Children of Men
By Christopher Sawyer
Paired with Sokol Blosser 2004 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($30)
When director Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi thriller Children of Men hit theaters last fall, I was at the front of the line eager to see if the film could live up to its hype as the Blade Runner of the new millennium. To my delight, it only took a few minutes to realize that, yup, Children of Men was a true celluloid gem.
Now available on DVD, this epic futuristic tale based on the P.D. James novel and set in England in 2027 stars Clive Owen as Theo Faron, an ex-political activist turned government official whose view on life has become rather dim thanks to the continued urban unrest in London and the overwhelming fear that the current global crisis of infertility will lead to the extinction of the human race. But a small chance of hope still remains.
While following through on a favor to the underground rebels led by his ex-girlfriend (Julianne Moore), Theo meets Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), the first pregnant woman on the planet in 18 years. Along with her nurse Miriam (Pam Ferris), the three embark on a journey to get Kee and the possible miracle child to the Human Project, a safe haven at sea, in order to help scientists save the future of human civilization before it's too late.
But getting connected to the port town and the boat is not easy. This becomes evident after the unarmed group is nearly ambushed while staying at a secret home in the forest owned by Theo's old friend Jasper (Michael Caine). This dramatic chain of events eventually leads to a mesmerizing, nail-biting sequence which finds Theo and Kee (who has since started going into labor) caught between a relentless spray of bullets zinging past their heads and rockets piercing the walls of a dilapidated apartment with no way out.
Loaded with religious symbolism, tension and secondary layers of political commentary, this riveting scene pushes you to the edge of your seat. In short, Children of Men is anything but simple; instead, it is a work of cinematic genius that gets under your skin.
Although not quite as extreme as Theo's circumstances, in real life we too have our own chivalrous ways of helping save the planet and the human race. The most common example is by treating nature with respect. An outstanding winery that has stepped up to face this challenge head-on is Sokol Blosser, a premium wine producer in the lovely Willamette Valley region in Oregon.
Over the past decade, this family-owned winery has embraced the eco-friendly mantra by farming their vineyards organically and eliminating the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, synthetic fertilizers and other substances that can deplete the soil of its natural nutrients. In addition to being certified "green" by LIVE (Low Input Viticultural and Enology), an international certification organization, other highlights at the winery include: running the tractors on 50 per cent bio-diesel; recycling waste; using unbleached paper products for labels and wine boxes; and producing their own electricity with solar panels.
The end result of this intensive program is healthier vines and delicious grapes used to make classy and sophisticated wines in the purest form possible. A tasty example is the Sokol Blosser 2004 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($30*), an elegant wine featuring deep flavors of black cherries and wild berries, subtle nuances of mocha, allspice earth and integrated oak, balanced tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
In much the same way the plot and stunning visual images make Children of Men so powerful and real until the final credits roll, the complexity and depth of this wine continues to build from the first sip and all the way until the entire bottle is empty.
* Prices quoted in U.S. dollars
Christopher Sawyer is an international wine writer and the world's first film festival sommelier. He acts as sommelier at Carneros Bistro at the Lodge at Sonoma, and is co-owner of www.vineandbarrel.com of Petaluma, California.
