GRAND CRU EXPOSES THE WORK AND ARTISTRY BEHIND THE WINE
Film follows winemaker Pascal Marchand’s struggles with difficult vintage in Burgundy
If you’ve never spent time with the people behind the wines you drink — the grape growers, the winemakers — you can’t fully understand how hard it is to make wine. Toronto-born director David Eng ’s film Grand Cru, which has just been released in Montreal, is an opportunity to gain some insight into making wine in one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious regions, Burgundy.
Eng follows Quebec-born winemaker Pascal Marchand as he struggles with one of the most difficult vintages in recent history. I sat down with Eng to discuss the film.
Q You tackle many subjects in Grand Cru: Pascal’s trajectory to becoming a world-renowned winemaker, Burgundy, organics. What do you want people to take away after seeing this film?
A Wine is a complicated subject and Burgundy is one of the most complicated regions. But ultimately, I want people to have an appreciation and wonder about how much work, dedication and creativity goes into making a bottle of wine. Maybe to be inspired to try better and more interesting wines. Be more daring in their choices.
Q Why did you choose Burgundy as the region? Most people never get to taste 99 per cent of what’s made there because it’s so expensive, and even if you have the cash, bottles are hard to find.
A I didn’t actually choose Burgundy. I chose Pascal. I wanted to make a documentary about wine in a way that I didn’t think had been made before. One that would appeal to both experts and novices. I decided to do an artist profile. Focus on the winemaker as an artist. Documenting the labour and the intensity of the process. That way, even if you didn’t know much about wine, you could get a real sense of what’s going on.
Q How important was the discussion about biodynamics and organics prior to starting to film? Did it just develop while were you doing the film?
A It was important. Even though some may consider this flaky, many of the top wineries are moving that way. I was attracted to the way Pascal worked the vines. The way he was spiritually connected to nature. He’s an innovator in a really interesting way, by drawing on ancient techniques.
Q If your goal was to make a film about how hard it is to make wine, you lucked out in a way by filming the 2016 vintage — one of the toughest ever in Burgundy, with the killer frosts and hailstorms.
A For us, it was extraordinary luck. For them, it was extremely difficult and a lot of it was heartbreaking. We did feel a bit like vultures at times, benefiting from their misfortune. But it made for a more compelling film because it allowed us to explore so many other issues, like climate change and the personal stories of the growers.
Q Funnily enough, 2016 might turn out to be fantastic, at least qualitatively. But that’s Burgundy in a nutshell. You somehow can only come close to perfection. I often say about Burgundy that there’s no wine that I love drinking more that never satisfies me completely.
A I guess people have a love/ hate relationship with Burgundy. But I would rather have mild disappointment from a great Burgundy than complete satisfaction from a wine from so many other regions in the world. Burgundy is an elusive mystery because it offers so much possibility.
You can hear Bill Zacharkiw pair wine with rock on CHOM-FM (97.7) Fridays at 7:45 a.m.