Wine and the Movies: Part 1

 Wine is a part of life in many wine regions of the world such as France. There has been a spate of movies and documentaries about wine, winemakers and vineyards recently. This could be partly due to the demographic that there are now more wine drinkers than beer drinkers in the US. But what about older movies? Did any of them feature wine or make it an integral part of the movie? And how accurate were these portrayals?  I recently did some research on that very topic and found out some old favorites delved into wine lore without going sideways about it.

Note: Underlined movies are available from Netflix. Others may be more difficult to find. Part 1 covers movies made between 1940 and 1959. All posters courtesy IMDB Pro website.

They Knew What They Wanted (1940) Charles Laughton, Carole Lombard. 

Laughton plays an Italian grape grower in Napa. On a trip to San Francisco he spots Carole, a waitress in a local restaurant, falls for her almost on sight and invites her to come see his vineyard. Yeah, right! Even out of his Quasimodo garb Laughton was not going to flutter any hearts.

The scenes of 1940 Napa Valley are fascinating however. Imagine seeing the valley before the Napa renaissance of wine had begun.

 

Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains are unforgettable. 

One can’t help but notice all the champagne, cognac and brandy being consumed at Rick’s Café Americain. This is where the toast, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” originated. Rains as Capt Renault orders a bottle of 1926 Veuve Cliquot, which he assures his guest, Major Strasser, was a good year. The Champagne cocktail also seems to be a very popular drink, particularly among those without “letters of transit”. 

I recently saw this movie again at the Cottonwood 16. It was a Turner Classic Movie (TCM) promotion for the 70^th anniversary of Casablanca on March 21 and only shown at the Cottonwood cinema. My thanks to them for giving us a glimpse of what the original audiences saw back in 1942.

 Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane and Peter Lorre.   

This was both a classic play and a great movie. What we learn from the movie: to lay off the Elderberry wine. That is what Cary as Mortimer Brewster decides after this dialog with his Aunt Martha.

Aunt Martha: For a gallon of elderberry wine, I take one teaspoon full of arsenic, then add half a teaspoon full of strychnine, and then just a pinch of cyanide.
Mortimer Brewster: Hmm. Should have quite a kick.

  

Notorious (1946) Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. 

The wine cellar scenes make me envious every time I see them. The 1934 Pommard is a key element in discovering what secret project the Nazis are working on. Delvin (Grant) knocks a bottle off the shelf and discovers it contains filings of heavy metal.  Unfortunately, they replace it with a bottle of 1940 Pommard. 

I’ve never seen a vintage year displayed that prominently. Usually one has to scan the label carefully to locate it. The date almost glows neon, but then Alfred Hitchcock was known to highlight important clues. The question remains, why didn’t they notice that?  Also, why were those bottles all standing upright? That would dry out the corks. If this was set during the war, 1940 Bordeaux wines would be several years away from being ready to drink and a 1934 just about ready. Surprisingly, one can still purchase a 1934 Pommard for under $300. One would hope there were no heavy metal fillings.

 

The Unholy Wife (1957) Diana Dors, Rod Steiger, Tom Tryon. 

Here’s a film you may have missed unless you’re a Diana Dors fan. She was Britain’s answer to Marilyn Monroe and her statuesque figure was poured into many outfits. She’s a gold digger and Rod is a respected Napa winemaker who marries her; shades of Carole Lombard and Charles Laughton.

It would appear Napa winemakers are better at tending grapes than their much younger lovers. The debate between Napa quality and Central Coast quantity discussed din the movie is still a current topic. 

 

Gigi (1958) Louis Jourdan, Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier. 

The musical won 9 academy awards including best picture as it captured life in turn of the century Paris. Leslie Caron plays the titular character as a courtesan-in-training who must know how to roll a cigar for her man and drink champagne. The song, “The Night They Invented Champagne” is wonderfully staged. I’ve been known to hum a few bars while sipping the bubbly.

Everyone was drinking Champagne in this movie. I wonder how the film was ever made. If nothing else this movie made champagne appear to be the best beverage in the whole world. Well?

This Earth is Mine (1959) Rock Hudson, Jean Simmons, Claude Rains and Dorothy McGuire. 

