A Walk In The Clouds

Last year I was helping a friend top his carboys of Cabernet Sauvignon. I asked Shane, general manager of Grapeland Supply Company, what made him decide to start making wine and possibly take on a career in the wine industry. Shane said it was because of the movie, "A Walk in the Clouds." He loved the scenery of the vineyards and immediately got this vision that winemaking was what he needed to do.

"A Walk in the Clouds" is a romantic story made in 1995. The movie takes place after WWII, when a young soldier (Keanu Reeves playing Keanu Reeves as a soldier) returning home meets a young woman on a bus. She is headed home from college to help with crush at her family's vineyard, "Las Nubes" (The Clouds) and to face her Old World domineering dad. The woman is not married but is pregnant and she thinks her father is going to kill her. The former soldier, now chocolate salesman, proposes to pose as her husband to help her face her father. Veteran actor, Giancarlo Giannini plays her father and the legendary Anthony Quinn plays the grandfather. Watching these two great actors perform is always a treat.

Sunday I had an opportunity to watch this movie again, thanks to HBO ("Like Water for Chocolate" was playing on IFC. I admit, I was torn between the two movies). The first time I viewed "A Walk in the Clouds" I took it in as the romantic movie that it was. Now I looked at the movie from a viticulturist/enologist eye. Yes, the vineyards were beautiful, thanks to computer technology. Almost a little too perfect, as it reminded me of a Thomas Kinkade (blech! gag!) painting. The opening of the movie was a filmy background of grapes. Red Flame seedless table grapes. During crush, the married women ceremoniously stomped and danced in a huge vat of grapes. Somehow they looked different than the last time I worked a crush. I didn't look or feel sexy like they had been portrayed. I didn't dance on the grapes, but was still left with the "purple badge of honor" from the soles of my rubber clogs to my cuticles. There was not a purple stain to be seen on any of these women.

Overall, the movie was corny. The music, backdrop and script resembled that of the old romantic moves from the 30's and 40's. Smaltzy, cheesey and sappy. Pure Hollywood fairy tale. Would I watch it again? You bet, and the next time I will be better prepared with a box of tissues, a big box of chocolates, and most of all - a glass of vino.