Review: SOMM: Into the Bottle

A recent addition to Netflix again throws us into the world of wine, however, unlike Sour Grapes (another wine-based documentary reviewed recently), this documentary focuses on the genuine, beautiful world of the sommelier instead of the dark, criminal underworld.

In this international film, you will be transported around the world and privy to visits of the most esteemed wine cellars, whether that be in the famous region of Champagne in France or in the new wineries of America. Narrated and expertly led by a small group of world-famous sommeliers, this documentary is in no way pretentious, something ever-associated with wine, and does an excellent job of breaking down the workings of the wine world to the simplest steps; you will feel like you have learnt an enormous amount by the end of the documentary.

One of the best elements of this 90-minute piece is the people you are able to meet throughout and the stories they tell; elderly Frenchmen who have worked on the vines for their entire lives (visibly so from their weathered faces) and who represent the 12^th or 13^th generation of the family on the vineyard, it’s simply incredible. The stories and rich history these people have from their vineyards is startling and at one stage we are even shown an invoice book from 1492 showing the wine that had been produced and sold in that vintage year; quite mind-blowing stuff. What’s more, the humility of these families is refreshing, chatting away about the wine they produce and clearly love simply and unobnoxiously.

It’s an excellent 90 minutes; something that will open your eyes to the utterly vast history that every bottle of wine represents and make you stop and think next time you have a glass of red. A fascinating, inspiring introduction to wine, check out the trailer here.