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Best Wine Movies

This is a list of the best wine movies produced.  These movies are centered around the topic of wine and all should be available for rental, streaming, or purchasing. Each of these wine movies is enjoyed best when sipping a tasty glass of wine.

sidewaysA list of the best wine movies

This is a list of our best movies that involve wine in the main theme of the movie. We list the movies in the order of favorites

1. Sideways – 2004

The first movie on our list of best wine movies is “Sideways.” It is my favorite wine movie. I own the DVD and watch it about once a year. This is a crazy movie about two misfits who take off on a male-bonding trip to the Santa Barbara wine country. Miles takes Jack on a last hurrah before Jack is to be married. Miles is a wine aficionado, and Jack quite the opposite. This is the movie that brought Pinot Noir to new heights in the world of California wines. The movie had such an influence that Pinot Noir sales took off. Just the opposite was the effect on Merlot. Miles slammed Merlot with one sentence, “I am not drinking any F&#%[email protected]?! Merlot!” Check out our Sideways Wine Trail. It features all the Santa Barbara wineries that were featured in the movie “Sideways.”

2. A Walk in the Clouds – 1995

This movie takes place in the Napa Valley and stars Keanu Reeves. Many of the winery vineyard scenes were shot at the Mount Veeder Winery and the Mayacamus Winery. Keanu Reeves is a soldier returning to his wife after four years of service in World War II. He meets a wonderful woman on the bus and it turns out her family owns a winery in the Napa Valley, a Mexican-owned winery at that. There many wonderful wine scenes. In one scene, the entire family awakes to fight the frost. The harvest scene is a classic! Another great character in the movie is the patriarch of the family, played by Anthony Quinn, an all around classy and lovable character. I am not sure why this movie does not get more recognition from the wine buffs. It is very enjoyable.

3. Bottle Shock – 2010

This is a movie based loosely on the famous wine tasting in Paris in 1976. In a blind tasting, a California Chardonnay (Chateau Montelena 1973) and a California Cabernet Sauvignon (Stags Leap Wine Cellars 1973) took top honors in a blind tasting over French wines. In “Bottle Shock,” the movie centers on the saga of Chateau Montelena and owner Jim Barrett as he struggles to make and sell his wine. There is a lot of fiction in this movie but it is very entertaining. Sadly, there is no mention of Mike Grgich who was the winemaker at Chateau Montelena at the time. One interesting point is that Freddy Rodriquez, who plays the part of Gustavo Brambila in “Bottle Shock,” also plays one of the family members in “A Walk in the Clouds.”

4. You Will Be My Son – 2013

This film takes place in St. Emilion and is the story of an estate owner who is not happy that his son will eventually inherit his estate and run the winery. He does not think his son has the skill to carry on the quality of his wines. As you learn later in the movie, there is a deeper reason why he feels this way about his son. The movie takes quite a turn with a surprise ending. We love the scenes in the old wine cellar, digging through the wines and finding many treasures. The movie is in French with English sub-titles.



5. A Good Year – 2006

This is feel good wine movie about an English man (Russell Crow) who inherits an old winery and vineyard from his uncle. It is not what he expects but all ends well when he falls for a beautiful woman as he works on the winery restoration. The movie is set in Provence.

6. Somm – 2012

This is a documentary following four men preparing for the hardest test in the world, the Master of Wine Sommelier. I love the cinematography in this movie. We see vineyards, barrels, wine, wine glasses, and close-ups of each of the sommelier candidates. It is very artistic. I think you have to love wine to really enjoy this movie.

Uncorked

The wine movie Uncorked in new on Netflix. The character Elijah played by Mamoudou Athie, is torn between studying to become a Master Sommelier or taking over the family barbecue joint. There are some fantastic wine scenes in the movie. It is funny, moving, and very entertaining.

I know we missed a few. Please offer your suggestions.

Sideways Movie Wine Map

sideways wine map

Sideways Wine Map 

The wineries that are in the Sideways Movie are in the green color. Sideways was released in 2004 and has become a cult movie and the best wine theme movie. The Sideways movie was a bonanza for Pinot Noir producers. Merlot on the other hand, suffered because the main character in the movie, Miles, ridiculed the taste of Merlot as a plain and simple wine. Today, both Pinot Noir and Merlot are popular among wine drinkers.

