Usually, when discussing wealth and wine, the joke is that to make a small fortune in wine, you start with a large one. However, a recent dinner featuring some of the leading businessmen of our time brought wealth and wine together in a different way, proving that two can co-exist, but perhaps not in the way that most vignerons would prefer.

The illustrious Le Cirque restaurant served as the setting for this special dinner, which brought together the heads of several prestigious corporations to consider the question on how best to preserve wealth from generation to generation. But, seeing themselves as “dolphins and not sharks,” they want to do so while also giving back to society and leaving a positive mark on the world.

In addition to mixing and mingling with one another and hearing from Uri Levine, who recently sold Waze to Google for a vast sum of money, the event participants had the opportunity to taste through a lovely selection of wines, carefully selected to pair with the delicious dinner. As successful leaders in their various fields, they shared much in common with the wines being presented and paired that evening – representing family businesses and the continued pursuit of excellence.

In a nod to summer, the event kicked off with a Provençal rosé, even though Mother Nature refused to acknowledge that spring had arrived, serving up cool temperatures and a string of rainy days in place of sunshine and warmth. I inwardly smiled as I got the mostly male audience to indulge in pink wine!

With its ability to pair well with a diverse selection of passed hors d’oeuvres, the Chateau d’Esclans was a good option to pour during the cocktail reception. It was also an excellent example of how owner Sacha Lichine has built a world class brand and contributed to the growth of the rosé category through the development and creation of high end, luxury rosé. Lichine originally hails from a renowned Bordeaux family, but has since pursued other regions and projects, recognizing opportunities for innovation such as what he has achieved in Provence.

During Levine’s presentation, the participants sipped on Lanhaus Meyer Grüner Veltliner. The winery’s Production Manager, Gerhard J. Lobner, has established a cooperation with wine growers in lower Austria, who had been farming vineyards for generations. He works closely with these owners to identify the best grapes and, as a result, has helped to save these vineyards that had otherwise been in danger of being abandoned.

It was then time to enjoy the main event – dinner! The mushroom risotto was a perfect companion to the Moniker Pinot Noir 2012 from Mendocino, California. Moniker is the result of the Thornhill family’s desire to bring their family together, both in business and in everyday life. The family purchased the winery in 2004 and as befitting a family business, each member of the family holds a different role in the organization. And the winemaker married into the family. Moreover, they are good stewards of the land; the property is Certified Fish Friendly and they use an innovative drip irrigation.

The main course of fillet of beef was beautifully paired with Wente Nth Degree Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 from the Livermore Valley. The name Wente has been around for 130 years, earning the title as the country’s oldest, continuously operated family-owned winery. Today, the fourth and fifth generations are at the helm of this company. With an extreme focus on quality, the Nth degree line is artisanal and handcrafted. For example, the vineyard sees as many as 15 passes through the vines over the growing season to tend the grapes and ensure that they are in excellent health.

As a sweet ending to the evening, the Marenco Brachetto d’Acqui Pineto 2013 from Piedmont, Italy was exquisite with the strawberry pavlova. The Marenco family has been in the wine industry since the 1900s, developing the business throughout the 20th century. The first winery was built near the Strevi train station to get the wine direct to the customers. Today, the three daughters – Michela, Doretta and Patrizia – run the company.

All in all, the confluence of wealth and wine flowed in many directions over the course of the meal, bringing everyone together in the enjoyment of great food, lovely wine and good company!

Dario Cecchini, Butcher of Panzano with Julien Niccolini of the Four Seasons

The Four Seasons restaurant welcomed members of the Chianti Classico consorzio at a special dinner last month, in concert with the U.S. Premiere Tasting of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines. The dinner featured Chef Dario Cecchini who posed the very important question: To beef or not to be? Since Cecchini is the renowned “Butcher of Panzano,” I think you can guess where his answer lies. The Gran Selezione producers/winery owners were also present at the dinner.

The Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is a relatively new category for these wines, added by the Consorzio in 2013. This category ranks higher than the Chianti Classico Riserva wines (see pyramid image) and is used only for the top wines of the region, which are produced exclusively from estate-grown grapes and follow stricter parameters. The Gran Selezione wines must also adhere to longer aging requirements.

Among my favorite wines poured at the dinner were the Castello Vicchimaggio Vigna La Prima 2010, Greve in Chianti (which was lucky because the owner was sitting at my table), Bibbiano Vigna del Capannino 2010, Castellina in Chianti; and Casaloste Don Vincenzo 2009, Greve in Chianti.

