Murray Close // Getty Images – Director: Alfonso Arau – IMDb user rating: 6.7 – Metascore: 54 – Runtime: 102 minutes In an attempt to escape his wife he impulsively married before enlisting, Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) heads to Sacramento after he returns from World War II and, along the way, falls head-over-heels in love with a woman whose family owns a vineyard. This, of course, comes to a disastrous head when the father of the beautiful Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) disapproves of their relationship. The film was shot in multiple vineyards and wineries in towns across Napa Valley, including St. Helena and Sonoma. “A Walk in the Clouds” is an adaptation of the original Italian screenplay “Four Steps in the Clouds,” which premiered in 1942. Mondovino (2004) ThinkFilm – Director: Jonathan Nossiter – IMDb user rating: 7.0 – Metascore: 67 – Runtime: 135 minutes This noteworthy documentary reveals the globalization of the world’s different wine regions, pitting the ambitious large, multinational wine producers against the small, single-estate wineries representing their regions’ environments. “Mondovino” stars Robert Parker and Michel Rolland. The film earned nominations for a César Award and the Palme d’Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Sideways (2004) Forgotten Man Films – Director: Jason Wise – IMDb user rating: 7.3 – Metascore: data not available – Runtime: 90 minutes A sequel to the 2012 original documentary “Somm,” this film focuses on the history of winemaking through 10 different chapters featuring 10 different bottles of wine. The chapters look at important elements of winemaking, such as the cost, the types of barrels used, the sommeliers, and more. The film features the four original sommeliers from “Somm” and an additional cast of notables, including Madeline Puckette, Sabato Sagaria, Rajat Parr, Fred Dame, Aubert De Villaine, Jean Trimbach, and Steve Matthiasson. Sour Grapes (2016) Forgotten Man Films – Director: Jason Wise – IMDb user rating: 6.9 – Metascore: data not available – Runtime: 78 minutes Yes, a third film in the “Somm” documentary series, this time focusing on two tastings that closely resemble the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The first tasting takes place with Dustin Wilson, one of the sommeliers from the first two documentaries, gathering participants to taste pinot noirs from around the world. The top wines are then sent to a second tasting in Paris with three notable judges: Fred Dame, Jancis Robinson, and Steven Spurrier. Uncorked (2020)
15 of the best movies about wine and winemaking
