Cinemavino

For this week’s episode, Travis and I talk about Overlord, the new WWII/Zombie epic.  Because this film is set entirely in France, we’ll be drinking a selection of French wines.  All three of these dudes will pair well with typical holiday meals, so even if gory action movies ain’t your thang, give these bottles a look:

Chateau Trinquevedel Tavel Rose (pictured above)

I’m honestly Inspector Clouseau trying to pronounce this one, but it’s a great Rose.  Well-rounded, rich with light melon flavors and a crisp, floral finish, this would be a great starter bottle for your holiday meals.

To learn a little more, click right here.

Domaine De La Voûte Des Crozes

Don’t be thrown off by the fact this is a Beaujolais–it has a lot going on:  Bright cherries mingle with light spices and a velvety texture to make this a damn friendly red wine.  For best results, put a light chill to this one.

Click here for more info.

Kuentz Bas Crémant D’Alsace

We finish things off with a little dry bubbly.  The Cremant from Kuentz Bas has the refreshing minerality textures you might expect from an Alsatian wine, but it also has a lot more than limestone:  Ripe fruits–pears are pretty apparent (“a-pear-ant”, get it?  Anyone?) before smoothing out into a mellow, lightly creamy finish.

Would you like to know more?

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This week, Travis and I drink a little red wine and talk about “First Man,” and the Star Wars franchise.  Our wine this week is a blend from Bonny Doon Vineyards called Cigare Volante.  It’s an American wine inspired by the reds of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in France.  Wines from this area in the Rhone region are consistently ranked amongst the highest in the world.  The Cigare Volante is their American cousin, and it’s a worthy addition to the family.  Travis likes to invoke the phrase, “versatile as beans.”  I don’t know if he means the musical fruit or the character from Even Stevens, but either way, this wine is pretty fuckin’ versatile.  As Beans.

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*This is a re-upload of our Venom podcast.

On October 11, 2018, Cinemavino debuted on an unsuspecting world.  Much like WWE, it was beautiful, gripping…it was RAW.

And it was just me and Trav.  Taylor was somewhere deep in the Himalayas.  Sean was touring with the Stones.

We were pretty nervous for this first Todd-pod, and it does show a bit.  Our best work lies ahead.  In the meantime, this outing finds us gabbin’ about Venom.  It had just came out, and it sucked pretty bad.

Now, check out where all the magic began.  And don’t forget to listen, rate and subscribe!

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For this week’s Cinemavino, Sean and I continue our look at Peter Jackson’s mammoth documentary, The Beatles: Get Back.  Jackson did an outstanding job of ironing 160 hours of raw footage into three coherent acts.  Not surprisingly, part II takes the Beatles into some of their darkest depths, as they try to bring George Harrison back into the fold.

This episode also finds the group moving to the cozier environs at Apple Studios.  They also gain an unofficial fifth member, in the form of keyboardist Billy Preston.  His presence boosts the energy and morale of the group.  For the first time, the Beatles seem full of life.

The final episode captures an iconic moment in music history:  For their final live performance, the Beatles play a brief gig on the rooftop of their recording studios.  Over the course of 34 minutes, the band forgets their  personal and professional troubles and rediscovers their joy of playing music.  It’s an amazing, uplifting thing to witness.

Overall, Jackson’s series is a landmark achievement in music history, and it has to be seen by Beatle fans and anyone else who enjoys going behind the scenes in historical moments.

To read my full written review, click here!

Now, enjoy another fine episode of Cinemavino!

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The Beatles are my all-time favorite band, and I’ve spent my life as a walking encyclopedia of their music and history.  Like millions of fans, their music has changed my life.  Long story short:  This isn’t just another podcast for me.

I’ve been pumped for Peter Jackson’s documentary since I saw his work on They Shall Not Grow Old.  In that film, Jackson and his effects team restored rickety WW1 footage into full HD.  The result looks so good, it’s easy to forget what we’re seeing is over 100 years old.  Once I heard that Jackson was applying this wizardry to the Beatles’ footage, I couldn’t wait.

As a superfan, that wait was absolutely worth it.  This is a glorious, fascinating look at the biggest band of all time, as they take turns being burned-out, inspired, crestfallen, and jubilant.  My full review of the series will debut tomorrow, but I’ll sum it up like this:  If you love the Beatles, the documentary will overload you with information.  My brain is still processing it all.

For tonight’s episode, we take a look at the first episode, which covers the first tumultuous week of the Get Back sessions.  This is a lively, one-hour discussion, and it’s one of our best.

To read my review of Get Back, check it out!

