It’s January, which means it’s dry January for a lot of people. You may be surprised to hear that I, a wine lover and a wine merchant, actually encourage people to take time off and attempt going dry for a few weeks.
As much as I love wine, I acknowledge that December leads us to over indulgence and most of us go into the new year a little heavier and a tad more sluggish. Here, at The Grape Kitchen we have introduced a couple of non-alcoholic sparkling wines to our collection but to be honest, aside from the sparklings, I don’t rate the current crop of non-alcoholic wine options. So, in this post I’m going to explore some of the best films and books that give an insight into this wonderful drink and helps you learn about wine in a fun way.
1. Sideways (2004), Dir Alexander Payne
This is a beautiful film adaptation of a book by the same name. It focuses on two blokes (Miles & Jack) on a bachelor party, visiting wineries in California. Miles is a self-loathing wine-lover and Jack is a self-obsessed wine-novice. Amongst the jokes and story narrative, Miles does attempt to teach Jack a few things, notably how to taste wine and what we should be doing.
Most famously, this film led to something called ‘The Sideways Effect’ in California. Miles has a passion for Pinot Noir and hates Merlot, and in what is one of the most pompously funny lines in the film, he yells “If anybody orders Merlot then I’m leaving. I AM NOT DRINKING ANY F*CKING MERLOT!“. After the film was released, demand for Merlot plummeted in California and you guessed it, the demand for Pinot Noir went up. This resulted in many wine producers having to graft Pinot Noir vines to Merlot roots in order to keep up with the demand.
Have a look at Miles’ tasting masterclass in the video below
2. The 24 Hour Wine Expert, 2016, Author Jancis Robinson
This book is a must for anybody wanting to learn the basics about wine. Written by Jancis Robinson, arguably the most famous wine writer of all time, it explores everything you need to know about wine but in bitesize chunks of info. She myth busts, gives you info on how to not get caught out by unnecessarily overpriced bottles and gives you all the necessary info about wine famous grapes and wine regions.
When I got serious about pursuing a career in the wine industry, this book helped me expand my knowledge without overwhelming me with too much intricate detail. I still reference it sometimes today.
3. Sour Grapes (2016) Dir Jenny Rothwell
Our final piece is a documentary and it focuses on the dark side of wine. Believe it or not, fraud in the wine industry can be quite common. With some wines being worth thousands of pounds, it’s not farfetched to think someone might want to create a fake. Sour Grapes focusses on the case of Rudy Kurniawan one of the most notorious wine fraudsters in recent years. I won’t spoil everything but it’s quite jaw dropping.
This documentary doesn’t just expose as fraudster but how some circles of people can use wine as a bit of a status thing and want to believe they’re having the best without knowing too much about it. It exposes how someone’s trust can be exploited.
When you buy wine from The Grape Kitchen we won’t exploit the trust you put in us. It’s very easy to say something like this, but look at our verified reviews on our Trustpilot page. They speak for themselves.
There You Have It!
That was our three fun ways to learn about wine. It doesn’t have to be all about putting your head in a text book. Let us know what you think if you read or watch them!