You can also listen to this episode on your podcast platform of choice!
Today is the first of THREE PARTS (well, two main parts + a bonus companion "Vinterview"!)
In this episode, we cover the Alpha of Coppola's career, THE GODFATHER (1972).
In PART TWO we'll cover the Omega, MEGALOPOLIS (2024). And taste two well-aged Coppola wines - a 1998 Niebaum-Coppola “Cask” Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2000 Niebaum-Coppola Cabernet Franc! - and say which wine pairs best with which film.
Along the way, we'll also chronicle the rise and fall of Coppola's wine empire, from its humble beginnings in Napa, to it's almost dissolution in the early 90's, to its massive expansion into Sonoma and Oregon in the 2000's, to its sale in 2021 in order to finance his 40-years-in-the-making MEGALOPOLIS. And then we take stock of what still exists today.
Then, in our companion Vinterview aka Part 3, we'll be interviewing one of the actresses from the Megalopolis movie! And whoever you think it might be - no, it's not her. (It's gonna be a wacky surprise.)
But here’s a hint:
LINKS TO THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
How Dracula (1992) Rescued Coppola's Winery - Our own article about how Coppola almost lost it all in the early 90's, only to have his Bram Stoker's Dracula film turn it all around. There would have been nothing to sell in order to finance Megalopolis if there had been no Dracula.
What Went Wrong (Podcast) - Our fave movie podcast that has 2-part chronicle of how The Godfather was made, and it's the best version of this story out there in podcast form. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Winebid - The site where we snagged our well-aged Niebaum-Coppola wines! One for $60 and the other for an astounding $25 (!!!) This is a treasure trove for wines if you look for stuff collectors don't care (too much) about.
Curated Wine Shop - The shop we drank the wines at, met the Megalopolis Production Designer in, and got connected to the actress we'll be interviewing later! If you live in LA, you gotta check this place out. We love them.
PART 2 COMING NEXT WEEK!
In the meantime:
-What’s Your Favorite Coppola film?
-When was the last time you saw The Godfather?
-Have you ever had a Coppola wine? And if so, have you ever had one that wasn’t the grocery-store level “Francis Ford Coppola Winery” / Diamond Collection?
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