This film was shot at modern day Rubicon Estate. Issues that divided Napa Valley in the 1930s when this movie was set are still prevalent now and imbue the film with veracity. This was probably the most wine-centric movie before Sideways. One can only hope it will one day be available in DVD.

Philippe Rambeau (Rains) at 70 is the aging patriarch who insists on keeping his grapes out of the hands of bootleggers during Prohibition. His illegitimate son John Rambeau (Hudson) opposes him. The movie captured the impact of Prohibition and the different responses to it. Claude Rains deserves a medal for being in the most wine movies, too.

Bella Vista Winery: Good Views and Good Wine

It was mid-April this year when I drove from Capistrano Beach to the Temecula wine region. I only had a few wineries I really wanted to visit and the first stop was a complete delight. Bella Vista Winery is well named, resting on a hill that overlooks much of Temecula. There I had the privilege of meeting the owner, Imre Cziraki, and a more fascinating man would be hard to find.

The Dream of Imre Cziraki

Generous, affable and with a firm passion for his wines, he regaled my wife and I with stories of his escape from Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. One of his friends told Imre that his name was high on a list of those considered enemies of the state. That was all the motivation he needed to make his way, eventually, to the US.

Knowing only a few words of English he’d learned from his grandfather, also a winemaker, he managed to make his way to California. He purchased La Cresta in 1982, Bella Vista Vineyards in 1998 and the former Cilurzo Winery in 2004. The few words he’d picked up from his grandfather he later learned were all curse words. One can imagine the confusion his new American friends must have experienced when he used them.

A self-made man, one would think he’d take his own path to wine-making and that proved to be correct. The tasting room is expansive and could accommodate multiple tour bus crowds. The grounds are large, with plenty of areas to stroll and enjoy the views while sampling the wines. The website offers photos of some of the many events that take place here, and everyone seemed to be having as good a time as my wife and I.

Bella Vista Wines

Many of Bella Vista’s wines are unique and well-priced. The list is a long one, so I’ll focus on a few of my favorites. We had to try the 2007 White Cabernet Sauvignon. Many years ago, my wife Barbara was dining at an up-scale Chicago restaurant and asked the waiter for a Cabernet Sauvignon. The waiter replied, “Did you want the white or the red?” “Oh, I’ve never had the white, why don’t you bring it,” she said, rather disingenuously.  After a while the server returned, red-faced, and said, “I’m sorry, we’re all out of the white.”

Well now, we could finally try a White Cab. Actually the wine has a darker Rosé cast to it, fruit-forward with hardly a hint of tannins. Tart cherry and spice make this a very drinkable wine, perfect for those that are tannic-challenged. The 2007 Petite Sirah Rosé is a wine with greater depth than one would assume from a Rosé. Layers of red fruit hovering around cherry and a satisfying mouthfeel will make this a summertime favorite.

The 2005 Grenache weaves of complex tapestry of earthy dark fruit and ripe red fruits and is one of the best domestic interpretations of this Rhone grape I’ve ever tried. Not so heavy that it would overpower the bird, I’d try this one on Thanksgiving. In fact, I will try this one on turkey day. The 2004 Petite Sirah Reserve was another favorite of mine. Taken from some of the oldest plantings in Temecula, it shows maturity and youth in each sip. Earth and spice and rich fruit, this wine should continue to evolve for years, but hard to resist now.

This should be your first stop in Temecula, and if you do try all the wines, probably your only stop. Not to worry, there is plenty of beauty around you here, and numerous spots to sit and contemplate how our lives are enriched by good wine. The Cziraki family lives the American dream so many of our youth these days have lost sight of. Take some inspiration from Imre and by all means take some of his wine and make your own dreams. Salut!

House Family Winery of Saratoga

I recently went to a wine tasting event at the home of Dave House. I’ve reported previously about the technology Dave employed to grow outstanding grapes for his wines here. The tasting took place on a grassy hill top near shade trees with breathtaking views of the vineyard and countryside. Dave also gave a talk on his grape growing methodology and a tour of the vines.

We went with our good friends Ken and Debbie McKenzie. Dave was one of the movers and shakers at Intel and many of the attendees are past employees of a fraternity that likes to celebrate reunions with wine. I’m all for that!

