Film Recommendation: Somm Trilogy

Photo Credit: Somm Films

The first film in the series, Somm provides an intimate look into four Master Sommelier candidates on their journey to pass the highest exam in the profession. The Master Sommelier Diploma consists of a three day, three part exam offered only once a year. The film highlights the skills needed and training process for mastering the worldwide wine industry to become experts in the field, including the depth of history, languages and science involved. The passion, intensity and range of emotions of the process is on full display in the lives of the candidates followed for the film.

Somm: Into the Bottle showcases ten stories of wine from the hard work, energy and magic that begins in the vineyard, vintage and vitalness of the cellar to the last sip of the wine in your glass. The film gives a (literal) taste of rare, historic Old World wine to a look at the freedom and fruitfulness of wine making in the New World. As stated in the film, wine is an object of culture as well as food. Overall, the film is an entertaining and informative overview of the comprehensive elements involved in turning grapes to wine.

Rounding out the trilogy (which I highly recommend viewing all three in order) is Somm 3. Following the same style, structure and characters, the film focuses on three major players and the pivotal moments of the past 50 years in the world of wine, including the Judgement of Paris in the 1970s. The deep look into the skills needed, process behind, impacts of and differing opinions on the practice of blind tasting brings an interesting perspective to this often mysterious (and revered) component of wine. As the title of Chapter 5 says, “Everything is Subjective”. What you bring to wine is uniquely you and valuable to the conversation and life of the world of wine whether you are an expert, enthusiast or casual consumer.

Cheers, and Happy Viewing!