Produced by
Antonio Saura and directed by José Luís López Linares, it is a 90 minute
documentary in Spanish with subtitles.
 |
| Antonio Saura and Jose Luis Lopez Linares |
This
impressive and charming film will do wonders for the promotion of Sherry and
its enjoyment. Through the voices of many of the characters in the Sherry
business, it subtly gets the message across that Sherry is not remotely stuffy,
and that it has a complexity and history far beyond that found in other great
wines. It is also one of the most natural wines, hence the mystery.
There are roundtable
sessions with winemakers and other experts passionately discussing this mystical
liquid. There are Michelin starred chefs inspired to create new food matches. There
are cellarmasters demonstrating all the cask markings and bodega procedures.
There are lovely interludes of old film recalling the methods and bodegas of
the past. There are even interludes with flamenco – suitably fuelled with
Sherry of course, and music from Manuel de Falla.
If this
sounds scrappy, it is not. The film succeeds in transmitting the fascinating
and inimitable atmosphere of Jerez through beautiful photography, and impassioned
dialogue leaving you spellbound and wishing it would never end. It certainly
made a deep impression on the filmmakers themselves. So is the mystery solved? That
would be a terrible shame.
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