My inbox is constantly bombarded with various press releases, most of which are wine related – new products, recent releases, etc. But, I suspect that I am often included on random releases simply because they somehow found my website (and an active e-mail address).

These latter missives generally have nothing to do with anything I write about or have an interest in. Stowe, VT? Clothing swaps? And, most recently, a request to write about a tool that removes unwanted e-mails from your inbox (do they even see the irony?)

But, on occasion, the query is tangential, but interesting. This month, I was invited to prescreen a movie titled, Vino Veritas (loosely translated as “in wine is truth”). Intrigued by the trailer, I agreed and was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the movie, which is being released via iTunes and VOD through Gravitas Ventures on January 15.

For those of you who may wish to see the movie, I will caution you to stop reading right now. In other words — Spoiler Alert!

But, if I haven’t scared you off, I invite you to keeping reading…

While the publicist characterized the film as being “wine-centric,” his statement is a bit exaggerated because this is NOT a film about wine. Rather, wine is primarily used as a plot device rather than being the main topic of the movie.

Interestingly, as wine consumption becomes more popular in the U.S., it is finding its way into cultural expression – television, movies, books, etc. Yet, despite its increased acceptance, wine (and alcohol in general) is frequently demonized. While this film doesn’t demonize wine, it does cast it in an ominous light – imbuing the wine in question with mystical properties that compel imbibers to tell the truth.

Moreover, wine features heavily as a character trait of one of the protagonists. Appearing to rely on old stereotypes about wine, the film depicts Ridley as being a snob as a result of his knowledge and enjoyment of fine wine and pursuit of formal credentials, while the “common folk” characters reach for beer.

Given that this film is an adaption of David MacGregor’s 2008 play of the same name, I wonder if some of this thinking about wine has changed in the intervening five years.

But, as noted, this is not a wine movie. Instead, it is a film that explores the universal theme of truth, and how it relates to dealing with modern issues such as the burdens of parenthood and owning one’s sexual identity.

Tackling the issue of parenthood, the conversation among the four characters — particularly between the two women – pushes the boundaries of what is socially acceptable to admit as a parent. Mourning the loss of one’s identity (i.e. I want to be more than just __’s mother); the loss of freedom and adventure; and the loss of relationship between husband and wife, under the influence of the “magical wine”, the women break the taboo of expressing any sentiment regarding motherhood as anything other than that of doting mom by openly admitting there are negative aspects associated with being a parent.

Addressing another societal taboo, the film’s discussion of sexual identity centers on sexual expression and, more specifically, how one likes to engage in and enjoy sex. Here, one wife’s admission of her sexual preferences for rough sex is vilified– with the implication that she is a “slut” or “whore” for her sexual deviance. Meanwhile, there appears to be less condemnation of her husband’s sexual transgressions; while not expressly condoning infidelity, it seems to excuse the behavior in a “boys will be boys” sort of way.

As the evening winds to a close, for one couple, the truth will set them free. But for the other, to paraphrase Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men, they can’t handle the truth.

In fact, this couple is so abhorred by the revelations made by each other that neither can bear to live with this knowledge. Rather than find a way to meet each other’s sexual needs or accept their partner for who they truly are, they would prefer to be blissfully ignorant. What a sad commentary on a marriage, but likely the reality for many actual couples.

Directed by Sarah Knight, the film’s production was unusual in several ways, as described by the Director’s Statement, included in the press kit. Specifically, as a theatre director, Sarah “…only wanted to cast actors with theatre backgrounds as this film was going to live and die on the performances.”

In addition to the performers’ backgrounds, Sarah notes that, “…by the final rehearsal day we just ran the show in its entirety like a play!” and actual shooting took place “…almost completely in sequence.” Finally, they “…often shot very long takes and occasionally filmed entire scenes in one take…”

This nontraditional treatment emphasized the film’s origin as a piece for the stage and pulled the story together in a very fluid, natural way.

Well written, with believable characters, the film is not only enjoyable on a comedic level, but pushes the audience to think about how honesty –real, raw honesty– will impact their lives. Can they bear to reveal their own naked truth to themselves, their spouses, friends or the world at large?

If Vino Veritas is indeed the case, I for one think that we all should drink more wine!

Happy Holidays