Mondovino

Mondovino made it to DVD before coming to McMinnville. This truly surprised me as there are hundreds of wine professionals in the hills surrounding the Mack Theatre. Besides that, the Mack often brings in movies that don’t qualify as blockbusters. In its own way, Mondovino was a true wine blockbuster far more than Sideways. I thought this would be a slam-dunk success for the theatre and a real happening for the wine community here in the Willamette Valley. However, last Friday’s showing of the film brought out only a thin crowd of twenty or so wine folks. The premise of the film supports the small winemaker, vineyard-focused style of winemaking that predominates here, but the problem may lie in the insulated nature of winemaking here. More exposure to the broad world of winemaking is essential for winemakers with high goals and it’s a shame more did not take advantage of this opportunity.