Mafia movies and wine

While he may not be a historic figure to all, Francis Ford Coppola is a historic figure to me. Likely best known to this class for his adaptation of “The Godfather” into film, Coppola has won numerous Academy and Golden Globe Awards. Whether it’s because I grew up in NJ learning about the mafia culture, because I took a course on mafia movies in college, or because I’m engaged to a guy from a strong Italian background, I am a big fan of Francis Ford Coppola.

Francis Coppola grew up with wine on the family table.  Apparently, his grandfather and uncles would have grapes shipped in by train from California and make homemade wine in the basement of their NYC apartment. Coppola is associated with two Napa area wineries: Inglenook Winery and Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Inglenook is located in Rutherford and sits on a portion of the historic Napa Valley property first acquired in 1879 by a Finnish Sea Captain Gustave Niebaum, founder of the Inglenook Winery. In 1975, Francis and Eleanor Coppola bought 1,560 acres of the Inglenook estate, including the Niebaum mansion, with profits from “The Godfather” films. In the French tradition, they joined their name with Niebaum’s, making the property the Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery (and in 2011, renamed it Inglenook).

Copola also owns “Francis Ford Coppola Presents,” a lifestyle brand that includes films, videos, resorts, cafes, a literary magazine and a winery. I visited the winery in Geyserville (Sonoma) in August of 2013.

It is one of the most-commercialized wineries I have ever been to. It has restaurants, a pool, bocce courts, a museum and more. The tasting room is so flashy it feels more like Disney World than a place to taste wine.

But Coppola’s brand has done well, and he now offers nine different wine brands, across a variety of price points, sub-appellations, and varietals. The bottles’ labels also vary greatly, from references to Coppola’s films, to classic and modern artwork, to more standard labels that you will see in the grocery store. Overall, I have not found a bottle I love, even when trying some of the higher priced bottles. But I guess you’re paying for the experience, not just the wine.