Going two months into shelter-in-place, we thought your “must watch” list may be running low. If you’re looking for a new theme to explore, why not wine? We’ve selected some of the best of the best, including “Non-Wine Lover” movies you can enjoy while quarenteaming with others who may not share your passion. Even in the “Wine Lovers” section, we stayed away from the hardcore (ahem, boring) documentaries that only a Master of Wine could enjoy. All are enjoyable (just for different audiences) and you can easily search where to watch them here. Synopsis and scores are courtesy of IMDB and links will take you to the flick’s IMDB page. Happy Clicking!
Movies Even Non-Wine Lovers Will Enjoy
Uncorked (2020) 6.1 Stars
Elijah must balance his dream of becoming a master sommelier with his father’s expectations that he carries on the family’s Memphis BBQ joint.
Director: Prentice Penny
Writer: Prentice Penny
Stars: Courtney B. Vance, Lashun Pollard, and Michael Mobley
You can play Wine Bounty’s handy dandy Uncorked “Where’s the Wine?” game while watching.
Wine Country (2019) 5.4 Stars
During a vacation to Napa Valley, a group of longtime friends reunite and revisit past choices in this hilarious and heartfelt comedy from director Amy Poehler.
Director: Amy Poehler
Writers: Liz Cackowski and Emily Spivey
Stars: Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, and Ana Gasteyer
Back to Burgundy / Ce qui nous lie (2017) 6.9 Stars
After a 10-year absence, Jean returns to his hometown when his father falls ill. Reuniting with his sister Juliette and his brother Jérémie, they must re-build their relationship and trust as a family again.
Director: Cédric Klapisch
Writers: Cédric Klapisch (screenplay) and Santiago Amigorena (screenplay)
Stars: Pio Marmaï, Ana Girardot, and François Civil
Sour Grapes (2016) 7.3 Stars
Documentary about the fine and rare wine auction market centering around a counterfeiter who befriended the rich and powerful and sold millions of dollars of fraudulent wine through the top auction houses.
Directors: Reuben Atlas and Jerry Rothwell
Stars: Laurent Ponsot, Jay McInerney, and Jefery Levy
Cement Suitcase (2013) 6.7 Stars
Franklin, the best wine salesman in the Yakima Valley, hates his life. His girlfriend is cheating on him, and he doesn’t have the self-respect to tell her that he knows. When he meets the “other guy”, who turns out to be a terrific person, he decides it’s time to let go of some baggage.
Director: J. Rick Castaneda (as Rick Castañeda)
Writer: J. Rick Castaneda (as Rick Castañeda)
Stars: Dwayne Bartholomew, Kristina Guerrero, and Nathan Sapsford
You Will Be My Son / Tu Seras Mon Fils (2011) 6.9 Stars
Paul has no faith in his son, Martin, to inherit his prestigious family wine estate. Paul dreams of a harder-working, successful son – a dream that one day seemingly materializes when he meets Philippe, the son of his dying estate manager.
Director: Gilles Legrand
Writers: Laure Gasparotto (collaboration) and Gilles Legrand (screenplay)
Stars: Niels Arestrup, Lorànt Deutsch, and Patrick Chesnais
Bottle Shock (2008) 6.8 Stars
The story of the early days of California wine making featuring the now infamous, blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as “Judgment of Paris”.
Director: Randall Miller
Writers: Jody Savin (screenplay) and Randall Miller (screenplay)
Stars: Chris Pine, Alan Rickman, and Bill Pullman
A Good Year (2006) 7.0 Stars
A British investment broker inherits his uncle’s chateau and vineyard in Provence, where he spent much of his childhood. He discovers a new laid-back lifestyle as he tries to renovate the estate to be sold.
Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Marc Klein (screenplay) and Peter Mayle (novel)
Stars: Russell Crowe, Abbie Cornish, and Albert Finney
Sideways (2004) 7.5 Stars
Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California’s wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
Director: Alexander Payne
Writers: Rex Pickett (novel) and Alexander Payne (screenplay)
Stars: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen
A Walk in the Clouds (1995) 6.7 Stars
A married soldier returning from World War II poses as a pregnant woman’s husband to save her from her father’s anger and honor.
Director: Alfonso Arau
Writers: Robert Mark Kamen (screenplay) and Mark Miller (screenplay)
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, and Anthony Quinn
The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969) 7.3 Stars
During WWII in Italy, a wine producing village hides a million bottles from the Germans. Nominated for two Academy Awards and six Golden Globes. Winning the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Comedy.
