Wine and Films! Sundance Film Festival 2023 Edition!
The 10 Sundance Film Fest films I'll be watching - and you can, too! - online in the next 6 days, and the wines I plan to pair with them.
You may or may not be aware that my day job is with the Sundance Institute, and this week marks the 2023 Sundance Film Festival! (It started last Thursday, in fact).
One of the perks of working for the org is that I get 10 comp online screeners during the fest. Now that’s 10 films I have to watch in 6 days - all online screenings must be watched anytime within a 6-day window: Tues 1/24 - Sun 1/29.
And ANYONE can buy an online screener ticket! For only $20 per film - essentially the same cost as going to the local theater for any standard theatrically-released movie - you can watch world premieres of films that won’t be available for quite some time to come, in the confort of your home.
Just head here and scroll down to “Single Film Ticket: Online” and click “Select a Screening”. Any (digital) film you buy a ticket for can be watched at any time between 1/24 - 1/29. Though once you start the movie, you only have 5 hours to finish it, so choose your start time wisely!
Let’s look at the 10 films I will definitely be watching in the next 6 days. And of course, what wines I’d pair with each of them!
10.
Adjectives: Comedic, whimsical, eccentric, heartfelt, occult
Wine: French Gamay (Beaujolais) or Pinot Noir
While ostensibly about black magic and satan worship, the film sounds lighthearted and fun at its core. You’ll want a light-bodied red (gamay), though possibly one with some heft and greater complexity (if so, go for a pinot noir, Washington State or Cali).
9.
Adjectives: Psychological, timely, introspective, political, dream-like
Wine: Rosé (preferably whole cluster)
Rosé is thought to be an easy-drinking brunch wine. Something fun and lovely that makes you feel good. But it’s also a chameleon with a wide range of expressions. It’s halfway between a white and a red, and when you make it with more astringent varietals, or do whole cluster fermentation (include the seeds and stems), the flavors can become shockingly complex, and maybe not what you were expecting!
8.
Adjectives: Intense, strong, self-destructive, character-driven
Wine: Petite Sirah or Napa/Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon
Full force reds that pull no punches, and often overdo it/overdeliver. There is precious little subtlety to these wines, and especially in regards to Napa Cabs, these are wines that are trying so damn hard to meet expectations and justify price points, that these are easily the wine equivalent of body dysmorphia. For my money, go with a Petite Sirah, which can have more layers to its strength. If you want to find Napa Cabs that don’t break your bank, look to Trader Joe’s $14.99 bottles of such. They’re going to be punches inside your mouth, but will pair handily with this flick.
7.
Adjectives: Native, roots-driven, modern, expressive, upright, journalistic
Wine (kind of): Honey Mead
Something bitter yet sweet, an honest expression of midwest American crops that has at least some historical relevance with native cultures of North America. Honey Mead - these days often mixed with local wine - is a perfect expression of both modernity and history/roots.
6.
Adjectives: Political, cultural, challenging, fable-esque
Wine: Reisling (dry, off dry, or medium sweet)
Reisling is the white wine that nobody loves at first sip, but every wine lover LOVES with all their heart and soul, bar none. One of the most divisive yet unifying wines on the planet. It has the complexity, freshness, and impact to hold up to a socio-political fable of this nature.
5.
Adjectives: (Blackly) Comedic, melodramatic, satirical
Wine: Heavily oaked California Chardonnay (“Butter” Chard)
You’ll want a wine that looks and sounds appealing but is anything but. You may even (especially if you’re a newbie to wine) enjoy the first few sips. But overripe Cali Chard with a heavy oak influence isn’t something that’s going to remain pleasant for long. You’ll likely sour on it just as this movie drags you deeper into its main character’s moral morass.
4.
Adjectives: Young, political, historical, magical, resilient
Wine: País (Chile), Mission grape (Mexico/USA), Criolla Chica (Argentina) - all different names for the same grape!
The País grape is the first grape brought from the Old World (Spain) to the New World (Mexico) by Christian missionaries to the USA in the 1700’s where it’s known as the “Mission grape”. It has since become the most planted grape in Chile, though it has long been considered a sub-par varietal, its wine made only for local consumption. But recent strides to treat the grapes with better care and bring out a more honest expression of the Chilean terrior have produced incredible (and affordable!) recent releases like J. Bouchon’s Chilean País Blanco (white), Viejo (red), and Salvaje (from wild, unfarmed, forest-grown vines!)
Light bodied and “spicy” with incredible freshness and acidity, far and away my favorite youthful red these days.
3.
Adjectives: Cross-cultural, earthbound, poetic, romantic, magical
Wine: Pinotage
A hybrid created in South Africa from non-native grapes Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (also known as “Hermitage” in SA, hence the name), Pinotage represents successful migration and reestablishment in a new place. It’s essentially the flagship grape of SA, even though the locals still call it a “work in progress” (and really, what new communities aren’t?) Earthy and floral with subtle red and black fruit notes. It’s one of my favorites, with a wide range of expressions depending on how it’s grown and made.
2.
Adjectives: Experimental, futuristic, retro, grotesque, thought-provoking
Wine: Norton
One of the few wine making grapes native to the USA (Virginia being the OG area), Norton is a fascinating hybrid of vinis vinifera (wine grapes) and vinis aestivalis (pigeon grapes). The result is a grape that makes a wine halfway between fine Old World style wine and the more musky “foxy” flavors of muscat or grape juice. Hybrids are better resistant to disease and weather, and are considered a significant part of the way forward in this era of climate change. If you can snag yourself a Norton, drink it with a retro futuristic flick like this one. It’s currently one of the best new-wave hybrids out there.
1.
Adjectives: Niche, subcultural, journalistic, artistic
Wine: Chardonel (cold-weather hybrid of Chardonnay and Sylvan)
The other truly excellent new-wave hybrid, Chardonel is, frankly, better than Chardonnay, full stop. Clean, bright, fresh, juicy, scented with lemon and white flower petal and wet stone, with flavors of lemon peel, white peach, and significant minerality and acidity. It’s classy while still being crowd-pleasing and almost no one knows it exists. Predominantly grown on the east coast of the US.
Honorable Mention
This one is not available for digital/online screening (**sob!**), but as a martial arts movie afficionado, I desperately want to see this seeming mash-up of Joey King’s THE PRINCESS and a Bollywood rom-com! I WILL own this once it sees the light of public day, and will pair a wine with it then. For now, everyone take note and give it some love when it’s released in the future.
Do any of these films strike your fancy? Or any others on the Sundance Festival website? Do you plan to maybe watch any of these before EOD Sunday, 1/29? Let me know in the comments!
Nice! Some of these I was unaware of, but are definitely in my wheelhouse. Looking forward to seeing them at some point.