If You’re a Wine Nerd, Watch This Documentary
A Year in Burgundy - this documentary is free to watch on a lot of platforms. If you’re a wine nerd like me, you will enjoy it thoroughly.
This documentary, written and directed by David Kennard, walks you through a full year of the wine making process in Burgundy, along with the history, culture, and people of Burgundy. It plays out in the order of four seasons, starting with Spring. The wines/ grapes covered in the film are of course Pinot Noir and Chardonnay since they’re Burgundy’s main grapes. Many wine making practices mentioned in the film are common old-world practices, such as fermenting whole clusters instead of destemmed grapes.
What you will learn and hopefully enjoy:
How local wine makers (often families who have run their vineyards for hundreds of years) see, create, and respect wine and its culture
Agriculture basics around working with vines and wine grapes
Technical and creative perspectives to wine making processes at different wineries
A bit about Burgundy’s history, fun facts, and local celebrations. E.g., do you know that Christianity saved local wine making after the Roman empire collapsed and the monks made observant notes and built storage caves that are still used today? I love Napa too but the historical and cultural depth of the old world holds a special place in my heart.
What I enjoyed the most, besides the technical knowledge, is understanding how these wine makers respect nature and appreciate life and its cycle. At the end of the film, you may feel you are acquiring a new perspective on life by immersing yourself in the life of a vine.
Some good quotes:
Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon in my vines. Yes, of course, I know my vines! When they don't see me they're unhappy. When I arrive, they're happy. I really love my vines. Vines are not well understood. You have to put yourself in their place. You have to understand why they're not doing well. You have to be part of the life of the vine. This was said by Lalou Bize-Leroy, one of the most powerful women in wine.
A vine has to suffer...to make good grapes - referring to weather’s impact on vines and grapes.
They all used to have their own character, like human beings. But progress is pushing all of us to make the same kind of wine - referring to the increasingly automated, science-based modern wine making process.
If this documentary sounds too dry, or if you’re only interested in wine tasting, I recommend the Somm series (3 documentaries from 2012-2018), which is more entertaining, emotional, and relevant to our daily life.
I only started learning about the technical aspect of wine making and tasting last year because of my personal interest. I have always loved wine, from knowing nothing to studying wine books after a whole day of work and my evening finance class. In the past decade, sometimes I was sober-curious and sometimes I was drinking 1-2 glasses every day just to wind down at the end of the day. Now I have built a good and consistent habit of drinking in moderation, a habit I completely enjoy so it’s sustainable. I don’t think about drinking at all when I get too busy or simply don’t want to drink.
Wine has become just something I truly appreciate from the bottom of my heart to the tip of my tongue, and it brings me so much joy to learn about all the details behind its making. I hope you enjoy it too!