A State of Vine DVD Review

Zan Media’s A State Of Vine, released May 27, 2007, is a documentary about wine-making in California, including the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. The information (about microcosms of earth suited to red or white wine and land areas – even legally – called appellations, or the fact that the U.S. is fourth in wine-producing in the world, which I would never have guessed) is excellent. The stories about early winery owners (as we learn that grapes are a weed that will grow anywhere, it’s just what happens to them afterwards that makes them important, to paraphrase Taft Street Winery owner Mike Martini) are fascinating! But A State Of Vine lacks masterful – and in some areas even adequate – execution.

Overly fast-paced music rushes us through the initial group of winery owners, so that after viewing this portion I remembered only one – Dr. Liz Thach, who teaches wine business curriculum courses at the University of CA, and I only remembered her because her occupation was so unusual. The initial sequence of winery owners began with tags like Randy the Rebel and Pat the Perfectionist and went by so quickly that we could never match them to their real names later on. Then finally the names are dropped altogether (they should have been keyed up throughout), making everything even more confusing, and wasting the otherwise superior video and audio! Some of the participants also spoke far too quickly for audience comprehension and should have been asked to slow down in retakes.

Well-known race car driver Mario Andretti makes an appearance (he’s owned a winery in CA since 1976, which reminds him of Tuscany – he says that he visits every season but leaves the work to those who know what they’re doing!). The Robledo Family Winery is interesting historically as father Reynaldo first immigrated to the US and had family and friends working with him on the estates of others. Now his daughter Vanessa is the president of his company and there’s a worker’s eating room with hand-carved chairs and crafts imported from Mexico. Fred Franzio’s Bronco Wine Company became known for its Two Buck Chuck (proving you could have good-tasting wine at low prices) which the band The Fresh honored in their song “Two Buck Chuck” (it actually costs $1.99) that’s shown on You Tube. These are just a few of the interesting personalities who take part in this 103 billion dollar industry, where Napa and Sonoma Valley represent only 4 to 5 per cent of all exported wine!

There are between 10 and 30 thousand wine labels in the US alone every year, and over and over again we are told that it’s not which wine is better, but that they are all different. Harvey Posert, a wine publicist (who grows grapes for himself on his 3/4 of an acre, but not for business export), predicts that the future of wine for buyers in America is great, with a vast number of types being produced to suit everyone’s needs! And everyone now seems to be against “wine snobs”!

There is far too much detailed information in A State Of Vinery for kid or family viewing, but individuals perhaps not interested in wines before this (especially the new Generation Y who’s become accustomed to a large number of affordable wines) would enjoy this documentary. The information in A State Of Vinery finally outweighs its initial execution, but I only hope that its filmmakers will learn some finer introductory techniques to use in future works!

MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 60 Minutes
DVD Release Date: May 27, 2007

Grade: B

Director: Don Scioli
Starring: Dr. Liz Thach, Mario Andretti, Mike Martini, Fred Franzia, Reynaldo and Vanessa Robledo, and  Harvey Posert

DVD Review by Christina of Movie Room Reviews