Film: A Walk in the Clouds (1995)
The cast and plot
The film is a remake of Quattro passi fra le nuvole from 1942 by Alessandro Blasetti, among the protagonists stand out Keanu Reeves, Giancarlo Giannini and a great Anthony Quinn
A World War II veteran, Paul Sutton (Reeves), a former chocolate salesman, tries to mend his relationship with his wife (Aragon), whom he abandoned five years earlier, but during his travels he agrees to pose as the husband of a pregnant girl (Sanchez-Gijon), daughter of a wealthy winegrower in the Napa Valley, who must return to her domineering father's home (Giannini); what begins as a ruse ends with the two falling in love amid the fantastic Californian scenery and a few plot twists.
The location
California is now a major wine producer, with many successful wineries born there on that limestone soil that puts the resistance of the vines to a tough test.
Fantastic, vast vineyards, breathtaking landscapes and, if you know how to choose, excellent wines.
Watching this film would pair perfectly with a glass of Zinfandel from the Napa Valley.
The star: the wine
Zinfandel appeared on the New York coast around 1822 and quickly became the favorite drink of the thousands of miners searching for gold in the hills of the Sierra Nevada.
It rapidly became the most sought-after wine in America. The vineyards were planted using the field blends method, often mixing in some Sangiovese, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Nebbiolo or other varieties. Many vineyards from that period are field blends, which means that many old Zinfandels are not 100% pure.
When alcohol became illegal during Prohibition (from 1919 to 1933), Zinfandel remained highly sought after as it was used for sacramental wines in churches. It was also fashionable among home winemakers, who were permitted to buy grapes and make wine at home.
The attention to appellations present in Italy and generally in Europe is not as strong in America, and one must be careful with bottles that say "Vecchia vigna" on the label – they could be no more than thirty years old.
The recommendation
If I were to recommend a particular "bottle" I would go with a production from Passalacqua Winery, in the Dry Creek Valley, an area with the highest concentration of old Zinfandel vines in the world, with some reaching one hundred and twenty years of age.
The winery's name is clearly of Italian origin, from Genoa to be precise, and evokes a well-known coffee producer.
Passalacqua produces six different Zinfandels but the "Vecchia Vigna" is certainly the one that best suits the film. The hint of black pepper, caused by the gravel and red clay soil, makes it a wine with an exceptional aroma.
I urge you to drink it at an American-style barbecue, while avoiding consuming it – given its generally high alcohol content – when the weather is very hot.
The inseparable pairing of good wine and Italy
A curiosity to finish: The Primitivo di Zinfandel vine is almost identical to that of Gioia del Colle, which grows in Puglia: the main differences are the size of the bunch, the size and spacing of the berries, and the vigor of the wine. In the past it was believed that Zinfandel came from Italy, and Italian Primitivo producers realized it could sell better in the United States under the name Zinfandel, but the American government was quick to register the name, and to this day Zinfandel can only come from the United States.
What do you think?
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