Additional helpful information on the Sideways wine country getaway




The Fine Art of Wine

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We recently became aware of the wine art by artist Cecilia Anastos. Please take a minute to read her Press Release and discover her art work. You would receive a discount on purchases made through Wine Country Getaways, and you’d be supporting service dogs for adults and children with disabilities. Thank You!

The Fine Art of Wine:

Every year in October, we celebrate wine culture in the Northern Hemisphere. Wine-making is an art and, in celebration of that art, artist Cecilia Anastos presents her collection of wine bottle paintings along with a special offer to members of Wine Country Getaways.

The full wine bottle paintings collection is available at https://www.ceciliaanastos.com/wine-bottle-collection.html

You will receive a 20% discount with coupon WCG2020. Ms. Anastos donates 10% of profit to the nonprofit True Blue Service Dogs, Inc. When you support the arts, you also support service dogs for adults and children with disabilities.

Ms. Anastos expresses her art with acrylic paintings and oil pastels on gallery wrapped canvas or acid free paper. She adds her Italian sense of humor to her artwork – some of the bottles are labeled with the names of The Untouchable men from the Prohibition era, others have the ethanol formula on the label. In 2016, Giorgio Castellani from the Castellani Family Estates in Pontedera, Italy, received a commissioned painting from the artist. The painting was a representation of Bacchus and it was made with Castellani wine.

“If Bacchus ever had a color he could claim for his own, it should surely be the shade of tannin on drunken lips, of John Keat’s ‘purple-stained mouth’, or perhaps even of Homer’s dangerously wine-dark sea.”
― Victoria Finlay

Ms. Anastos’ wine bottle collection of paintings is contemporary, figurative and Bohemian style. Most of the paintings in the wine bottle collection are ready to hang, and she offers free shipping in the US.

When asked to select two of her favorite works, she pointed to the Untouchables series, and the Flip Flop Brut.

At the end of the movie titled “The Untouchables,” only Elliott Ness and George Stone remained standing. The painting titled “Untouchables – Wallace and Malone Have Fallen” (2016) represents that.

In her Flip Flop Brut (2016), the label has the ethanol formula and she wanted to express the dichotomy of the elegance usually accompanied by a champagne bottle with the casual attire rendered by the flip flops.

Passion for creating unique paintings drives her inspiration. She is a self-taught artist. She learned long ago to trust the teacher within and to go to her inner world to fetch ideas for paintings.

You can subscribe to the artist’s monthly newsletter at www.ceciliaanastos.com. Follow the artist on Instagram @ceciliaanastosart; Twitter @AnastosCecilia and LinkedIn @ceciliaanastosart. She can be reached at [email protected].

Ten Wine Things to Do at Home

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We hope this finds you and your family healthy and coping with our gut-wrenching crisis. I am finding wine more enjoyable these days. Maybe these ten wine things to do at home will somehow ease the day.

wine things to do at home
Ten wine things to do at home during the Pandemic

Host a virtual wine happy hour

ten things to do at home with wine

We are doing this with five couples, each in our homes. We are scheduling this for once a week at 5 pm. Each couple has a glass of wine in hand. In just a short order, we have lots of laughs. It is so good to see our friends. We cannot hug, but we feel the vibes. We are using Zoom, but there are several other ways to do this.

Order wine to your door

order wine online

Stock up your wine collection. Support your local wine shop and wine from wineries that you enjoy. Try some wines from different wine regions. Have you tried Oregon Pinot Noir wines? Try some fantastic Syrah and Cabs from Washington. Try wines from abroad. We have ordered wines from Weimax Wines, K&L Wines, and a couple of wineries in Sonoma. There are many wineries offering discounts on wine and shipping costs.

Pair food and wine

Many of us are cooking more home-cooked meals. It is rewarding and therapeutic. It is an excellent sense of accomplishment to get a gourmet meal to the table. Preparing a meal includes pairing it with the proper wine. Choose a wine and see how it works. Here are some tips.

