Blood into Wine is an intense film about
a man’s passion to grow grapes and make wine in the unlikely northern Arizona
region. It is a profound look at wine as
a driving factor in someone’s life and what it takes to plant a vineyard and
run a winery. I thought that it was
witty, entertaining, and real. Maynard
James Kennan is such an interesting person and I would recommend this
documentary to wine enthusiast of all levels.
The overall theme of satisfying individuals and not the masses (or wine
critics for that matter) helps dispel the “nose in the air” stigma wine can
sometimes have. I think Maynard is the
poster child for the complete opposite of
a bunch of rich people sitting in a room sipping $5000 bottles of wine
mentality. He’s a rock star for goodness
sakes. I think that’s the most important
message of the movie, that wine is for everyone.
The documentary
follows Maynard through planting, harvesting, bottling, and releasing wine from
his Arizona vineyard. The plot includes
visits from celebrities, wine critics, his partnership with wine maker Eric
Glomski, a comedy duo show, and historian and spiritual culturist perspectives
on the region. A scene in the movie that
really stands out to me is when he talked about bottling the wine he named
after his mom. That was particularly
moving to me. Another major component of
the movie was incorporating the culture of Arizona into the process. Maynard seemed very spiritual and he uses
that when talking about his wine mission.
He really embraces the spirit of the region and appreciates the flavor
and components it gives to his wines.
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| http://www.azstronghold.com/ |
There are three
main growing regions in Arizona. The
documentary takes place in the Verde Valley (north of Phoenix) region. There are many different types of grapes grown
in this region. The graphic below shows
the layout of one of Maynard’s joint ventures, Arizona Stronghold
Vineyard. Some of the larger blocks are for Cabernet
Sauvignon, Riesling, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc. The terrain is rocky and some of the rock was
described as volcanic. The vineyard in
the film is built into the hill side.
The climate in the region is also decided to be quite suitable for
growing grapes.
Arizona is not the first place
people think as a wine region. This
setting makes for the perfect exploration of why wine has such the stigma of
being the drink for the rich, educated, and snobbish only. This documentary shows how wine is moving
into the cabinets of college students, rock stars, housewives, and millionaires
alike. There is literally a wine for
everyone. Saying you don’t like wine is
like saying you don’t like food. There’s
so many different options and a range of flavors that cover every taste. By highlighting how strange Maynard is, this
film exemplifies the change in culture and attitude towards wine.
On top of the
ideology themes throughout the movie, it also depicts the entire process from
planting the grapes to selling the bottles of wine. It talks about all of the processes involved
and especially talks about the hardships involved. It makes the process seem real and really
depicts what it’s like to start a vineyard and winery. It was eye opening to me because I had no
idea it was so involved to plant the grapes and grow them. I assumed all of the work was in the actual
wine making process but growing the grapes has its own set of issues and
challenges. The movie also talked about
the problems with the local government and how even if you can get your grapes
to grow and keep away the wild boar, zoning issues and regulations could pose a
bigger threat.
Taking Geography
of Wines has completely changed my view on wine. If I hadn’t taken the class, I would have
been much more shocked to see a rock star planting grapes in Arizona. This class as really taught me that wine is
for everyone and isn’t just about social status. I feel like people outside of this class will
be much more surprised by the setting and the owner. I could also understand the process of wine
making and some of the terms used because I learned them in class.
I would absolutely
recommend this movie to a “wine audience.”
I’m actually going to recommend my mom Netflix it because she is a wine
enthusiast. I really enjoyed watching
the movie. It brought a neat perspective
on the wine business and conventions. I
think it’s important for a wine audience to see this movie because not only
does it actually show the entire process, but it also depicts a nonconventional
place and owner. This movie could really
open up eyes to the real business of wine making and the shift to inclusion for
all wine drinkers.
