When you’re working a full-time job and making an independent movie, you sometimes forget that real life also has to happen. After a few weeks of shooting I suddenly found myself in the midst of a family vacation/reunion in Germany and Italy. Because people, like grapes, love beautiful landscapes, it turns out that our entire trip found us surrounded by vineyards. All the best travel destinations are a stone’s throw from good wine.
And when you’re immersed in vineyards, you know you’re also surrounded by great wine stories. I brought the 7D, and though I was tempted, I opted not to pull it out and pin a lapel mic to every winemaker we saw. But we had great conversations with several winemakers. No matter where you are in the world, it seems that wine people share a common passion. Susanne and Holger Daniel own and operate a winery on the slopes overlooking the Rhine Valley in Geisenheim. Though their winery has been in the family for generations, Holger only returned to it in recent years after spending time in the corporate world. They scaled back and simplified their operation, and they’re careful not to allow growth to cloud their vision of what a family winery should be. Their four-year-old son Noah is already helping with the operation. Like many of the American winemakers, they came to winemaking after exploring other careers. Coming from a winegrowing family made it easier for them to take this leap, but they have all of the intrepid passion that our interview subjects in the States share. And Weingut Daniel also makes some amazing wines, including their base dry Riesling, which is a phenomenal bargain at under 6 Euros. They also make a Pinot Noir blend (he wouldn’t tell me the other two red varieties in the mix) that had great fruit. It’s a good example of the quality reds that come out of this region that you just can’t find in the States. And you won’t be able to get Daniel wine any time soon…he sells only through word of mouth. Despite his modern tasting room and tastefully designed packaging (they do everything themselves), they do no marketing or exporting. They don’t have to.
Another great wine story is Le Miccene in Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany. Not only did they make fantastic and very traditional Chianti Classico, but the estate is owned by Americans Clifford and Donna Meneghetti Weaver, and the winemaker is Canadian by birth. Like the winery owners in our film, she made a life-changing decision to pursue her interest in wine and found herself in the Tuscan countryside. You don’t have to dig very deep in the wine business to find great stories.
But sorting through these stories and putting them together into a coherent and watchable narrative is another story altogether. That’s what we’re working on now. It’ll be a big challenge, but we’ve got a talented team assembled and I can’t wait to see it come together over the next few years.
Vacation’s over, and it’s time to get back to work.