St francis wine and food
Pan Seared Day Boat Scallop paired with St. Francis Sauvignon Blanc

Improve your wine tasting skills

Take a look at the back label of a wine bottle to see if it has tasting notes. If it does have a description of the wine, it probably comes from a PR person. What do you think about the wine? Why do you like it? How do you rate it on a scale of One to Five? Use this easy-scoring method and rate the wine you are having for dinner. Even better, open a couple of bottles of similar wines. Then compare and evaluate them. Don’t worry, the wines will keep for a few days after opening. Keep them in the fridge.

wine score card
Easy wine scorecard for home wine tasting – Download and Print

Watch wine-related movies

Check out our list of the best wine movies to watch. The latest is “Uncorked,” now streaming on Netflix. Our favorite all-time wine movie is “Sideways.” “Sideways” take place in the Santa Barbara wine country. Once the Shelter- in-Place is over, you can relive the “Sideways” movie by following the Sideways Wine Trail.

Read a good wine fiction novel

Curl up with a good novel that has wine as the theme. We have a list of great wine mystery books on this page. We also like the Commissario Brunetti books by Donna Leon. These mysteries take place in Venice, Italy. Wine and food are always in play here.

Take part in a virtual tasting room at a winery

All winery tasting rooms in California, Oregon, and Washington are closed during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Many wineries are taking to a Virtual Wine Tasting. The San Jose Mercury News has a list of wineries offering Virtual Wine Tastings.

Take a free wine course

If you have a library card, you can download the App “Kanopy” and have access to a ton of free movies and educational videos. Great Wine Courses offers several including “The Everyday Guide to Wine,” Becoming a Knowledgeable Wine Buyer,” and “Winemaking from Harvest to Bottle.”

Listen to Wine Podcasts

There are plenty, some great and some not so great, podcasts. We like GrapeRadio and Wine Enthusiast Podcast. We also like to listen to cooking podcasts. Chef Samin Nosrat has a new podcast related to staying at home. Home Cooking gives some excellent tips for cooking during the Shelter-in-Place.

Check your wine geek inventory

How are your wine gadgets? Do you need a great corkscrew, a decanter, a wine cooler, or more wine glasses? Now is a good time to shop online for wine items. Wine Gadgets

Can’t Go to Wine Country

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The view atop Daou Mountain at Daou Vineyards

Can’t go to wine country, how about a wine country movie or book?

Last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday we were in Paso Robles wine country. We had a fabulous time visiting tasting rooms on the backroads of Adelaida Road. We loved the dining experience at Buena Tavola and La Cosecha near the City Park. What a change one week can bring! Governor Gavin Newsom tells tasting rooms and wineries to close. Our President declares a National Emergency. We have a Shelter-in-Place for six Bay Area Counties.

While in Paso Robles, we visited three tasting rooms. All were quite busy with tourists. The staff was diligent in sanitizing counters and registers. None of that works when one infected person coughs or sneezes.

If you are experiencing wine country withdrawal, try a good movie or book about wine country.

List of Favorite Wine Country Movies and Books

“Sideways” is one of my favorite movies of all time. We like to watch it at least once a year. Why is it a favorite? Check out this article I previously posted.

Another fun movie is “Bottle Shock.” It is an account (loosely based) on the famous tasting in Paris in 1976. California wines took the top honors over the best French wines.

There once was a very popular soap opera about a feuding family who owned vineyards and a winery in the Napa Valley. The show and the name of the winery was Falcon Crest. The present-day Spring Mountain Winery in St. Helena served as the location for Falcon Crest.

The show ran from 1981 to 1990. Amazon Prime has the series for streaming at a Rent or Buy price. See this link for more information on Falcon Crest.

Wine Podcasts & Video

With your electronic devices and earbuds, there are many wine podcasts and videos available. Wine Enthusiasts and the Wine Spectator are the best and most accurate ones worth downloading.

Thank goodness, we have vino to keep our sanity during this unbelievable time.