House Family Winery wines included Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines. The 2009 Chardonnay is already sold out and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is nearly all gone. The small case production of fewer than 200 cases per wine is partly responsible and so are the wonderful flavors and balance of all the wines. The best way to secure them is to join the wine club, or go to their website and purchase online.

The 2008 Merlot is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. A rich blend with layers of red and dark fruit and spices. The tannins are soft and well integrated. If you’ve been bored with typical California Merlot this one will wake up your taste buds again.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon has 75% Cab, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petite Verdot. Almost the classic Meritage blend, very complex with black currant, plum and cocoa and a mouth-feel that is lush.

The winemaker is Jeffrey Patterson of the well-regarded Mount Eden Vineyards. Jeffrey works with all the varietals mentioned as well as Pinot Noir, which will be in the future for House Family Winery. This is one boutique winery well worth checking out. Salut!

Bold Commentaries: Fall Food Favorites from Sept 20, 2011 show

This Bold Foods with Bold Wines show had two of Jane Butel’s great recipes for pork and trout. You can check out the how-to of these recipes on Blogtalkradio.com. Enter Jane Butel or Bold Foods with Bold Wines into the search field. The On Demand column lists past shows. Click on show all to find the date in question; 9/20/11 in this case.

Chorizo Stuffed, Jalapeno Glazed Pork Loin Roast
Pork loin is one of the most versatile cuts of meat, and inexpensive, too. This one is so flavorful and over the top, we need a wine that can keep up. Whites will be a little lost here with all the spices and potent flavors and since it is the Fall, red wines to warm us up also make more sense.

Sangiovese just about tops my list, but so does a Dolcetto. Most Piedmont Barbera are a bit too soft for this dish although the Central Coast and Shenandoah Valley of California have versions that are sturdier. New Mexico Dolcetto wines often have a spicy edge and Nebbiolo-based wines work with their earthy, rich texture. Montepulciano is another grape beginning to gain momentum here. My favorite domestic Sangiovese is by Vino Noceto in the above mentioned Shenandoah Valley using the Brunello di Montalcino clone.

Some Pinot Noir wines will also work here, including one I just tried the other night. It’s the Llai Llai 2009 Pinot Noir from the Bio Bio Valley of Chile $7.99 at Jubilation wine shop. Master wine sommelier Tom Molitor turned me on to this one. It begins as dried cherry and tea leaf, but opens into a richer cherry and spice after ½ hour. It tastes like a much more expensive Pinot.

Grilled Stuffed Trout with Lime-Pecan-Green Chile Stuffing.
Trout & green chile will work best with a good solid white. Albarino and Torrontés have the staying power and a good price. Try Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for a good well-balanced wine that is also tasty standalone or New Zealand if you live for razor sharp acidity in a wine. Riesling also works wonders; La Chiripada Special Reserve Riesling in the blue bottle is great or try a Ponderosa Valley Riesling. Winemaker Henry Street crafts sweet and dry versions. Corrales Winery also handles this grape well in an off-dry style. Other whites include Pinot Grigio/Gris or Muscadet from the Loire Valley. This was my go-to wine in France for seafood.

How do these compare to your choices? Agree, disagree? Tell me!

St. Supery Winery: Distinctive Wines & Great Touring

St. Supery Winery and vineyards have an impressive presence along highway 29, the main road through Napa wine country. Owned by the famed Skalli family, the Napa holdings get the same attention to detail and innovation as their Languedoc vineyards. I met Lesley Keffer Russell, the VP of Direct Marketing & Sales at reception and we immediately began talking wine. Her enthusiasm for the winery was quickly evident as we toured the facility before entering the Divine tasting room, which, in fact was divine.

The Tour
The tour took us past the huge fermentation tanks to sample the Sauvignon Blanc, redolent of rich grapefruit infused juice. This as I later discovered was a key flavor component of their Sauvignon Blanc wines. Still developing, but already showing promise. The next area we entered was where the red wine grapes, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon were being hand sorted. We were briefly met by Emma Swain CEO of St. Supery, and GG, her white Lab. Oh to have a nose as sensitive as a dog’s. I wonder what that would be like?

