When Michael Amigoni of Amignoi Urban Winery told folks he was growing French varietals like Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot on the Missouri plains, many didn’t believe him. He was advised by the “experts” time and time again against planting these European varietals, urged instead to plant the hybrid varieties that are more commonly found in Missouri.
But Michael isn’t easily discouraged. In fact, he relishes the challenge. We just wrapped an interview with Michael where he describes his journey from home winemaker to becoming the resident expert on doing things the hard way.
This interview was a first for us as well, since we conduced it via Skype. I was at home in Oregon and Kansas City photographer Max Wagner was in the the tasting room with Michael.
This shoot highlights the amazing new possibilities that are available for filmmakers when you combine Web technology with Final Cut Pro and DSLRs. At every part of the process, from preproduction through distribution, there are tools that filmmakers just didn’t have 10 years ago. The footage from Max’s Canon 5D will perfectly match what we’re doing, and we were able to save the expense of traveling to the Midwest for this initial interview. We’re able to stretch the geographic reach of our film even though we haven’t yet raised much money for the project. Even if we don’t get the funding we’re seeking, we’re still going to be able to make a solid project.
Michael’s story is a great addition to our film, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with audiences.
