| By Christopher Sawyer, Sommelier of the Sonoma Valley Film Festival (October 2007) It's All Hallows Eve. Darkness has descended, and you're waiting for the trick-or-treaters....a perfect night for...not popcorn and soda, but WINE & A MOVIE! This Halloween, Christopher Sawyer, official film sommelier for the Sonoma Valley Film Festival, has paired the scariest of films with the most delicious wines to help set the scene for a perfectly frightful evening! A film buff who revels in the fact that the sites of his childhood in Astoria, Oregon, and Petaluma, California, were settings for myriad movies, Sawyer was inspired to pair his two loves - wine and movies - from his own experience enjoying wine while watching a film. He invites you to try the following thrilling matches at your own risk! Psycho (1960)
Although there are a number of Alfred Hitchcock films that can easily be filed in the horror category, none is greater than Psycho, one of the original slasher flicks that opened the door for other ghoulish movies like Friday the Thirteenth, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Saw. Set in a remote hotel, the movie stars the young Anthony Perkins as a sick and twisted clerk of a quiet hotel who is haunted by the demons bestowed upon him by his mother, and has a passion for taxidermy and a conflicted attraction to his beautiful new tenant, played by Janet Leigh. In short, the shower scene alone makes this movie a true Halloween classic. Pairing: Mia's Playground 2005 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
Images of the mother, the weather-beaten house and the old Bates Motel off the beaten path in Hitchcock's classic conjure up memories of classic old vine Zinfandel grapes. Dubbed the "sweetheart" of California, this bold red grape variety can toughen up and produce intensive fruit no matter what climate abuse Mother Nature throws its way in any given decade. A tasty example of this is the Mia's Playground 2005 Zinfandel, a robust wine loaded with alluring aromas of wild strawberries, tobacco and sweet vanilla. The flavor profile is showered with ripe cherries, blackberries, roasted coffee beans and fresh herbs, with a gripping combination of cloves, cinnamon and black pepper on the finish. *** Young Frankenstein (1974)
Mel Brooks's amusing Halloween parody stars Gene Wilder as Frederick Frankenstein, a young surgeon who attempts to create a flawless living being in the laboratory of his grandfather's haunted castle in Transylvania. Pairing: Cline 2005 Marsanne-Roussanne, Sonoma County
Lighthearted, fun and distinctively wacky, this movie calls out to be paired with a classy white wine that can arouse the funny bones of the viewers. To make this happen, try the Cline 2005 Marsanne-Roussanne, a fresh and lively wine aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh flavors of melon; white peach; mandarin orange and citrus; a hint of mineral; and a long, crisp and invigorating finish. In France's Northern Rhone Valley, Marsanne and Rousanne are the two most important grape varieties and are regularly blended together. In California, there are fewer than 250 acres of these grapes planted. So, much like Young Frankenstein - a well-made Halloween comedy - this fine blended wine also is a bit of a rarity. *** Night of the Hunter (1955)
While there have been plenty of Halloween movies that have followed the typical good-versus-evil theme, there are very few actors who have played the evil role well enough to make you start believing the movie might actually be real. One of the exceptions is in Night of the Hunter, a creepy suspense thriller in which star Robert Mitchum is an evil preacher who uses powers of brutal force and psychological mind-games to blaze a trail to find a hidden fortune in a small town Yipes! Pairing: Robert Hunter 2004 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Valley
In the balance between good and evil, an exceptional way to smooth out the wickedness of the movie would be to serve the Robert Hunter 2004 Pinot Noir, an incredibly delicious wine made with high-quality grapes grown on the family's estate property off Arnold Road between Sonoma and Glen Ellen. With a large amount of red fruit, dark cherries, nice acidity and a touch of toasted oak on the finish, this flavorful wine is graceful enough to invigorate and refresh the palate on the first sip yet strong enough to be paired with something as muscular as red meats and lamb. *** The Village (2005)
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Lady in the Water, The Sixth Sense), the dark and eerie tale of The Village stars Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver and Bryce Dallas Howard as key residents of a small colonial-style community haunted by the unseen creatures living in the surrounding forest and a dangerous web of secrets that each fights to protect. Pairing: Gundlach Bundschu 2003 Mountain Cuvée Red Wine, Rhinefarm Estate, Sonoma Valley
