Movie Review: American Wine Story (A Three Crows Productions Film)

This past weekend I had the pleasure of watching the screening for the new film, American Wine Story (a Three Crows Productions film).

Janie and Pascal at Brooks Winery. Photo still from American Wine Story.

Janie and Pascal at Brooks Winery. Photo still from American Wine Story.

American Wine Story centers around the very personal and tragic story of an American winemaker from Oregon, while at the same time pulls stories of struggle, success, and near failure of winegrower and wineries all over the United States.

American Wine Story sucks you in from the very beginning, tugging at “the feels” during nearly every scene, while simultaneously giving hope and inspiration for the viewer to pursue their dreams and tackle adversity head on.

The film does an amazing job telling the stories of each and every winegrower that they interviewed, and did it in a way that they could seamlessly move from one story to another almost without you realizing that the backdrop has changed.  Everyone in the film has their own story to tell, but at the same time, their stories are all united by a common thread: an insatiable desire to do what they love and be the very best they can be despite what challenges to which they are met.

“Have a leap of faith and you will be successful.” – American Wine Story

“Follow your heart.” – American Wine Story

“Do what you love; what you’re really passionate about.” – American Wine Story

Jimi Brooks.  Photo still from American Wine Story.

Jimi Brooks. Photo still from American Wine Story.

American Wine Story did a fantastic job sharing the trials and tribulations of winegrower throughout the United States, and not just in most well-known California.  From Virginia to Arizona and then Missouri to Oregon, stories of winemakers from all over the country blend seamlessly together with lessons of the historical achievements and failures from Thomas Jefferson in Virginia through today.

 

“When pioneers learn that something has never been done before, they don’t hear it as a caution: they take it up as a challenge.” –American Wine Story

“If more people drank wine, the world would be a better place.” – American Wine Story

The cinematography of American Wine Story was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The conscious and subconscious connections achieved were spot on and allowed the film to connect with the viewer on

Sunset at Airlie Winery in Oregon. Photo still from American Wine Story.

Sunset at Airlie Winery in Oregon. Photo still from American Wine Story.

a deeper level than just what could be gleaned from the dialogue.  The cinematography alone makes this filmstand out as a work of art, and the stories therein life-changing.

Together, American Wine Story is a spectacular film that I encourage anyone with a love of wine, or personal and professional passions and dreams to watch.  If you aren’t inspired in one way or another by American Wine Story, then you might be going about life the wrong way.

What does it mean to make wine in America?  The film itself says it best:

“Opening a bottle of wine is a magical act. You pull a cork and unlock a years’ worth of weather. Unravel millions of years of geology. But, wine in American is more than that.  It’s about the absence of rules and the freedom to image. It’s the understanding that the “America Dream” isn’t some abstract idea, but something you write for yourself with the faith that if you chose to pursue it, you just might have a shot at achieving it”. –American Wine Story

American Wine Story will be released on Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 and will be available on iTunes and On Demand in English-speaking territories (with the exclusion of Australia), as well as available worldwide at americanwinestory.vhx.tv.