WINE TASTING (2017)

June 1, 2017

 Greetings again from the darkness. The film isn’t likely to teach you much about wine, wine history or even wine tasting (despite the title), but at least you won’t have to watch Paul Giamatti guzzle the spit bucket. Director Josh Mitchell and writer Justin Samuels have combined on this look at four friends studying for the Master Sommelier exam, as well as how their friendship is impacted by the results.

The opening scene finds the four lads drilling blindfolded for the tasting section. When they are told their answers are “not even close”, we realize there is a bit of humor mixed in with the highly stressful process that requires years of studying and practice (and a high failure rate). It’s also our first indication that the film is a bit stagey, and that the cast may not have the acting chops we are accustomed to seeing on the silver screen. However, this is not a factor of effort, as everyone involved seems committed to their roles and the project.

The director Josh Mitchell plays Mateo, a chef who finds support not just with his buddies, but also with an understanding girlfriend played by Alysa Scanzano. Jesse O’Neill plays John, who tries to handle the stress and long hours with a boost from cocaine; while Josh Thrower portrays Ed, the wine taster who succumbs to alcoholism after his girlfriend dumps him. The most colorful character of the four is Franco, a rowdy and opportunistic Serbian played by Vanja Kapetanovic. These four toss around the “dude’s” and “bro’s” at a pace that would make any stoner movie proud.

The film is at its best when focused on the pressure of preparing for the exam, and it’s the second half that reminds us of the power of friendship … though it leans a bit heavy on dude-drama. The Jason Wise documentary Somm (2012) provides a more detailed, behind-the-curtain look at what it takes to become a Sommelier, and of course, Sideways (2004) and Bottle Shock (2006) are the two best known films centered on wine tasting and wine competition, respectively. While this one isn’t at the level of those films, its description of “fire hose of information” and the relentless studying and commitment to the cause, do hit home.

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

SOMM (doc, 2012)

May 26, 2014

somm Greetings again from the darkness. Alexander Payne’s 2004 hit Sideways made wine tasting and discussion a fun thing to do with friends, and U.S. wine tours exploded. In the movie, Miles (Paul Giamatti) is quite knowledgeable and opinionated on wine. However, comparing Miles to the real life characters in the Somm documentary is like comparing the boys of The Sandlot to major leaguers … it’s not even close!

Filmmaker Jason Wise follows four guys as they prepare for the nearly impossible-to-pass Master Sommelier exam. The certification has been around for 40 plus years, and less than 200 applicants have actually passed. We get to know the four who are studying so diligently by watching them interact and even talk to the camera. The competitive nature is on full display through the trash-talking and emotions that are evident through each disagreement. Mostly we witness the enormous stress that comes from working so hard for a single shot … the best comparison I can make is that of an Olympic athlete preparing for their single event.

We also meet Fred Dame, the Godfather of U.S. Master Sommelier. He trains through intimidation and seems to carry the burden of exclusivity in every interaction. Yeah, he’s kind of jerk, as are the four vying for the certification. It seems one must be self-absorbed and borderline ego-maniacal to build the knowledge and fine-tune the palate necessary to have a shot at passing.

The exam is broken into 3 parts: Blind wine tasting, Theory, and Service. The wine tasting segments are most fun to watch as we quickly learn there is a skill, a science and some luck involved. Through a sniff and a sip, they must be able to identify the type of wine, the subtle flavors, the age of the wine, the country of origin, the specific region, and even the level of winery. The theory section involves knowing wine history from all over the globe. This is accomplished through endless hours of reading and flash card drills. The Service portion gets the short straw here, but we do get a taste of the outlandish nature of a game whose sole point seems to be humiliating the participant.

To add another touch of legend, we do get some insight from Bo Barrett, the legendary California wine maker profiled in the movie Bottle Shock. Mostly though, we learn that this most prestigious designation can only be obtained through an elitist Obsessive-Compulsive approach that kills all sense of acceptable societal manner. For most of us, enjoying a glass of wine with friends is reward enough … for you others, best of luck learning the 3000 grape varietals in Italy.

watch the trailer:

 

 

 

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

KAMAPI! FOR THE LOVE OF SAKE (2016, doc)

August 21, 2016

kampai Greetings again from the darkness. No matter your country of origin, drinking in a social setting inspires a unifying call for the group. We Americans proudly bellow “Cheers”. In Spanish, it’s “Salud”, while the Germans say “Prost” and the French “Santé”. You might have guessed from the title of this documentary … the Japanese say “Kampai!” as they toast their cohorts and raise a glass of Sake, also known as Japanese rice wine.

Filmmaker Mirai Konishi promises a look at the fascinating and somewhat mysterious world of brewing sake. His approach is to gain insight from three different individuals who hail from quite disparate backgrounds and are now fully immersed in all things Sake. John Gauntner is a U.S. born writer/educator/researcher whose publications are world renowned as the best available on the subject. Philip Harper is a British gent who is Oxford educated and the first non-Japanese master Sake brewer (Toji). He spends roughly 60% of a year in a dark, dank environment perfecting his own label of the drink. Kosuke Kuji runs an inherited century old Japanese Sake brewery that has been in his family for multiple generations.

We are informed that Sake is the national beverage of Japan and has been around for many centuries, creating historical and cultural significance. Unfortunately, the film offers little historical perspective, so we don’t learn how and why Sake became so ingrained in the fabric of Japan. Instead we focus mostly on the three fellows noted above and how their passions and commitment to Sake helped drive not just their own interests, but that of the industry. One other segment offers a glimpse inside the North Carolina based brewery looking to capitalize on the growing Sake trend. Unfortunately, per numerous reports, Blue Kudza went out of business shortly after this segment was filmed.

A cursory description of the process – gathering ingredients, preparation, fermenting, tasting, etc is interesting enough, and the personal stories add enough heft that we don’t realize the missing historical perspective until the movie ends. We are left anticipating a Sake tasting party, yet no more educated on the true significance of the chilled, warmed or room temperature beverage (it can be served all three ways) being hoisted as the patrons exclaim “Kampai!” and the screen fades to black.

 

 

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Posted by David Ferguson