Wine Movies

You've got lots of time, right? Instead of watching Pandemic and freaking yourself out go for something fun that will take your mind off the fact that you're down to your last roll of toilet paper.

A Good Year
Russell Crowe leaves his boring job in London to check out a vineyard he's inherited in France. (We could all be so lucky). The wine is awful, but he sees potential. The women are French so you can see where this is going. Available on Hulu or Netflix's DVD service, otherwise you have to rent.

A Walk in the Clouds
A romance/drama taking place after WWII. It's got some good acting, but not from the star Keanu Reeves, and a mediocre script revolving around a family with a vineyard in Napa. Filmed in Napa and Sonoma. Turn your brain off and this will be an okay two hour diversion. On Nexflix DVD otherwise available to rent on various other platforms (though this isn't anything I'd pay for). Shows up occasionally on TV.

Bottle Shock
A fun, but somewhat inaccurate look at the Napa wine business in the 1970s before they got famous. The movie follows Chateau Montelena through the shocking win over the French wines at the Judgement of Paris. Stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and a very young Chris Pine. A good "leave your brain elsewhere, enjoy the scenery, the wine drama, and Rickman's snide remarks" movie. On Amazon Prime or Netflix DVD rental.

Sideways
Two losers, but lovable guys, meet two nice women in the Santa Barbara wine country and fumble there way through wine and romance. It's a comedy/drama/romance movie with lots of wine info and opinions. This is the seminal California wine movie. Currently on Hulu or Netflix DVD otherwise you have to rent it, but it often shows up on TV or a movie channel.

Uncorked
Unusual setting for a wine flick in that it's about a middle-class Black family from Memphis. The son is supposed to take over the family BBQ joint, but his real love is wine. It's a different and refreshing setting and well done. Be warned, you'll be wanting to order some brisket halfway through. A new Netflix release.

Wine Country
A recent Netflix film staring Amy Poehler and the gang on a girls' trip to Napa. It seems like this could have been a good movie, but it wasn't. Could be Amy just wanted an expenses paid trip to Napa with some friends because there wasn't much effort put into the script or the direction, but they all seemed to be having a good time. If you're going to sit through it then leave the critical part of your brain somewhere else.