Hitching Post – Sideways Movie

Hitching post in Buelton
Restaurant in Sideways

The Hitching Post in the Sideways movie

If you are following the Sideways Wine Trail, you must spend one evening enjoying the Hitching Post restaurant. It is a fun and exciting place to dine.

In the Sideways movie, Miles and Jack stay in the city of Buelton. Their motel is within walking distance to the Hitching Post. The Hitching Post is where Miles and Jack meet up with Maya and Stephanie.

Frank and Natalie Ostini opened the Hitching Post in 1986 with the idea of bringing Santa Maria-style barbecue to Buellton. Today their children continue the tradition of combining old and new and boast of serving the best French Fries in Southern California. The staff is very courteous and friendly, which is always a plus.

The menu features a good assortment of appetizers, BBQ meats, fresh salads, and yummy desserts. Most of the wines, by the glass or bottle, are from the many great wineries in the Santa Barbara wine country. The restaurant also serves wines from their own winery that focuses on Pinot Noir.

More on the Sideways Wine Country

Wine Gifts for Wine Geeks

cheese tools wine geek

Cheese tools for the Wine-Geek

Best wine gifts for wine geeks – can’t miss ideas

Coronavirus is creating stay-at-home activities. We are doing more cooking, gardening, and enjoy more wine. For the wine beginner or the veteran wine drinker, these wine tools will add fun and enjoyment to your wine activities. Give yourself or others a wine gift.

These are some great ideas for wine gifts for the wine geek. We all know a relative or friend that is a wine geek. Every wine aficionado needs an assorted of wine gadgets and tools. Here is a list of the very best wine gadgets that make excellent choices as gifts for any occasion. Click on the link to learn more and order the best wine geek gadget for your wine geek friend.

More for the wine aficionado

Wine tote bags
Wine tote bags are cool

Napa Valley Wine Facts

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napa valley wine facts

Welcome to the world famous Napa Valley.

What Napa Valley wine facts you should know

Before you head out on your Napa Valley wine country vacation here are some helpful Napa Valley facts. Be sure to watch the short Napa Valley Travel Tip movie at the bottom of this article. It’s extremely informative for the first time visitor.

  • There are more than 400 wineries in the Napa Valley.
  • 95% of these wineries are “family owned.” Many of these are owned by huge companies. For example, the Gallo Family owns the Louis Martini winery. They purchased it from the Louis M. Martini Family in 2002.
  • Each year 5 million visitors flock to the Napa Valley. They spend 1.4 billion dollars.
  • In the Napa Valley AVA (wine appellation) there are 16 sub appellations or AVA’s, such as Rutherford AVA, Howell Mountain AVA and the Spring Mountain AVA.
  • The Napa Valley spans 30 miles. The Valley runs from the towns of Napa in the south to Calistoga in the north. The Valley is five miles wide at the Napa end and only one mile wide at the Calistoga end.
  • The Napa Valley is bound by two mountain ranges. To the east are the Vaca Mountains and to the west are the Mayacamas Mountains.
  • The most notable grape in the Napa Valley is Cabernet Sauvignon. Many other varietals of wine are produced in the Valley but Cabernet is king.
  • There are four major towns in the Napa Valley that have accommodations, restaurants, and shopping. These are Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. See best lodging in the Napa Valley.
  • Most wineries in the Napa Valley have regular tasting room hours. However, wineries that have opened recently can be visited by appointment only. Some wineries follow this regulation very loosely. I have walked into wineries that say “by appointment only” and have been very welcomed. It is best to call ahead to reserve a time for tasting.
  • 99% of the wineries in the Napa Valley charge a tasting fee. That can range from $5 for a simple tasting to $125 for a wine and food pairing or a reserve tasting.
  • Most wineries open their tasting rooms between 10 and 11 am. and close between 4 and 5 pm.
  • What is the best month to travel to the Napa Valley? Check this page.

Find the best lodging and the top dining in the Napa Valley.

