Movies About Wine

Wine goes with just about anything, including the cinema! Pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine, or one of the suggested pairings below, and prepare to be swept away.

Mondovino (2004)

This beautiful documentary covers an impressive amount of ground. It is at once about family, about generational difference, about globalization, and the disconnect that exists between the vineyard and the office. Through the use of predominately natural light, handheld camera, and un-cut interviews, the story remains grounded in reality. The viewer is trusted to form their own opinions of the personalities involved through this organic style of filmmaking. And if you need one more reason to check out this truly wonderful film: “It takes a poet to make great wine,” is just one of the great lines you will hear from the selection of old world winemakers interviewed for the project.

Suggested Pairing: A flight of old world and new world wines to compare and contrast

Somm (2012)

A brilliant glimpse into the world of becoming a Master Sommelier, “Somm” is a documentary following a small group on this very quest. It takes an obsessive personality type to study for the exam and this becomes more and more evident as the film leads up to the crucial moment. The prospective somms bring themselves to the limit and the pressure they feel about a test that has only passed 219 people worldwide since 1977, is extremely palpable.

Suggested Pairing: A glass of the most obscure bottle you can find in your local wine shop

A Year in Burgundy (2013)

If you can get past the wordy, “Planet Earth” esque narration, this is a wonderful micro look at what a full year is like in one of the most ancient and renowned wine growing regions in the world: Burgundy, France. Vines have been growing in the area for 2,000 years. This documentary explores this history, and follows a few winemakers through their year tending to the vineyards. What’s most interesting about this is getting individual winemaker perspectives on growing grapes and the winemaking process. The fact that they all approach their task so differently is testament to how much variation comes out of this one small region. Beautiful shots of ancient villages and vineyards, as well as dark, romantic cellars make this a lovely moving postcard you don’t want to miss.

Suggested Pairing: A nice deep glass of old world style Pinot Noir

Bottle Shock (2008)

This truly delightful film highlights one of the most famous upsets in wine history: the year a California Chardonnay beat out a slew of French wines in a blind tasting, voted on by French noses. The year was 1976 and a discerning wine shop owner in Paris, Steven Spurrier, thought it was high time the French were introduced to California wines. He heads to Napa Valley in search of a worthy contender and stumbles across Chateau Montelena. The rest is history! Fun Fact: the original winning bottle is on display at the Smithsonian!

Suggested Pairing: California Chardonnay. Did you even have to ask?

Sideways (2004)

Love it or hate it, no list of wine films would be complete without this quirky, off-kilter little film. As much about wine as it is about what tests a friendship, “Sideways” explores life’s highs and lows against the authentic backdrop of Santa Barbara County wine country. If you’re in the area it’s fun for location spotting!

Suggested Pairing: A nice big glass of Merlot… just to spite them

Across all these films is a common thread: the enjoyment of wine is about taste as much as the appreciation of where it comes from and the passion that goes into production.

Did your favorite wine film make the list? What would you add?

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