For le vino, I picked two wines that match the poetry of this series.  The Conclusion Pinot Noir from Sonoma County is a light-to-medium red–perfect if your holiday meal has a little more oomph.  Also, as this documentary marks the beginning of the end for the Beatles, the name seemed appropriate.  That goes ditto for Francis Coppola’s Director’s Cut Pinot Noir, which is a little and brighter by nature.  With Get Back, Peter Jackson gives us the definitive cut of the Beatles’ final year together.

Now, kick back, get back, and enjoy another fine episode of Cinemavino.

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Welcome to a very special episode of Cinemavino!  We’re all huge Ghostbusters fans, so we were eager to take a look at the latest sequel, Afterlife.  Everybody enjoyed it, to varying degrees.  In my personal opinion, it’s probably the best Part III they could’ve possibly put together.

If you’d like to read my full, written review of The Last Waltz, click here. 

This one’s exclusively in theaters, but it will undoubtedly appear somewhere for streaming, probably early in 2022.  As always, this is a judgment call, based on your own personal Covid anxiety and vaccination status.

Also, spoilers will abound.  If you love Ghostbusters and feel strongly about seeing it, head to a theater and then get back in here.

As for vino, we went for a classic:  The Decoy from Duckhorn. It’s the quintessential California Cabernet.  Bold, elegant, and durable for aging.  Plus, it’s usually in the $20-30 range, which makes it nice and affordable.

Next week, it’s another double feature, as we take a look at Peter Jackson’s epic documentary, The Beatles: Get Back.  I’m a fanatic, so this will be an early Christmas for me.  I know Taylor’s right there with me, so this will be a must-listen for Beatles fans.  Also, we’ll kick off Christmas with a new look at Hook.

In the meantime, kick back enjoy another hilarious episode of Cinemavino!

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Thanksgiving is already here, and we’ve found the perfect movie for the occasion. Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz is often held as the greatest rock documentary every made, and it’s easy to see why:  The Band’s farewell concert bottles everything cool, everything tragic, and everything beautiful about being a rock star, all in one magnificent film.

Above all, The Last Waltz has a killer soundtrack.  The Band’s greatest hits are all here, including “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and “Up on Cripple Creek.”  In addition, we hear classics from Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, and Muddy Waters.  If you’re looking for something to counteract the sleepiness of Thanksgiving cuisine, this movie rocks hard, and will likely bring you around.

To read my full, written review, click right here.

As for vino, we went with three classic Thanksgiving pairs.  This Rielsing from Dr. Loosen is a great bottle of white that falls somewhere between dry and sweet, but probably a smidge more in the sweet direction.  Rich with melon and fig flavors, this is perfect with everything from turkey to salad and even the cranberry sauce pictured.  Even better:  It runs in the $15-20 range.

When it comes to red wines with Thanksgiving, the most common options are Pinot Noir and Beaujolais.  The Grower’s Guild from Oregon is a particularly nice choice.  It’s loaded with fresh cherries and even some earthy textures.  As with the previous bottle, this one clocks in at around $16–delicious and easy on the wallet.

Finally, Prosecco is wonderful for either before or after the big meal.  As for me, I like to pop a bottle afterwards and enjoy with a great movie like The Last Waltz.  The Adami is nice, dry, and crisp.  It’s lightly toasty, floral, with Anis as a notable flavor.  (Prosecco also makes a great mimosa, btw.)

We hope you have a great Thanksgiving!  Next time, we talk Ghostbusters: Afterlife, then we plunge into he Christmas season.  Enjoy!

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For this week’s Cinemavino, it’s one of the more decorated movies we’ve covered in a good long while:  Another Round won the Academy Award for Best International Feature, and Thomas Vinterburg was nominated for Best Director.  After a steady stream of Halloween flicks, this art house flick was a nice palate cleanser.

The crux of the story has four middle-aged guys testing a (rather dubious) hypothesis that humanity operates better with a blood-alcohol level of .05.  So, they buy breathalyzers and try and to maintain a nice buzz.  Comedy hijinks, deep philosophical moments, and poignant drama all ensue.

We’ve worked in the booze business, so this film gave us even more to talk about.  After the break, we come back a little more activated to see if it enhances our podcasting.  Also, we share personal stories of getting blotto that resonate with the events of this film.  This is our most personal Cinemavino in a good long while.

As for vino, we kick things off with the Dry Creek Cabernet.  It’s bold and dry, much like the humor of this film.  To learn a little more, click here.

To read my written review of Another Round, head this way.

Now, kick back and enjoy another fine episode of Cinemavino!

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