story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 2/10/16
“It’s
something people do and love,” he says.
“You can passively appreciate things going on in the glass while being
visually and audibly involved with the film.”
He calls it,
actually, a “full sensory experience,” and it’s the impetus behind his latest
creative venture, the first ever Wine + Film Festival. The three-week fest, which will feature several
events throughout Santa Barbara County, will launch on February 14th,
the day after the lights on the high-profile Santa Barbara International Film
Festival dim. It’ll end with an awards
ceremony on March 5th, during the highly popular World of Pinot Noir (WOPN) tasting
event at Bacara Resort & Spa.
 |
| SOMM: Into the Bottle, with Brian McClintic, is among the fest's featured films |
Mr.
Fernandez, 38, says more than 30 films have already been submitted. A handful are longer-format or full-length
features, including the new "SOMM: Into the Bottle" documentary, which stars
Santa Barbara sommelier Brian McClintic and which has seen major success since
its release through iTunes earlier this month.
"Barolo Boys," a film about the revolutionary rise of wine from Italy’s
Barolo region, and "A Year in Champagne," which explores the making of the world’s
most famous sparkling wines, will also be screened.
Most of the
submissions to the Wine & Film Festival, though, are short, innovative
dramatic works – some as short as three minutes – that range from music videos
to vignettes shot on mobile phones. The
main character in all the films is the same: wine. And the festival’s events will give audiences
the chance to taste while they watch, often sipping on the very wines
spotlighted on the screen.
“It’s about
making that full-circle connection – learning about wine while experiencing it
in a variety of different ways,” Mr. Fernandez adds.
 |
| A sunset toast in Larner Vineyard kicks off the International Wine Film Festival |
The February
14th event is, naturally, inspired by Valentine’s Day. Set on the beautiful Larner Vineyard estate
in Ballard Canyon, “Wine Country Date Night: Dinner & a Movie” begins with
a Champagne toast in the vineyard at sunset and moves into the barn for an
intimate upscale dinner designed by Argentinian celeb chef Diego Felix. Just 20 two-top tables will be served
multiple dishes, including a six-course dessert, while the new 90-minute SOMM
doc plays on screen. Nearly sold out,
tickets to this event are $125.
The festival
continues on February 17th and goes online, as Mr. Fernandez hosts a
live screening event on Twitter. A
variety of video shorts will roll during the one-hour digital chat as 25 wine
writers from around the country tweet out commentary. The public is encouraged to join in, starting
at 5:30pm PT, using the hashtag, #WineFilm.
“What’s in your glass is up to you,” says Mr. Fernandez.
Cabernet
sauvignon comes into focus on February 20th, when Grassini Vineyards
hosts an “Afternoon Vineyard Screening & Tasting.” Set in Santa Barbara’s Happy Canyon – a sunny
spot on the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley where warm-weather wine grapes
like cabernet flourish – this event will screen various wine films produced in
Australia. The audience will sip cabs
produced in Australia (and featured on screen) and compare them to their Santa
Barbara-made counterparts. Tickets are
$45.
A VIP event
on March 2nd is primarily a media and trade event, with a guest list
that includes a slew of high-profile industry personalities, from vintners to
sommeliers to journalists. Set at the
spectacular new Presqu’ile Winery in the Santa Maria Valley, this evening
soiree will feature films produced by wineries, including a music video parody
by Sonoma’s Jordan Winery and a short by Sonoma’s Martinelli Winery that won
Wine Spectator Magazine 2015 video contest.
Among the food purveyors are Bob’s Well Bread and Far West Tavern, with
tickets at $75.
The curtain
falls on the festival on March 5th during the wildly popular WOPN,
or World of Pinot Noir, a gathering of celebrated pinot noir producers from
around the world that’s an annual sell-out.
As wine fans attend seminars and tastings, all set at Bacara Resort
& Spa, films will be screening on a loop inside the hotel’s high-tech and
intimate theater, allowing guests to watch on their schedule. A comprehensive awards ceremony will be
hosted by famed Master Sommelier Fred Dame.
For tickets
and information on the first International Wine Film Festival, go to winefilmfestival.com.
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| Cameraman Jonathan Baudoin gets footage for Fernandez' "Vintage 2014" |
This is not
Mr. Fernandez’ first foray into highlighting wine on film. The former ad exec from L.A. who moved to
Santa Barbara three years ago made a big splash with his “Vintage 2014,” a
groundbreaking multimedia project that involved video, podcasts, webcasts and
gourmet tastings and that captured Santa Barbara County’s 2014 wine grape
harvest from bud break to bottling. “The
Wine + Film Festival is really a result of all the cooperation that I found
within the local wine community,” he says, “and the relationships I formed with
many local wineries.”
The Santa
Barbara County Vintners Association, which represents the majority of local
wineries, is not involved.
“There’s
definitely an increase in demand for wine-related video,” Mr. Fernandez says,
“from the internet to cable TV to Netflix.”
So plans are on to bring back the International Wine Film Festival next year.
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If I would come to this city again, I would be all over these venues in NYC. We ordered Spinach artichoke dip at the server's suggestion and it was absolutely delicious.
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