What more could a person want from the Toronto International Film Festival? It has celebrities, world premieres, red carpets, galas and swishy after-parties. This year it even has Sarah Silverman and Keith Richards "in conversation," though not with each other – which I'd pay money to see. (Silverman: "So, Keith, who are you wearing?" Richards: "Johnny Depp.")
And yet, Toronto can't boast the one enticing asset behind a growing number of more modest festivals around the world: vineyards. Far from the glitter of such top-tier events as TIFF, Cannes, Berlin and Venice, wine-country film festivals have been sprouting up like paparazzi around Ben Affleck's former nanny.
Some play to the cinematic themes of wine and food, of course, such as Most (also known as the Penedès Wine & Cava International Film Festival) in Spain, which will mark its fifth year in November. Also that month is Devour! The Food Film Fest, held in wine-producing Wolfville, Nova Scotia – a foodie draw that's even received coverage in the Hollywood Reporter.
Others, however, merely serve as thirst-quenching settings to lure tourists with more varied fare, including independent films, the sort that apparently go down easier with a glass or two of local vino. Leading the indie charge is the Sonoma International Film Festival in March and April, one of just many annual vineyard screen-a-thons in northern California. In fine Australian party-hearty fashion, CinéfestOz on Australia's remote west coast screens Australian and French movies not only at various wineries in the Margaret River region, but also in small bars.
Coming off its second year is the Niagara Integrated Film Festival, with screenings at various wineries as well as theatres. In June it played host to several Canadian premieres, including the Kristen Wiig drama The Diary of a Teenage Girl. The founder of that event, Bill Marshall, a wine aficionado, is no stranger to the festival circuit; he co-founded TIFF in 1976.
Even Slovenia has been rolling out the green carpet, so to speak, with the Grossmann Fantastic Film & Wine Festival, which this November celebrates the 100th anniversary of Slovenian film in the Drava Valley wine-region town of Ljutomer. "Our aim is to return danger and boldness into modern-day cinema, which in its mediocrity, political correctness and pathetic desire for mass appeal loses more and more of its former reputation, influence, creativity and therefore a lot of its audience," reads the festival promo material. Understanding the "more dangerous and funny" side of cinema, it says, is "always much easier and enjoyable with a glass of great wine."
I'll drink to that. I'll also enjoy a couple of the wines below during this week's TIFF craziness – at home, in front of my own private Netflix screenings.
Dom Pérignon Brut Vintage 2005 (France)
SCORE: 95 PRICE: $219.95
I wonder how many bottles of Dom are mindlessly guzzled each year merely for bling's sake. It must make the Champagne producer's chef de cave, Richard Geoffroy, cry in private, because this is one iconic brand that would be a travesty to spill in the back of a rowdy limo. The 2005, just released in Ontario in limited quantities, smells wonderfully and remarkably of toasted baguette topped with marmalade. French breakfast? On the palate, it's on the lighter side for Dom, with toastiness, peach, yeasty dough and a chalky, spicy finish.
Patrick Lesec Galets Blonds Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 (France)
SCORE: 93 PRICE: $56.95
A powerhouse – ready to rock today, yet also ready to pay handsome dividends over the next 10 or 15 in the cellar. It's big and warm (at 15-per-cent alcohol) and stuffed with sweet cherry and classic southern Rhône aromatics of licorice, lavender and herbs. Available in Ontario.
Cave Spring Chardonnay Musqué Estate Bottled 2013 (Niagara)
SCORE: 91 PRICE: $15.95
Made from an unusually musky (hence the name) clone of the familiar chardonnay grape, this is a Niagara signature worthy of wider recognition. Cave Spring Cellars co-founder and winemaker, Angelo Pavan, does a splendid job of harnessing the fruit's apricot jam, citrus and floral characters, unshrouded by oak-barrel aging, and one can sense the subtle muscat grape and spicy overtones well into the long finish. Crisp, clean and intriguing. For more information, visit www.cavespring.ca.
Prevedello Asolo Superiore Extra Dry Prosecco 2014 (Italy)
SCORE: 90 PRICE: $16.95
Famed Toronto restaurateur Franco Prevedello puts his Northern Italian heritage in the bottle with this good-value bubbly. "Extra dry" in sparkling wine terminology means a notch sweeter than bone-dry "brut." But the relatively rich, round mid palate is matched by lively acidity for a crisp, clean finish.
Moraine Syrah 2013 (British Columbia)
SCORE: 89 PRICE: $23.95
Ex-Albertans Oleg and Svetlana Aristarkhov named their winery "Moraine" after the glacial debris that forms the beautiful bluffs of Naramata Bench above Okanagan Lake. Winemaker Jacqueline Kemp, who trained and worked in New Zealand, has crafted a fine 2013 Syrah that sits somewhere between fruit-forward Australian Shiraz and more classic Rhône Syrah. Full-bodied and juicy, with supple tannins, it offer flavours of blackberry jam, chocolate and white pepper. Available at the above price in Ontario and direct from the winery at $23.90 through www.morainewinery.com.
M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes-du-Rhône 2013 (France)
SCORE: 88 PRICE: $16.95
This is a standard-bearer for affordable red Côtes-du-Rhône. Not a blockbuster or sleeper of the vintage, perhaps, but fine juice that captures the essence of the appellation. Medium-full-bodied, it delivers succulent, supple cherry fruit lifted by an herbal tang and moderate acidity. $17.49 in B.C., $15.99 in Man., $17.95 in Que., $19.99 in N.B., $18.99 in N.S. (on sale for $17.99), $20.27 in Nfld.
Domaine La Haute Févrie Sur Lie Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2014 (France)
SCORE: 88 PRICE: $13.95
Remember Muscadet? Maybe you don't. Back in the days when France dominated fine-wine consciousness the way Hollywood dominates movieland, it was considered by many to be the quintessentially lean, crisp white, a perfect foil for Brittany oysters. Now it's lost in a sea of competition. That's a shame because Muscadet, from the mouth of the Loire River, is valueland for fans of clean, light refreshment. Almost spritzy, this vibrant white nonetheless shows good stuffing, with notes of grapefruit, green apple and grass, finishing with a maritime saltiness. Available in Ontario.