Sommelier Cinema: Wine Flights of Fancy at Alamo Drafthouse

August 2, 2011 update: This event takes place at the Alamo Ritz location.

Although most folks know of my enthusiasm for craft beer from reading the Fantastic Fest 2010 Guide: How to Drink Like an Austinite and other beer-and-film writing, I also enjoy a good wine on occasion. During a recent vacation to Europe, my fiance and I visited the French wine regions of Champagne, Burgundy and the Loire River Valley (before hitting the breweries in Belgium and Germany). I learned quite a bit from local producers about grapes and the influence of "terroir" as well as the impact of climate conditions on wine.

You don't have to travel to Europe, though, to learn about Old World wine. Austin has several fabulous wine shops with staff willing to share their wine knowledge. In fact, my first taste of a lovely crisp white Sancerre was at a Loire Valley wine tasting at Vino Vino, and is why I added the region to our vacation plans.

If you are wondering why I'm mentioning wine on a film website, you need look no further than the Alamo Drafthouse Food and Film Event, Sommelier Cinema, which will feature a 35mm screening of The Seven Year Itch on Wednesday, August 3, at 7 pm at the Downtown Ritz location. The newest in the Drafthouse event series takes place every other month and pairs movies with fine wines selected by local wine experts who match the wine selection to the movie theme, characters or cast. The ticket price includes three or four wines along with the featured screening. Guest sommeliers give a short presentation about the wines and their history, as well as why they were chosen. The sommelier also provides a crash course in how to taste and drink wine, and what to look for in particular varietals, blends and regions. Find out which selections will be available this month after the jump.

Billy Wilder's classic sex comedy The Seven Year Itch (1955) stars Tom Ewell as a faithful husband tempted by sultry neighbor Marilyn Monroe. Guest wine seller and Frenchman Eric Pelegrin of Travis Heights Beverage World has matched some unique French and German wines to the passion of star Marilyn as well as the oppressive summer heat featured in the film. Eric’s selections include:

• Caves de Sancerre "Les Rochettes" 2009 -- Not your typical Sauvignon blanc, Sancerre has more complexity and is ideal as a refresher in the summer heat.
• Andrieux et Fils Cotes de Provence Rose 2010 -- You'd be amazed to see how much pink wine is consumed in France during the summer, but don't confuse the dry and fruity Cotes de Provence Rose with the sweeter New World White Zinfandel.
• Selbach Riesling Kabinett 2008 -- As the grape of Germany, Riesling can vary from bone dry to sweet, but most importantly should be well-balanced in its complexity.
• Les Heretiques VdP de l'Herault (Languedoc) 2008 -- Languedoc produces over a third of the grapes in France, with several varieties whereas most regions are known for focusing on a select few. This wine is a blend of Carignan and Syrah.

Find out more details about the wines and their pairing on the Alamo Drafthouse blog.  This film and wine event also includes a complimentary cheese pairing from my favorite cheese destination in Austin, Antonelli’s Cheese Shop. Tickets are available here -- despite all the cheese that I consumed in Germany and the wine and beer we brought back, I don't want to miss this event.

[Photo credit: "Pink Bubbly at Julie and Julia Feast" by Debbie Cerda, on Flickr]