Did you hear that popping sound? That was me uncorking a bottle of red wine, which happens often enough at my house. But unlike a lot of wine enthusiasts out there, I’m not the most particular person when it comes to the region where the grapes were harvested. Blasphemy!
It doesn’t take much education, however, to know that wines that come from the Bordeaux vineyards in France are some of the most cherished in the world, and are the subject of Red Obsession, a documentary from first time directors David Roach and Warwick Ross. Not even a tasting was necessary for distribution company FilmBuff to snatch up the rights, according to Variety. The film is making its premiere on April 20 at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, and Red Obsession is the first acquisition, even though it technically happened before the festival began.
The film, which is narrated by the boozy Russell Crowe, isn’t just about the classic wine’s deep history, though that is of course included. While taking into account the status symbol that the wine has become, the doc will look at how usual wine customers like the U.S. and U.K. are backpedalling on purchases as China’s unprecedented wine acquisitions have forced prices to skyrocket. And with no foreseeable end to China’s financial growth, it doesn’t seem to be a trend that will end anytime soon.
Wine will always be a status symbol – some of Hollywood’s elite are even getting in on it - but with climate change possibly affecting wine’s future, it’s possible the industry will soon face drastic changes. But even then, I bet merlot still gets a bad rap.
