The movie focused primarily on Maynard’s recent life changes from being in a heavy metal band to settling down in Arizona and starting a vineyard. He was basically getting tired of being on the road all the time, screaming out his sad song lyrics, but he did enjoy being a song writer and singer, it was taking a toll on his body and he needed a change of pace. All his songs came from his heart, from problems in his life, and he just needed to shout them out to everybody while on stage. The biggest thing he mentioned about his songs is that he eventually overcame the negative aspects of his life, he sang the songs long enough that he finally realized everything is going to be okay, and so now he feels accomplished in that sense. It is now time for him to move on and for his fans to keep singing his songs until they too overcome their problems. Maynard found this little place in the middle of Arizona and fell in love with it, he knew this is where he wanted to start anew. He has had many trials and tribulations since then, and owning a vineyard, especially one with less than ideal conditions, can be extremely challenging. With the help of some friends and Eric Glomski he has been able to form a successful business with Merkin Vineyard Caduceus Cellar.
As mentioned previously, this entire film was shot in Cornville, Arizona, an area quite questionable to many wine critics. The location is not ideal for wine production, but upon inspection of the soil it has volcanic residue and limestone scattered throughout, giving the grapes grown there a little personality of their own. But all that being said, Arizona is a desert! How could wine grapes ever be grown there? Well as it turns out, grapes do not need, nor benefit from, heavy amounts of rain water. They suck up water and retain it very well from the soil so the fact that it doesn’t rain often does not hurt them drastically. Strong winds, intense heat, and a lack of reputation also can hurt a new vineyard starting off in Arizona. But there have been larger problems with starting a young crop here and that is the wildlife. Because they introduced a new type of plant to the area, animals notice this quite quickly and will ravage the new crops, which unfortunately happened to Maynard and his crew, setting them back a decent amount.
The movie focused on many other aspects of Maynard as well, all eventually relating back to wine. He really shows from all he has been through that this isn’t just a silly side project for him. This is really him, this is really what he wants to do and what he loves. He has invested heavily in this and lost a lot as well. At least a six to eight year investment before really getting anything out of it because the grapes aren’t truly ready for wine until they are fully matured. Seeing that Maynard picked out this location mostly on his own, bought the property despite the skepticism of others, and harvested these grapes for eight years shows he is extremely dedicated to this new life project. Along the way, his mother passed away and this was a heartbreaking event for him. In honor of her, he spread her ashes throughout his vineyard and named his Cabernet Sauvignon Nagual del Judith, after her. Although a drastic change from his previous occupation, there is something about working with plants and in the soil that is just good for the soul and I think this film shows that perfectly.
Throughout the movie the explained the many processes of wine production. From growing the grapes, to crushing the grapes and forming must, to fermenting, and to the final bottling and drinking of the wine. It was really great to see first-hand how they handle each part of the process. Getting to see them complete the processes each step of the way really shows how much time, effort, and planning goes into it; something you would never really understand unless you were a wine producer. Previously, I knew about all the different steps in production and it was great getting to see it in operation, but without this film, I don’t believe I would ever truly understand or appreciate the absolutely insane amount of work that is put into a bottle of wine. Many famous actors and wine critics were scattered in throughout the movie to give their two cents on his wine, wine in general, or just to add a little humor along the way. A nice change from a typical documentary, breaking up the movie nicely, especially in more serious moments. Maybe some of the more humorous sections were added in for non-wine-drinking viewers, but at the same time, many of the funny parts in this movie were strictly about wine and perhaps only humorous to people who understand certain concepts of the wine.
Maynard’s vineyard has shown great success in recent years, especially for an Arizona vineyard. It is hard not to like this movie, packed with so much information, emotion, and humor, what’s not to like? After viewing this movie I immediately wanted to try an Arizona wine, I’d even go as far as saying that I am tempted to actually go to Arizona and purchase directly from the source!
Seeing the drastic movement Maynard has made could really hit home for some people, especially people that want to change in their own lives, this movie basically says, go out and do it! A hugely motivational documentary that I would have to highly recommend for anyone and everyone, regardless of if you like Tool or if you like wine, watch this movie, you won’t regret it!
