If you’re even the most casual of film fans, chances are only one thing comes to mind whenever someone mentions fava beans, even without the liver main course. Jonathan Demme’s Silence of the Lambs gave us what Thomas Harris’ novel never could: the flat-tire sound of Anthony Hopkins sucking air through his teeth. It still sends chills, despite being parodied to death.
Thanks to the brains behind the Alamo Drafthouse, we finally have a really good wine to pair human liver with. After last year’s Princess Bride-themed “The Bottle of Wits” sold so well, it seemed obvious that further film/liquor tie-ins would be good business, and they’ve unleashed two Silence of the Lambs-inspired wines into this dangerous world.
One is a signature drink for the man himself, Hannibal Lecter, called “The Cannibal Chianti.” It’s a DOCG-wine sourced to a vineyard between Florence and Sienna, and is a blend of 85% Sangiovese grapes with lesser amount of Canaiolo and Malvasia del Chianti. It’s described as “medium-bodied and well-balanced, with savory plum and tobacco leaf notes leading to a slight sandalwood finish,” with a nose that is “loaded with dark berry fruit with bass notes of allspice and baked quince.” I’m not sure if it’s a nod to Hopkins getting on in age, but the former description reminds me of my grandfather’s workshed, which wasn’t something I ever cared to turn into drink form.
But what about the film’s more viscerally frightening bad guy? Yes, the dastardly Buffalo Bill also gets a wine, cleverly titled “Suit Yourself Pinot Grigio.” If only they could have figured out a way to tuck the cork back between a pair of legs. This offering is a 2012 vintage made from a variety of fruit found in California’s Central Coast and inland vineyards. With a “lush bouquet of tangerine and orange blossom” for your nose, your palate will experience “a crisp entry and a velvety mouth feel that bursts into flavors of tropical peach and Mexican limes with just a hint of honey, leading to a zesty, citrus-laced finish.” Sorry, but I’m gonna have to go with the weirdo on this one.
The wines will be sold for one year, either at Drafthouse locations or through their website. A limited number of special edition sets will sell online, and the Chianti will come with a leather red dragon bag full of fava beans, with a recipe supplied by Alamo chef Trish Eichelberger, while the Pinot will come with a burlap back hiding a bottle of Buffalo Bill lotion. But what puts it on its skin?
The Alamo Drafthouse is also known for releasing those amazing Mondo posters that we talk about every so often, and they’ll be selling off two limited edition screenprints for The Silence of the Lambs.
I’ll let you guys know how it is when I get my bottle. My dinner guest would share his opinion on it, but he’s a little…indisposed. (Sucks air through teeth.) Check out the Mondo posters below, and stay tuned to MondoNews for release times.
