Recent Golden Globe Award winning Hollywood movie Sideways and the documentary Mondovino released last month may help promote wine drinking in a big way… By Subhash Arora
Thirteen years ago, America and the world took notice of wine in a big, positive way when CBS aired its programme, ‘60 Minutes' and coining the term ‘French Paradox' convinced everyone that wine , especially the red, is good for heart and health. Now Hollywood is set to achieve this feat by releasing two wine related films, Sideways and Mondovino almost simultaneously.
Sideways , a comedy about two friends in their forties, on a last bachelor fling in a wine -tasting trip through California wine country, has already bagged more than 40 best film and acting awards from critics in the US since its release in October. It won three Golden Globes for best comedy, best screenplay and best score last Sunday in Beverly Hills . US film critic Roger Ebert has called it 'the best human comedy of the year' and the New York Times described it as 'a small masterpiece'. The well-known UK wine critic Tim Atkins points out that the strengths of the movie are its characters and its simple comedy. Around the world there are very few dissenting voices. 
The movie is based around wine and love of wine which forms the backdrop as the two friends make their way through the Santa Ynez valley. Wine is also responsible for much of the comedy. There are well-observed moments and some slapstick, particularly in and around the tasting rooms. For a quick look at the Reviews click http://www.decanter.com/news/59683.html
Mondovino , the second film released last month, is a fascinating and controversial 90- minutes film about the wine industry in which the wine big-wigs like Robert Mondavi whose company was recently sold to Constellation Brands of Australia, Tuscan wine -czar Frescobaldi, Wine Director for Christie's of London, Michael Broadbent, world-famous flying wine maker from Bordeaux, Michel Rolland, and Robert Parker, the most influential wine critic in the world have been caste together to express their views on the current global market scenario in the wine world.
The film maker Jonathan Nessitor has tried to bring the issue of globalization vs. local identity of wine making out in the open. Impression has been given that big is bad and small is beautiful. But the romance and passion for wine by the various players is evident. Aimé Guibert, a wine maker in the Languedoc , says wine is poetry, or perhaps even religion. Hubert de Montille, who makes a very fine class of wine in Volnay , Burgundy , says wine stands for civilization's defeat of barbarism. Rolland is perceived as barbarism striking back. Romance, tradition and spirituality have no place in his ideology subordinated entirely to the soulless demands of the market, according to them.
Michel Rolland is equally passionate about bringing his Pomerol style to 12 countries including India ; he has been a wine consultant to Grover's Vineyard for 10 years and is known to have been insistent that only wine grapes must be used for making good wine . He claims to have improved Bordeaux wine s with his philosophy. Interviewed by a correspondent from The Guardian, he said, ‘Wine, not France is my country'.
The common denominator, the passion for wine is sure to rub on the viewers. The wine sales are already going up in the USA . Taking advantage of the sudden upsurge in demand for Sideways after the Awards , www.winebid.com has already put up most of the wines featured in the movie or drunk at the Awards ceremony on its website for auction. One hopes that both these movies which are a must see for all wine lovers will be released in India soon.
Now, if Hollywood can do it, should Bollywood be far behind? Imagine our Sherawat replicating an exquisite wine seduction scene in Sideways , where the heroine, Maya (Virginia Madsen) says 'it was the 88 Sassicaia that really got me into wine ,' and pouts instead, ‘it was the 02 Sauvignon Blanc from Sula that really got me into wine ,'… or how about a location shot from Grover's Vineyard where the heroine is admonishing the hero for plucking her Shiraz before being fully ripe and mature.
Bollywood, are you listening?! Subhash Arora |