In much the same way the forest influences the lives of the residents in The Village, the real-life, densely wooded base of the Mayacamas Mountains east of Sonoma has a significant effect on the flavor profile of the premium grapes grown at the historic Rhinefarm Vineyard owned by Gundlach Bundschu (California's oldest family-owned and operated winery, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year). The end result is a collection of high-quality wines that bear the natural flavors of their surrounding environment. One of these delicious examples is the 2003 Mountain Cuvée, a Bordeaux-style blend primarily made with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes grown on the estate. The end result is a fiery red wine with aromatic notes of dark fruit, wild sage and ancient forest floor on the nose; rich flavors of dark plum, ripe cherry, anise and other subtle spices on the palate; and nice hints of cedar and chaparral on the finish. Bravery and focus inside a bottle! *** The Omen (1976)
In The Omen, Damien, a cute and seemingly harmless young boy, turns into the Anti-Christ and directs his cruel powers on his family and other possible victims standing in his way. While a number of newer chapters of the story, remakes and other artistic interpretations focused on the life of Damien have been released over the past two decades, none can touch the original celluloid masterpiece starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as the parents of the irritable demonic brat. Pairing: St. Francis 2003 Reserve Merlot, Behler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Merlot is usually known as a smooth and easy wine. So, like little Damien, this St. Francis wine seems harmless. But once you get it in your mouth, you suddenly become the victim of the rich and powerful flavors of ripe plum, cherry and cocoa; firm tannins; balanced structure; and a finish that commands respect! *** The Fog (1979)
Fueled by the evil forces of nature, a small coastal town in California is invaded by the ghosts of merciless mariners who died when their boat was wrecked off the coast more than a hundred years before. Pairing: Buena Vista Carneros 2005 Estate Chardonnay, Ramal Vineyard, Carneros
While the catchy advertisement "When the fog rolls in...The terror begins!" may work for this film, that is not necessarily the case in the wine industry. This is especially true in the lower portion of Sonoma Valley, where fog is a priceless advantage that helps preserve the acidity of the individual clusters of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes as they slowly ripen leading up to harvest. A tasty example of this is the Buena Vista Carneros 2005 Estate Chardonnay grown at the Ramal Vineyard in the cool climate region of Carneros. This wine features tantalizing flavors of tropical fruit, fresh citrus, a creamy texture, bright acidity and an intensive mouthfeel that can stand up to a wide range of seafaring cuisine, poultry, pork and fine cheeses. *** Ravenous (1999)
Set in the rugged wilderness of the Sierra Foothills in the early 1800s, the film stars Guy Pearce as a solider assigned to protect the inhabitants of a remote military post from danger. But that duty becomes rather complicated when a devilish stranger (Robert Carlyle) arrives in the region, with a ghoulish infatuation for eating people in order to survive the harsh Donner-like weather conditions of winter. Filled with plenty of gore, suspense and non-stop action, Ravenous is celluloid cannibalism at its finest! Pairing: Sebastiani 2005 Barbera, Appellation Selection Series, Sonoma Valley
If you're looking for a wine with enough power to pair with the styles of the hearty stews served in this very entertaining film, try the Sebastiani 2005 Barbera. Made with fruit from old vines planted on the Madrone Ranch near Glen Ellen and a small portion of Petite Sirah, this delicious Italian-style wine fills the palate with ripe flavors of wild berry and cranberry, nuances of black licorice, fresh tobacco and smoked meats, and an amiable rustic note on the finish. *** The Shining (1980)
Based on the Steven King novel, The Shining stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, a family man and off-season caretaker of a remote hotel closed off from civilization in the wintertime. Influenced by the loneliness of the desolate setting and the lively ghosts of the people murdered on the property, Jack eventually cracks and takes up a new profession as a hunter chasing his family and other potential prey within the confines of the haunted hotel. Supernatural, sinister, and oozing with hints of a true macabre thriller, The Shining is a cerebral horror flick from start to finish. Pairing: Benziger 2004 Estate Red Wine, Sonoma Mountain
In keeping with the isolation theme, try the Benziger 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a sophisticated Bordeaux-style blend with smaller portions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. Surrounded by dense forest, all grapes used to make this tasty wine were grown at the Benziger family's remote piece of rugged mountainside property near Glen Ellen. The end result is a fantastic wine loaded with aromas of black cherry, cassis, bay leaf and other natural aromas. Once in the glass, the deeper flavors evolve to reveal strong notes of ripe blackberry and cedar, and nuances of mineral and allspice along with integrated tannins, depth and subtle oak complexity. Deep, dense and delicious, think of this unique wine as a delicious alternative to the classic "Red Rum" commonly associated with this exciting film! |
