Wine and Movie Pairing: Cava del Barrio
“What does sueñito mean?”
It’s too hot to exist here in California, so I owe you a bottle of cold “champagne” to get through this heat wave. Let’s crack open a bottle of Artesa’s Grand Reserve “Brut Barrica” while we watch In The Heights (2021)!
In The Heights may have popped up on the big screen only three years ago, but its development started back in 1999 during creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sophomore year at Wesleyan University. Miranda was inspired to write a musical that looked, sounded, and felt like his neighborhood - Washington Heights, a heavily Latino part of northern Manhattan on the verge of gentrification. The screen adaptation fully immerses audiences in the sights and sounds of Washington Heights through the perspective of its protagonist, Dominican-American bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos).
For a movie that is admittedly light on plot but high on vibes, there’s actually a lot going on here in between the lines. As Usnavi introduces the characters that he calls neighbors, he also reveals their dreams and what it takes to make them happen. Kevin Rosario (Jimmy Smits) is a high school dropout who sold his transportation business to pay for his daughter Nina’s (Leslie Grace) Stanford education. Daniela (Daphne Rubin-Vega) owns the neighborhood beauty parlor, but is forced to move her business to the Bronx when the rent gets raised on her space. And the piragüero (Lin-Manuel Miranda) just wants to make some money when the arrival of Mr. Softee (Christopher Jackson) and his soft serve threaten the sustainability of a piragua cart. Usnavi himself dreams of owning his late father’s bar back in the Dominican Republic, but he also dreams of a life with Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), an aspiring fashion designer looking to escape Washington Heights for downtown Manhattan.
When a midsummer blackout thrusts Washington Heights into a new, non-air conditioned reality (don’t worry, this is a no spoiler zone), dreams change, people come to terms with their circumstances, and come together as a community to celebrate the things that make the neighborhood a vibrant place to live.
Director Jon M. Chu was not the first choice to direct In The Heights; Kenny Ortega was first signed on to the project when the film rights were first discussed in 2008. It’s Chu’s cinematic eye and his previous background in music videos that lift In The Heights from Tony Award-winning musical to a wholly different movie musical. Playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes wrote the book for the musical version, and considerably revised it for the movie’s screenplay; some small pop culture rewrites are apparent, but there are some major structural changes that will delight and surprise audiences while adding pertinent backstory for beloved characters. Again, we live in a spoiler free zone here, but Abuela Claudia’s (Olga Merediz) aria “Paciencia y Fe” takes on a whole new weight in a breathtaking way that is very different from the musical. The spectacle is meticulous and the music is earwormy in the best way, but it’s Chu’s vision and Hudes’ screenplay that ground In The Heights in the titular neighborhood.
The “Champagne” number in the movie is a one-shot scene that prominently features a bottle of Moёt & Chandon’s ubiquitous favorite “Imperial Brut” Champagne, but pairing that with the movie would have been too easy. Since In The Heights often tips its hat to its cultural and musical predecessors while firmly planting itself as a Latino American story, it’s important for me to find a wine that does the same thing. Enter Artesa Winery’s Grand Reserve “Brut Barrica”.
Artesa is the Napa Valley outlet for Spain’s oldest winemaking family, Raventós-Codorníu. Founded in the Carneros AVA in 1991 as Codorníu Napa, Artesa was originally supposed to produce exclusively sparkling wines made in the same metodo tradicional as French Champagne and Spanish Cava. The production house changed its name to Artesa (Catalan for “handcrafted”) and expanded their portfolio to include still wines in 1998, but never ditched their signature sparkling wines or the techniques made to make them.
The Grand Reserve “Brut Barrica” is a non-vintage wine that could be an easy dupe for a well-crafted Champagne or Cava. Made of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay from the coolest corners of Napa Valley, there’s a freshness to the fruit that makes the wine feel young and approachable. Expect to get some Bosc pear, lemon meringue, and some white floral aromatics. There’s also some significant complexity on the palate thanks to the time spent in used Chardonnay barrels and an additional three years aging on the wine’s lees - think French toast, toasted pecans, and a dollop of creaminess. “Brut Barrica” was made with one foot firmly planted in traditional sparkling wine from Spain, but the fruity freshness and extra oomph make this wine an American treasure, much like the characters in Washington Heights celebrating their unique heritage as both Latiné and American.
If you saw it on screen during Abuela Claudia’s big dinner for Nina, it works as a food pairing for the “Brut Barrica”. The beautiful thing about a really good bottle of sparkling wine is that it can take you through an entire meal, unlocking different pairing personalities course by course. I feel like the guayaba y queso (equal parts guava and cream cheese, served here on a rich Ritz cracker) would make a perfect appetizer before complimenting the saltiness of a ropa vieja with rice and black beans. Finish off the bottle while inhaling the last few bites of flan, and you have a start-to-finish meal with one great bottle of bubbles.
Artesa’s Grand Reserve “Brut Barrica" is available direct to you from the Artesa Winery website. You can also check your local independent wine store.
In The Heights (2021) is available to stream on Max or rent on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home. You can purchase the movie on Blu-Ray or DVD wherever movies are sold.
Great memories with In the Heights, both on stage and this movie.