I will freely admit that most wine-related movies are terrible. There have been, however, a handful of wine-related films that have stood the test of time and worth taking the time to watch (preferably with a glass of something good in hand).
Based very loosely on real life events involving Napa Valley producer Chateau Montelena, Bottle Shock has some great performances that rise above its average writing.
Bottle Shock
Sideways is the wine world's most prominent success story on the silver screen, and a rare example of a movie transcending its novel's source material.
Sideways
This pseudo-documentary follows TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan's foray into winemaking in Arizona, and is an entertaining and insightful watch.
Blood into Wine
If romances are your thing, you could do a lot worse than A Good Year, which uses wine as a backdrop for performances from its A-list stars.
A Good Year
Wine's most controversial documentary, which paints many of its most prominent critics and consultants in an unfavorable light, is still controversial and an intriguing film.
Mondovino
Like a good bottle of vine, this unlikely wine-based premise for a romantic thriller from the early '90s has aged remarkably well.
Year of the Comet
The wine country is mostly just a backdrop here for its comedic stars, but their on-screen chemistry is genuinely enjoyable.
Wine Country
Despite some of the cameo cast later getting embroiled in an harassment scandal, this is a stellar documentary otherwise, taking you deep into world of the Master Sommelier exam.
Somm
This SOMM sequel manages to drum up a lot more drama surrounding a tasting of rare wines than you might imagine was possible.
Somm 3
If you've never heard of this Nazis vs a tiny wine town drama before, do yourself a favor and rent it NOW. It's got one of Anthony Quinn's greatest on-screen performances.
The Secret of Santa Vittoria
A compelling look at how a Burgundy producer weathers one of the worst vintages in modern times.
Grand Cru
An intense documentary about the trials of winemaking in Lebanon, this is a unique wine film.
Wine and War
Based somewhat on DLynn Proctor's struggle to become a Master Sommelier, Uncorked is easily one of the very best wine-related films ever made.
Uncorked
An incredible and incredibly unlikely story documenting a group of Zimbabwean refugees attempting to become sommeliers, this is one of wine's very best ever documentaries.
Blind Ambition
A well-paced documentary about sustainable and natural winemaking that doesn't fall into the trap of overly glamorizing its subject matter.