Coming off a conveyer, the de-stemmed grapes went along another conveyer belt that vibrated to separate the grapes for the hand sorting where seven attendants rejected ones that were not up to St. Supery’s high standards. This is the attention to detail one might find in a high-end boutique winery.

Barrel Tasting
Lesley and assistant winemaker Brooke Langelius, directed us to a barrique topped with four half bottles filled with juice from the aging red wines. This was barrel tasting at its best; big tasting glasses and no spills from a wine thief, which usually makes this process messy. Instead we had elegance. (A wine thief is not someone lurking behind a barrel, but a device to draw off wine from a barrel.)

Divine Tasting Room
When Lesley finally brought us up to the tasting room I was ready sample the finished product. Each place had a tasting mat with Welcome Hammond Party in the center and each glass enclosed in a circle with a wine’s year and grape name. I’ve seen this setup before but not with this bounty of wines to try; four whites and five reds. Near it was a platter of cheese, fruits, nuts and meats, which I resisted until I’d made my first pass of the wines. Since I hadn’t had breakfast yet I call this dedication.

All of the Sauvignon Blanc wines were excellent, in keeping with St. Supery’s reputation with this grape. My favorite, however, was the 2010 Virtú with 51% Semillon and 49% Sauvignon Blanc. A good Semillon is hard to find in California, but if this wine is any guide, I’ll be trying their Semillon next. I also tasted an oak-free Chardonnay (shades of New Zealand Chards!) that would be a good food wine; bright tropical and citrus fruit flavors.

The reds were where I really found a home, however. I drink a lot more reds than whites and the St. Supery Cabs justified their reputation with this grape. I started with the 2007 Rutherford Merlot which reminded me of my favorite Napa versions with dark and red fruit and spices that’ll awaken anyone’s palate.

Cabernet Sauvignon is St. Supery’s other principal grape and the remaining reds all displayed the results of all that hand-sorting and care, not to mention the Napa appellations. The 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon had just 1% Cab Franc, while the 2007 Rutherford Cab sported 16% Merlot. The 2007 Dollarhide Cab was 100% Cab and clearly didn’t need any help to achieve its balance, structure and rich fruit with essences of chocolate and coffee from the 30 months aging.

I only saw a wall-sized picture of the Dollarhide vineyards, but they are huge; 1500 acres with 500 acres under cultivation. The unique microclimate of Dollarhide and the Rutherford location of the winery and its vineyards assures a wide range of choices in grape characteristics for blending wines.

The 2007 Élu is a nearly classic Meritage blend, with a higher percentage of Merlot (22%) than typically used. Having met that Merlot earlier in the tasting, I could understand its inclusion. Darker fruit here, berry and plum and earthy notes of leather and plush tannins.

Check out their well done website for the very extensive listing of wines. Older vintages as old as 2000 are available for purchase, proof of the aging potential of the reds. St. Supery is a must stop on your Napa tour. You’ll find people with a passion for wine and wines that reflect that passion.

Key West Wine Cruises

A wine cruise, particularly a sunset wine cruise is a great way to enjoy wine, make new friends and watch the sun paint the clouds red, yellow and orange. I recently took such a cruise with Danger Charters on a 65 foot two-masted schooner out of Key West. The choice of wines looked interesting and we boarded the vessel only steps from our timeshare; the Hyatt Sunset Harbor. How can you not do a sunset cruise from there?

The winds were light that evening so the cruising part consisted of moving a few leagues, while gently rolling on the waves. The wines were all excellent as was the crew, which is highly rated and deservedly so. We sat on the forward cabin overhead with people from both of our home states on either side of us. What are the odds of that? Camaraderie is easier after a few tastes of wine, but a sense of sharing a common adventure began with the first white, a sparkling cava from Spain. This was a Marcel Martin Brut, a crisp wine with citrus and melon expanding on the palate.

The Hess 2009 Sauvignon Blanc following it was also excellent. I’m more familiar with their Cabs, which are uniformly good. This grape came from the same Allomi vineyard, which sits at the base of Howell Mountain in Napa. The tropical flavors of passion fruit and citrus notes added to the lemongrass evident in the nose. I had to have a second taste of this one, and will add it to my must-have Sauvignon Blanc list.

