‘swirling’ it.  Do this for ten to fifteen seconds to allow the air to penetrate the wine’s surface and get some oxygen in there, releasing the aromas.

3) Sniff – Yes, this looks pretentious, but if you want to truly enjoy all aspects of wine – give it a go.  You will be amazed by the different aromas that you can identify.   As soon as you finish the swirl, stick your nose in the glass. Now, just so we’re all on the same page, do not stick your nose in till you touch the wine with it!  Do not snort and make other noises to entertain your friends and appall the table next to you.

On the other hand, do not just wave the glass under your nose or hold it several inches away.    You’ll know you have it right when you can breath in the wine’s aroma and only the wine’s aroma.  Quick sniffs or longer, it’s your choice.  Try both and see what works for you.  Once you get past feeling odd – and yes, you do at first, the experience will tempt you to try again.  Aromas that you’re looking for include floral, fruity, spicy, nutty, oaky, the smell of earth, mushrooms, cedar, smoke, asparagus, tar….the possibilities go on and on.

The Wine Aroma Wheel

In fact, now’s a good time to tell you about the Wine  Aroma Wheel.  Created by University of California/Davis professor, Ann Noble, the Aroma Wheel was created to help us ordinary wine drinkers put a name to what we were tasting and smelling.   Check it out at http://winearomawheel.com/  This is one of the best tools out there to help you start to name what you smell. When you can do that, you can start to understand more about where the grapes or fruit came from and how they were grown, fermented, and crafted into wine.  As odd as some of the smells on the wheel seem, if you taste enough wines, you’ll eventually discover each of them.  Just have fun with it!

Sipping the Wine

4)  Sip – Note I said sip, not guzzle it down.  My rule of thumb – the first sip does not count.  Swish it around your mouth and tongue, and swallow.  Is it sweet?  Dry? (What a wine is called with minimal sugar.) Somewhere in between?  The second sip, and on, are where you will start to identify the flavors.  Some people ‘chew’ their wines when tasting – as if chewing a piece of food.  Others open their mouths slightly and draw in air to mix with the wine in their mouths, (called aerating the wine.)  Both ways help you get the full flavors at the back of your throat and nasal passages. Do what's comfortable for you.

Tasting on the Tongue

A truly good wine will have several flavors. We actually have four taste receptors on our tongues for sweet, salty, bitter, and sour flavors. The diagram at the left explains the taste receptors on the tongue and that where you place the wine in your mouth will effect what you taste.  The inner sides of the tongue identify sourness and acid, the outer sides detect saltiness, the tip of the tongue registers sweetness, and the back of the tongue perceives bitterness and alcohol.

Wine Aroma Wheel can be used

to identify flavors

Now, grab that aroma wheel and see if you can identify the taste that goes with those smells.   Also notice how long the flavors remain in your mouth after you’ve swallowed the wine. This is call the wine's ‘finish.’ Once you’ve had fun with that, sit back and …….

Having fun with wine

5) Savor – Because in all honesty, this is why we drink wine, to share it with friends and enjoy.  So, go ahead, pour a glass of your favorite and indulge.  After all, that’s the whole point!

Celebrate with wine!

So there you have it - See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, and Savor - the 5 S's of Wine Tasting!  Following these steps can make you look lie a wine pro, and feel like one ; )  Just remember that in the end, what it's always really been about is finding what YOU like and want to drink!

Next Wednesday, pairing the right wine with chocolate! ; )

Enjoy!

~ Joy