The WineMadeEasy Blog

Joel Gott is one of the most successful and creative wine producers to come along in the last twenty years or so. Along with his wife, Sarah who previously was a winemaker at Joseph Phelps, Joel created a Zinfandel in Amador County that won them the praise of Robert Parker. Soon after, Joel broadened his wine making and various other delicious wines followed along with several other ventures.

“Keep warm!”   I’ve heard it daily for weeks. In fact, I’ve said it myself on several occasions.  We don’t even want to deal with it anymore. We just keep plugging along.  So what do we do?  I’ll tell you what we do. We keep drinking wine, eating hearty food, and watching damn good movies. 

This Sunday evening the Academy Awards will be broadcast.  While there are several movies worth watching and mentioning in several categories, today I have chosen to write about a film that is one of the best crime dramas ever made.  What is most shocking about this film is that it was nominated for seven academy awards but didn’t take away any. 

This Saturday is Valentine’s Day which in my opinion is the lamest of holidays unless you consider “Sweetest Day” which I’m sure very few people consider… anything.  Before you stop reading and start firing off angry messages, I implore you to keep reading.  I am not a cold, un-romantic guy. Honest!  Ask my wife. By the way, she hates this Hallmark inspired Holiday as well.  If you truly love someone, then everyday is Valentine’s Day.  Not this disaster prompted by fear, desperation or indifference.  Bad chocolate, cliché roses or even worse, cheap and lousy wine has nothing to do with love or romance.

This weeks’ film and wine pairing exhibit two Italian classics.  You could say that Chianti Classico and the film Cinema Paradiso are two great musts from Italian culture.  Chianti is probably the most recognized wine from Italy.  Cinema Paradiso may not be the best of Italian cinema, but it is both charming and significant due to its subject matter which deals with film itself.

Recently I tried a new California Zinfandel and wondered what film I could tie in with it?  There are loads of great California movies but how could I decide?  Then I considered that three of the major constants in American culture have to be California, cars, and Rock n’ Roll.  Well, one came to mind that had those three major constants and that was American Graffiti. It is a perfect film for California, cars, and Rock n’ Roll.

I know it is January.  I know it’s really Freakin’ cold outside.  And further more I know it’s a bit nuts to be talking about Sauvignon Blanc which I normally don’t even begin to think about before May, but… we all are a little bit nuts. Look where we chose to live for God’s sake.  So instead of just embracing heavy warm clothes and heavy red wines, let’s delve into a world where snow is gone, breezes are warm and balmy and instead of frozen over ice- gray lakes we see turquoise surf churning up from an ocean far, far away.  Sound good? Alright then.  All you have to do is rent a couple of movies and buy a bottle or two of wine.  

Every year at this time, many people struggle with the dilemma of what to toast with at midnight on New Year’s Eve.  There are several choices depending on style and of course cost.  Some people like a classic Brut (driest of dry) from Champagne France while others like a very sweet Asti from Italy.  Others opt for something in-between like a semi or off dry sparkling wine Prosecco confusingly referred to as “extra dry”.  For those in this latter category looking for something different than the “go to” Prosecco or Asti, I recommend the Jaillance  Cuvee Imperiale.

For my third and final installment discussing Holiday wines and films, I have left my favorite Christmas film until last. It is the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with the remarkable Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. I have watched nearly every version of this story ( the Mr. Magoo cartoon version that you Baby Boomers may remember) but nothing touches Alistair Sims version. He is the most convincing as a mean old miser, a vulnerable and fragile old man fearing for his life, and as the giddy, jubilant survivor on Christmas morning.

One of my favorite Christmas time films is a somewhat obscure gem called Holiday Affair which stars Robert Mitchum and Janet Lee. Although it seems odd to cast Robert Mitchum in a seasonal, romantic comedy, the big guy is actually very effective as the independent, down on his luck department store clerk.