The hors d’oeuvres were standard fare but with a few interesting twists, fresh and plentiful. Best of all, they complimented the wines. The Bianchi Chardonnay was lightly oaked and fruit-forward, not the heavy California style. The Chateau Grande Cassagne Rose was dry which is typical of most European Rose, with a delicate nose, bright fruit flavors and none of the heaviness of typical blush wines.

By now I was already impressed with the choices, which were inspired and selected as though they had me in mind. They really didn’t know the Southwestern Wine Guy was aboard, did they? Nah! The first red was a light-bodied French red, La Font du Vent Cotes du Rhone.

I became a fan of this wine back in the early 90s when my then fiancé and I toured much of France. It was always inexpensive, plentiful and consistently delightful on the palate. Nowadays they are not as consistent and certainly not as inexpensive so finding a good one requires more effort. But then, we’re not in France either.

This wine and its more well-known neighbor Chateauneuf du Pape come from the southern Rhone region; both feature Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes. This one is mostly Grenache and has a good spread of red fruits; red currants, muted raspberry and nice peppery accents. The tannins are fine and the finish velvety.

The remaining reds included a Peter Lehmann Australian Shiraz that was well balanced and not over-extracted as some of these wines tend to be. The Shiraz showed black fruits, plum and blackberry with restrained oak and fine tannins. Ba

The Errazuriz Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Aconcagua Valley in Chile, where Pacific breezes and cool rainy winters and hot dry summers help shape the wonderful fruit of this wine. The bite of tart cherry is moderated by the black currant, fine tannins and good acidity.

The Ergo Tempranillo is from the Rioja region of Spain, where this grape shines like few other areas. The rich berry and dark fruit came with earthy notes and spice. If only they had Spanish paella to go with it. I apologize for not having all the vintage years. I guess I was just enjoying myself too much.

All the wines were ably presented by Sunshine – I’m not making that up – and the name is appropriate because she sure brightened our cruise. She did admit to a bit of nervousness since I was on board, but she had nothing to worry about. When sunset finally arrived we were toasting a wonderful time with the last of our wine. This is a must cruise if you love sailing, sunsets and creative wine choices.

Introducing the Wine Guerilla

The Wine Guerilla is not the big hairy beast you might be imagining, but a relatively new winemaking concern in Sonoma with a passion for Zinfandel (among others), particularly old vine Zins. California’s love affair with this grape goes back to late gold rush days. As the gold fever subsided, planting of this grape with origins in Croatia has been steady and rising beginning in the 1980s. Guerrilla actually refers to revolutionaries and Bruce Patch is certainly working his own revolution in Zinfandel wine making with a big focus in Sonoma County, home to many of California’s best Zins.

Old vine Zinfandel is just that, aged vines that take on complex flavors even as the production per vine drops. Mass produced Zinfandel seldom gets the chance to show this character as older vines are yanked for newer, higher-yield vines. Not so for those winemakers that love the grape, and that certainly includes Bruce.

The first Zinfandel wines I fell in love with were in the Santa Cruz Mountains, including Zins made with 80-year old vines at Congress Springs. I even had taken cuttings of these vines and planted them at my home in Los Altos. After many years of touring and tasting wines in Sonoma, I developed a passion for Russian River and Dry Creek Valley Zins. I still remember swatting at fruit flies while tasting Zins at Lytton Springs Winery, which is now owned by Ridge Winery.

Fast forward to now and I’m sampling the Wine Guerilla 2009 Clopton Vineyard Zinfandel, which is in the Russian River Valley appellation. This is mostly Zinfandel fruit with a bit of Alicante Bouschet added, probably for added depth and color. The nose is redolent of old vine with forest floor (yeah, but who’s forest?), mushroom, spice with an undercurrent of red and black fruit, which predominate on the palate. The fine tannins help shape the mouthfeel at mid-palate and the finish trails some of the earthen flavors on the nose. The 14.7% alcohol is fully integrated into the wine, which is well balanced.

I recently attended a wine dinner at La Casa Sena in Santa Fe, which featured five of Mr. Patch’s wines. This wine was paired with Achiote grilled Prawns and complemented Chef Garrity’s dish perfectly. You’ll find a wealth of different Zinfandel wines; single vineyard and blends that will have you in a revolutionary spirit as well. Check them out here.