As some of you are aware, I have won the Grand Prize for the last two years for the Wine Spectator Video Competition – CABERNET TONIGHT in 2022 & LOVE THE WINE YOU’RE WITH in 2023. And as I recently wrote, I am working on the third (and final) video to enter the 2024 Video Competition.
In the prior two videos, I was able to use the Dierberg’s Drum Canyon Vineyard, and I am forever grateful. Not only is it a beautiful property, but the people at Dierberg/Star Lane are wonderful! (Special thanks to Tyler Thomas and Taylor Jones)
My Third Wine Video
This time around, Scott Dobbie, my production partner/cinematographer, and I made our way to Oso Libre Winery in Paso Robles CA to shoot the new wine video. From the Oso Libre website – “Oso Libre produces award winning, artisanal estate wines in limited quantities. Sustainably farmed vineyards are deeply rooted in rugged, calcareous (limestone) hills exposed to sunshine and ocean breezes consistently producing rich, complex fruit. The West side Adelaida District AVA where we sit is well known for an amazing micro-climate and neighboring great wineries.” The name Oso Libre means “Free Bear” in Spanish, which represents the winery’s blended family names and the spirit of California’s early pioneers.
Video Production Meets The “Oso Libre Winery” Team
Shooting at this winery & vineyard was an awesome experience! Chris Behr (Co-Founder & Proprietor), Michael Barreto (Winemaker & General Manager), and their team couldn’t have been more welcoming and gracious. Assistant General Manager Jeanine Madson Ellis gave us the grand tour in a limo-style golf cart. We toured the vineyards and had full access to the barrel area and the tasting room.
The Video Shoot
Scott and I were off and running. We decided to shoot in the indoor tasting room first before any customers came in for wine tasting. Their bar area was great in that it is colorful and loaded up with several different award-laden magnums and larger format bottles. And they have a fun wine barrel keg with a spigot emblazed with their bear logo. So, lots of interesting things that made the footage come alive… aside from my… ahem… impeccable performance… (Insert laughs here.) One of the shots required me to have a sip of wine and then break into song. Even though it was about 10AM, it was 5 o’clock somewhere… Especially since it took several takes to get it just right… Also, it helped that Tasting Room Manager Melissa McCrery had a smile on her face after we wrapped up. (Hmmm… Maybe she was just glad that we were done in there…) ; > )
We then pulled Winemaker Michael into another area of the tasting space so that we could capture his shot needed for the video. As I was able to do last year with five winemakers in LOVE THE WINE YOU’RE WITH, there are six different winemakers/proprietors in this video… And Michael is among the group. We wrapped up the interior shots and made our way to the outside. The weather was perfect – 85 degrees and blue skies.
The Oso Libre Vineyards
Scott and I got into the golf cart so that we could get to the far end of the vineyard to shoot the drone footage. Because the main subject of the video focuses mostly on Zinfandel this time around, I felt it was important to get a vineyard that had aged old vines, which is where a lot of Zinfandel comes from. Technically, Oso Libre makes Primitivo, which is the Italian varietal for Zinfandel.
Quick Blurb About Old Vines
Zinfandel and Primitivo are two names for the same grape… You’ll find Zinfandel in California and Primitivo in Italy, but these grapes are actually two of the same varietal called Tribidrag, originally from Croatia.
In the 18th century, a priest named Don Francesco Filippo Indellicati sourced some grapes from Croatia, including Tribidrag and planted them in Liponti, Italy. He noticed the Tribidrag grapes seemed to ripen quickly and always before any other grape, so he called them Primitivo which means “first one” in Italian.
A century later, the Tribidrag grape arrived in Boston in 1829, from Vienna. It was used as a table grape and referred to as Zenfendal, a play on its Hungarian name tzinifándli. In 1950, a horticulturist named George Gibbs moved to California to follow the gold rush and planted Zinfandel vines in northern Napa for winemaking purposes.
Fun Fact: We actually didn’t know Zinfandel and Primitivo were the same grape until the 1960s. Furthermore, we didn’t trace the roots of these grapes to Tribidrag until 2001!
And Now, Back To The Video Shoot Story…
The vineyards had easy access for us to be able to maneuver the drone as well as the tripod needed for the other footage. In addition to the pristine spring day, eagles were soaring in the sky above us. After about an hour and a half, we wrapped up what we needed for the drone.
After a quick lunch break at nearby Opolo Vineyards (one of Laurent’s favorites), we spent the next few hours shooting the rest of the footage in the vineyard using the tripod.
Just about the time that we were wrapping up, it was quitting time for the staff. Co-Founder/Proprietor Chris appeared out of nowhere and introduced himself. We chatted a bit about the winery and the fact that I have been there several times since he opened it in 2010.
Now that I have edited the footage into the video, I am so pleased with the setting and how it is coming along. And in addition to the video shaping up the way it is, it was such a pleasure to be able to shoot in a beautiful location and have the support of the Oso Libre team.
Cheers.
We are all waiting eagerly for this year’s video Steve! I’m sure it will be a spectacular winner and so fun to watch!
Thanks much Michael. Excited to share it with the world!
Great write up, sure sounds like the crew and winery staff had a ball making this vid!!!
It’s a lot of work being a two-man crew and one of us is the talent. 😬🎵🎵
But fortunately we were organized, made sure the production was attainable, and we enjoyed ourselves throughout the experience. It also helped that the staff at Oso Libre was supportive. And let’s face it. Singing about wine is a lot of fun! 🍷🍷
Cheers.