Film Review - Blood Into Wine

The movie I chose for this wine film review was Blood Into Wine. Blood Into Wine is a documentary that follows Maynard James Keenan and his side-kick Eric Glomski as they attempt to master the art of wine making. Keenan is best known as the front man for the rock band Tool and A Perfect Circle; which has gained many awards and recognition for their music. Glomski and Keenan have been successful as far as it goes in terms of the planting and growing of the grapes, the production of wine, but what makes their adventure so interesting this time around is the fact that they are going to Arizona for their location to test out their winemaking luck there. Whenever people think of Arizona, their mind normally imagines the climate and terrain to be dry and arid with never-ending deserts filled with cactus and tumbleweeds. However, Keenan and Glomski believe this is going to be the perfect area for them to try their luck with their wine. They described it as the ‘ripe’ area for their winemaking and go in with high hopes for Merkin Vineyards. The elements and the wildlife of their chosen area in Arizona raise threats to the success of crop growth, they face a bigger obstacle with the critics who are diehard fans of Napa Valley and believe that only good wines come from that region. This documentary is a realistic view of what it takes to make it in the wine industry regardless of the all the setbacks and obstacles. It provides a great overview of the more difficult aspects of growing grapes and wine production in general.

            The setting of Blood Into Wine brings the viewers to a place known as Jerome, Arizona. The film takes place predominantly in Jerome, which helps the audience to get a good grasp of what exactly Glomski and Keenan were dealing with in terms of climate and wildlife. It gives an accurate portrayal of the region because it is filmed on point and allows the audience to see everything in detail first hand. Although one would still not want to test their luck particularly with this part of land, it is not what comes to mind whenever one thinks of the terrain of Arizona because it differs greatly from the stereotypical characteristics of many southern states. Instead of the dry and arid terrain that was discussed prior, Jerome is characterized by mountains and has a greater seasonal variation. During the movie Keenan discusses that he and Glomski are more afraid of snow ruining their crop than the dry, arid climate.

Jerome is home to a climate that hosts many different conditions which helps to produce the Caduceus wine better than most others. The terrior of this region is one of the most fascinating features and is helpful for the winemaking process. For example, during the film Glomski shows the viewers a hillside where Cabernet grapes are grown. He discusses that this area used to be a lakebed and the remaining sediments gives the grapes a unique feature that in turn gives the wine a unique feature. The land also has natural existence of limestone and volcanic ash. James Suckling, a writer for Wine Spectator, makes an appearance in the documentary and discusses that the terrior and overall landscape of the Merkin Vineyards has very similar characteristics to other well-known wine regions. Suckling even says that by ‘pioneering this new wine region, Maynard and Eric have created an intriguing new product that demonstrates both depth and complexity.” That stamp of approval is already showing a promising future for the land.

            One of the more interesting points of the movie was its discussion of sustainability. Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus combine in order to conserve the environment by using the lands natural features for grape production. The southwest United States are constantly worried for water and it is an increasingly serious issue on having enough water and making sure there is water in the future. The grapes planted in the land are capable of using the water that is naturally in the ground rather than needing to be watered, which could be considered wasteful by environmentalists. Therefore, this movie is an intriguing cinematic adventure for wineos and for environmentalists the same.

            I would definitely suggest this movie to a wine audience and even a non-wine audience. I think it is really interesting for many reasons and it holds so many interesting points about the land, environmental aspects, conservation, and wine production. It is also every entertaining and very funny. I also would recommend this movie because it suggests that wine drinkers should not give in to what critics think. Especially new wineos, critics status should not influence or persuade you one way or another but rather follow your own personal idea of the wine. Lastly, Blood Into Wine was a phenomenal movie and it has an array of people that are extremely passionate about wine and every aspect of wine, which makes it really easy for the audience to enjoy as well.