About The Author
Who is Brunello Bombshell anyway?
I’m feeling very fortunate to say that there’s a lot more of you that have subscribed throughout awards season, so it’s about time for a proper introduction to me and all the things that make Brunello Bombshell a great place to hang.
Welcome!
I’m Maria Banson.
Virgo sun, Scorpio moon and rising.
Every year on September 4, I celebrate the anniversary of my 25th birthday (and as long as I keep up my daily sunscreen habit, I intend on keeping it that way thank you very much).
I’m a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Currently studying for the Advanced Sommelier Exam, which I’ll sit in 2026.
Before I got swept up in the wide world of wine, I was a theatre and opera professional who wore a lot of hats. Me and my classical voice degree have conducted 50+ piece orchestras and musical theatre orchestra pits, worked alongside some of the best names in regional Equity theatre as a casting associate and assistant director, directed and music directed smaller community theatre shows (often at the same time), and sung just about every style of music imaginable in at least six languages.
And then I met my husband, the indie filmmaker.
While I consider myself “semi-retired” from life in entertainment, I’m still my husband’s casting director. I miss performing every single day, and while it’s been hard to find a good outlet for performing as I study for upper level wine exams, there’s a very good chance I can be persuaded to return to the stage for the right role… (or just call me for karaoke night).
My two big life goals kind of explain it all: Academy Award winner and Master Sommelier.
Over 3,000 people have called themselves an Academy Award winner since the ceremony started just about 100 years ago.
To date, there are less than 300 Master Sommeliers in the world.
I’m going to be the first person to do both.
I started doing wine and movie pairings on a whim in 2020 when Parasite (2019) was released on Criterion. I’d dabble in it on and off through Instagram for a few years as I pursued my wine study goals, but it wasn’t until I started writing here on Substack in October 2023 that I really felt I could give each movie and wine its due.
Now that there are just about 50 wine and movie pairings in the archive, I can say with confidence that if I wouldn’t put the wine on a restaurant wine list and I wouldn’t put the film in a festival, I won't write about it. I love writing about the art forms that speak of something beyond their time and place, whether it’s an awards contender or an overlooked film from the past, a prized tête de cuvée champagne or a super small production gem from a burgeoning wine region. Rest assured, I enjoy parlaying my professional opinion about the things that may or may not be on your radar already.
Brunello Bombshell readers are intellectually curious fans of culture as a whole. They are people who extract the maximum value out of life, including (and especially) the simple pleasures. I’m simply here to help you get the most out of life and art on a deeper level.
Since October 2023, Brunello Bombshell has grown into a digital magazine that I’m very proud to share with the world. From a wine news podcast to guest articles to the popular Pre-Shift roundups every week, it’s been a treat to converge all my favorite forms of culture into one space that is celebrated by cinephiles and wine lovers like you.
Glad we had this chat! Take a look around the site, and I hope you’ll find inspiration for your next wine and movie night. See you in the next episode.
Cheers,
Maria
Some Favorite Articles from the Archives
All of the below articles are free for all to enjoy sans paywall.
Brunello Bombshell’s very first newsletter, complete with the Parasite (2019) wine and movie pairing that started it all.
The first episode of The Wine Press, a weekly wine news podcast featuring all the news that’s fit to drink.
recently prompted his chat to drop their favorite article. This is mine - a personal essay on the “Forks” episode from Season 2 of The Bear.
A quick analysis of the book “How Champions Think” and how it became an unofficial part of the reading list for Master Sommeliers. This article was featured in a roundup for The New Wine Review!
This epic little engine that could! The 2025 FilmStack Oscars Round Table that features my writing alongside 13 brilliant film writers from across Substack to talk about the 97th Academy Award nominees in all categories.
The most recent edition of The Pre-Shift, which is quickly growing into a popular feature here at Brunello Bombshell.
And up until January, my wine and movie pairing for Jaws (1975) was far and away the most popular! (Still holds a special place in my heart, though. And the wine is a banger.)
