Wine and Movie Pairing: Wicked Good Bubbles
"It's good to see me, isn't it?"
Happy Wicked day to all who celebrate! It’s all grand and it’s all green here at Brunello Bombshell, so here’s a wine and movie pairing for those looking to defy gravity… We’re pairing the first part of the Wicked film with Pojer e Sandri’s cult favorite pét-nat, “Zero Infinito”!
Wicked is the movie that musical theater fans have been impatiently waiting to behold for almost 20 years. Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and the 2003 stage musical of the same name, Wicked is an unofficial prequel story to The Wizard of Oz (1939). In the land of Oz, an emerald-hued witch named Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) accompanies her younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), to Shiz University. Naturally, Elphaba gets roped into becoming a student herself, studying sorcery privately with Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and sharing a room with the perky and popular aspiring sorceress Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande-Butera). When Elphaba receives an invitation to meet The Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), she finds an opportunity to use her powers for good, and potentially relieve herself of her naturally green skin… but only if the rest of the world is on her side.
Even with a run time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, Wicked: Part 1 is only half the story. Director Jon M. Chu insisted that the movie be split into two parts, roughly corresponding with the two acts of the stage musical. Though it was a decision that was controversial upon its announcement two years ago, it has proven to be the best decision to thoroughly immerse audience members in Oz. Chu was not shy about including lore from L. Frank Baum’s book, The Wizard of Oz movie, and Gregory Maguire’s novel to supplement the story of the musical, and audiences are rewarded with a monumental production design and craftsmanship across the board.
Wicked may be a movie based on a musical, but it is purely and unabashedly cinematic. Paul Tazewell’s costumes are not replicas of Susan Hilferty’s Tony-winning costume designs, but larger-than-life interpretations of familiar silhouettes. The scale of everything in Oz is all grand and colorful, but it’s Chu’s focus on the intimate reactions and relationships between characters that enhances the huge scale of the rest of the movie. By the end of “No One Mourns the Wicked”, there’s sensory overload in the best way possible - the horrifying posters and effigies both evoke the fear mongering tactics of a bygone era (though period accurate to the 1939 film) and offer Glinda’s conflicted commentary on mourning somebody she used to know very well. This juxtaposition instantly raises the stakes for the movie, and everything happens in the first few minutes.
The technical achievements in the film are gorgeous, but it bears mentioning that the acting performances here are solid across the board. As the green witch with a steely belt, Cynthia Erivo finds warmth and a sense of childlike wonder, especially in “The Wizard and I”. Ariana Grande-Butera (credited in this movie adding her father’s last name to her stage name) is every inch the well-loved, bubbly soprano that becomes a supportive friend. Jonathan Bailey embraces his role as the empty-headed cad Fiyero, showing off some exceptional dance ability in addition to suave vocals. Michelle Yeoh’s take on Madame Morrible proves the character’s quiet power and influence; just a head turn or a raised eyebrow gets a point across for a character that has a lot of sway in the world of Oz. You heard it here first: With the Academy Award for Casting being awarded for the first time in 2026, don’t be surprised if Bernie Telsey and team get their flowers for both movies when Wicked: Part 2 releases this time next year.
Naturally, we had to get an effusive bubble for this wine and movie pairing and nod to Glinda’s preferred method of transportation. Without leaning too hard into pink and bubbly, I wanted to find something that felt like a new twist on a familiar style. Enter Pojer e Sandri’s “Zero Infinito” Pét-Nat, a gulpable elixir that will have you singing, “something has changed within me”...
Pojer e Sandri started in 1975, when Fiorentino Sandri had 2 hectares of family property and met Mario Pojer, a recent enology school graduate. Together, the two started a wine label that eschewed international varieties in favor of the grapes that natively grew in the alpine areas of Trentino. They also mutually agreed on a zero/zero philosophy in order to create a regenerative agriculture within the family property. Two best friends together on an adventure for the greater good? Sounds familiar.
The “Zero Infinito” Pét-Nat is a true méthode ancestrale wine made from the Solaris grape, a German hybrid grape that is thought to be almost completely disease resistant. It’s a winemaker’s ideal grape, and Pojer e Sandri have enjoyed crafting their “Zero Infinito” completely without vineyard treatments and letting the beautifully expressive grape do its thing. Lots of alpine herbs and flowers, like chamomile and elderflower, leap out of the glass, and the palate reveals some tasty stone fruit juiciness. Fresh pear and juicy peach are present, as is a medium-to-full body. But the bubbles? The bubbles are non stop, hitting the tongue in big waves.
Surprisingly, there’s not a lot of food pictured on screen in Wicked, so it’s hard to find what Ozians would recommend as a food pairing. I will be drinking glass after glass of this with popcorn, no doubt, but a Thai green curry also feels appropriate. Or maybe green lentil soup. Or a super herbaceous salad. Basically, if it’s green, it works. If you try this with the cotton candy pink and green popcorn at AMC, please report back for science.
Pojer e Sandri’s “Zero Infinito” Pét-Nat is available at your local independent wine store. You can also check WineSearcher for details on stockists near you. Thank you for supporting small businesses!
Wicked: Part 1 (2024) is now playing in movie theaters.