The Wine Community-Building Power of SOMM

Passionate wine community following a SOMM screening

Whenever I view SOMM with people that are seeing it for the first time, the audience reaction reminds me just how emotionally-charged the film is. This is especially so with responses in a crowded theater. The amplified "Awwwws" and gasps during the scenes where the sommeliers receive the results of their Master Sommelier exams, or when we learn they are never told the correct identity of the tasting wines, are particularly stirring. These collective, engaged expressions create a warm sense of comaraderie, that everyone in the audience is going through the testing process together with the somms. 

The sense of community lingers after the film, as people gather over their glasses to compare viewing notes. Conversations carry on about the talent and commitment of the somms, how unbelievably rigorous the MS program must be, or favorite lines like Brian McClintic's "...tannins that ripped your face off!" The best observations are of how the film has inspired the viewers to taste and educate themselves about a broader scope of wines. Question and answer sessions lead to deeper discussions, with notes recorded for future reference. New friendships are initiated, with plans set in motion to share further in the mutual love of wine. Wine brings passionate people together, and SOMM escalates wine's societal effects.

SOMM is a special kind of film for wine lovers, and the show will go on: SOMM: Into The Bottle will premier as the opening feature of the Napa Valley Film Festival on November 11th, 2015. It will star many of the wine superheroes from the original cast, and if the initial teaser is any indication, the same powerful emotional impact from the first film carries on as well. Follow me for more details on the sequel as they become available.

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View my previous post: SOMM - The Addictively Emotional Wine Film