Napa Valley Wine Facts – Travel Tips

Other popular Napa Valley articles

Lompoc Wine Ghetto

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Lompoc wine ghetto

Lompoc Wine Ghetto – 30 tasting rooms

Lompoc Wine Ghetto

It all began in 1998 when Longoria Winery moved into a 5000-square-foot warehouse in Lompoc for wine production and a wine tasting space. Today, in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, there are 30 wineries with more to come. The Lompoc Wine Ghetto is a very large warehouse section where small wineries can set up shop without the expense of building a winery or fancy tasting room. The upside for wine country travelers and wine buffs is there is a large collection of family-run and boutique wineries all in one spot. Typically, these are all small-production wineries like Fiddlehead, Flying Goat and Samsara. Is a chance for wine lovers to taste many wines and find something that more than likely cannot be found in any fine wine shop or in the Wine Spectator. The Lompoc Wine Ghetto hours are rather limited. Most wineries are open Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 4 or 5 pm. We enjoyed a brief visit to the Wine Ghetto on Sunday. It is a little overwhelming trying to decide which tasting rooms to visit. One tasting room, “Taste of Santa Rita Hills,” is a good choice because one has a chance to taste the wines of four different winemakers in one location. Santa Rita Hills is the coolest climate of any of the wine appellations in the Santa Barbara wine region. All the other tasting rooms at the Wine Ghetto are single wineries. Most make their wines in the warehouse area behind their tasting room.

The Lompoc Wine Ghetto will add additional wineries but in our view in order to attract many more wine country visitors,  Lompoc needs some quality lodging and restaurants. We stayed in Buellton, about 20 minutes away, where there are a few good choices for lodging and restaurants. The Marriott is a good choice and for dining we recommend two spots. Industrial Eats is the hippest spot in town and offers some interesting gourmet dishes including pizzas. Local produce and meats are featured. It is family-style seating at large tables and it’s a fun, happening spot. We also like the Hitching Post restaurant. We like it more as a wine spot then a quality dining spot. The Hitching Post was featured in the movie “Sideways,” and it’s worth eating there for that reason alone. The Hitching Post makes their own wine, and they offer a great lineup of PInot Noirs on their wine list for dining or for purchase to take home.

Additional details on Lompoc and the Santa Barbara wine country

Lompoc Wine Ghetto Slide Show

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Francis Ford Coppola: wine, food, and much more

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Francis Ford Coppola winery

Francis Ford Coppola Winery where you will find wine, food, and happiness

About Francis Ford Coppola: Wine, food, and much more in Geyserville

There is something for everyone at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville, ten minutes north of Healdsburg on Highway 101. The is one of the more spectacular wineries on the Geyserville Wine Trail. The entrance view is breathtaking and it continues on to a wonderful experience for wine country travelers.  The chateau was built in 1973 and was called Chateau Souverain. For years Chateau Souverain had a famous café run by a young chef by the name of Gary Danko. We all know that today Gary Danko has one of the most famous restaurants in San Francisco, Gary Danko’s. Chateau Souverain changed hands many times, and finally in 2005 the Australian company Fosters sold the entire facitility to Francis Ford Coppola. The Chateau Souverain label continues and the wine is mass produced at another facility.  The label is still owned by Fosters. Francis Ford Coppola decided to take the winery up several notches. He did a total renovation. He remodeled the restaurant and it is now called Rustic. He kept the existing grounds and added a very large swimming pool, cabanans, and an outdoor terrace area complete with a bar and beverage area. He also added a stage for entertainment. There are four beautiful, professional Bocce courts for all guests to use. We hold our annual WCG Bocce Tournament here at the Coppola Winery. Inside the Chateau is the tasting room, a bar, and a fantastic shop for visitors.  In the merchandise shop the main attraction is the Tucker car. If you have seen the movie “Tucker,” this would be an interesting attraction for you to view. We like dining at the Rustic restaurant. When the weather is nice, the patio area of the restaurant provides spectacular views of the Alexander Valley. If you have time, take the tour offered by the winery. As you walk up the stairs to the main portion of the winery, you can find out the options for tasting wine and touring the winery at the desk.

Additional information on the Geyserville area

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY REGIONS:

Carneros • Livermore • Lodi • Mendocino • Monterey • Napa Valley • Paso Robles • Santa Barbara County • Santa Cruz Mts. • Sierra Foothills • Russian River • Sonoma Valley

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