Director: Stanley Kramer
Writers: Robert Crichton (novel) and William Rose (screenplay by)
Stars: Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani, and Virna Lisi
Movies for Wine Lovers
Our Blood Is Wine (2018) 6.3 Stars
Filmmaker Emily Railsback and award-winning sommelier Jeremy Quinn provide intimate access to rural family life in the Republic of Georgia as they explore the rebirth of 8,000-year-old winemaking traditions almost lost during the period of Soviet rule. By using unobtrusive iPhone technology, Railsback brings the voices and ancestral legacies of modern Georgians directly to the viewer, revealing an intricate and resilient society that has survived regular foreign invasion and repeated attempts to erase Georgian culture. The revival of traditional winemaking is the central force driving this powerful, independent, and autonomous nation to find its 21st century identity.
Director: Emily Railsback
Stars: Jeremy Quinn, Ramaz Nikoladze, and Giorgi Natenadze
The Wine Guys (2017) 7.0 Stars
TV Series. Join in the quest of wine importers and friends Michael, Chuck, and Charlie, to discover the very best at romantic vineyards from around the world.
Stars: Charlie Arturaola, Chuck Katan, and Michael Podbere
The Wine Show (2016) 8.9 Stars
TV Series. The Wine Show is an innovative and practical study of the world of wine. Featuring short films on a variety of wine related topics ranging from wine fraud to food matching. Running through the series is a special feature on Italy as the two presenters visit locations around Italy in order to find a case of wine that represents what Italy is about.
Stars: Joe Fattorini, Matthew Goode, and Matthew Rhys
Decanted (2016) 5.8 Stars
Look inside one of the most intimate wine growing regions in the world, Napa Valley, as we follow the journey of new beginnings and mastering a craft.
Director: Nick Kovacic
Stars: Steve Reynolds, Julien Fayard, and Heidi Barret
James May’s Road Trip (2016) 7.8 Stars
TV Series. Wine expert Oz Clarke travels around France with Top Gear (1978) presenter James May in an attempt to turn him into a wine connoisseur.
Stars: Oz Clarke, James May, and Jean-Claude Mas
A Year in Champagne (2014) 6.5 Stars
With renowned wine importer Martine Saunier as our guide, we get a rare glimpse behind the scenes into the real Champagne through six houses, from small independent makers to the illustrious houses of Gosset and Bollinger.
Director: David Kennard
Writer: David Kennard
Stars: Xavier Gonet and Martine Saunier
Red Obsession (2013) 6.7 Stars
The great chateaux of Bordeaux struggle to accommodate the voracious appetite for their rare, expensive wines, which have become a powerful status symbol in booming China.
Directors: David Roach and Warwick Ross
Writers: David Roach and Warwick Ross
Stars: Russell Crowe, Sara Eisen, and Debra Meiburg
A Year in Burgundy (2013) 7.0 Stars
The film follows seven wine-making families in the Burgundy region of France through the course of a full year and delves into the cultural and creative process of making wine, as well as its deep ties to the land. What lies within the rhythm of a year, from vines to grapes to wine? The film is in four season-sections, and plays out against that backdrop: spring showers, drought, heat wave, hail and storms, harvest moons and the damp cold of winter. Each vintage is a time capsule, a bottled piece of history of a very specific year, with its particular weather pattern, its crises and its triumphs. It all goes in, whether you want it to or not, and 2011 was full of drama.
Director: David Kennard
Writer: David Kennard
Star: Martine Saunier
Somm Trilogy (2012-2018)
Somm (2012) 7.0 Stars
Four sommeliers attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.
Director: Jason Wise
Writer: Jason Wise
Stars: Bo Barrett, Shayn Bjornholm, and Dave Cauble
Somm: Into the Bottle (2015) 7.3 Stars
The history, politics, pleasure, and BS of wine told through opening ten very different bottles.
Director: Jason Wise
Writers: Christina Tucker and Jason Wise
Stars: Silvia Altare, Brian Carmody, and Ian Cauble
Somm III (2018) 7.0 Stars
Three of the greatest legends in wine meet to drink the rarest bottles of their careers, while the best blind tasters of today gather to settle an age-old argument. The results could change the world of wine forever.
Director: Jason Wise
Stars: Ian Cauble, Fred Dame, and Paul Draper
Boom Varietal (2011) 7.7 Stars
Boom Varietal is a documentary that follows the Argentine Malbec wine boom and explores its importance in today’s pop culture.
Director: Sky Pinnick
Writers: Sky Pinnick (story), Tim Cash
Mondovino (2004) 7.1 Stars
A documentary on the impact of globalization on the world’s different wine regions.
Director: Jonathan Nossiter
Writer: Jonathan Nossiter
Stars: Albiera Antinori, Allegra Antinori, and Lodovico Antinori
Did you like this content? If you did, let us know and share it with your friends.
This page contains affiliate links. We receive a small compensation when you purchase through affiliate links. While clicking these links won’t cost you a cent, it will help us keep the lights on and buy more wine. To find out more, click here.
