A Year in Port Film – Virtual Wine Travel

Fittingly, the last film, A Year in Port, completing the wine documentary trilogy, A Year in Burgundy, A Year in Champagne is focused on the fortified spirit Port, an appropriate end to a very satisfying visual meal of this series of films and a joy to watch.

Each film is about 80 minutes or so long.  AYIB, released in 2013 is most widely available and found on  Netflix, Itunes and Amazon. AYIC released 2014, Itunes and Amazon and finally, AYIP, 2016 Itunes and Amazon.

Directed by David Kennard, the films literally transport you to completely different worlds. Exploring countries and places for me is such a passion but practically there are always the issues of time and money. These films are a great way to do traveling reconnaissance, seeing the cities, towns and countryside virtually. The more I learn and see pictures of Portugal, taste the wines and meet the people, the more I realize there are so many nooks and crannies to explore. His latest film AYIP is visually stunning, the verdant green hills of the Douro beckoning me to visit.

You are taken behind closed doors to see what really goes on in producing port and the people and stories behind it.  AYIP, gives you insights and glimpses into cultures that encompass the history of port. Seeing the dusty port bottles on the cellar shelves, decades old, got me thinking of all the history captured in the liquid sitting in the bottle.

Living in the middle of a city, I am in a frenzied world, the ambient noise of fire engines, traffic, buses and ambulance sirens.The gray streets are urban canyons lined with the black and white highrises. Watching this movie took me back to a different time and place and for awhile I wasn’t in Chicago anymore.

Being a perpetual student, it was fascinating to see the processes and hear the history behind the bottle. I will go back and rewatch all of these, the films are highly informative and I find it so much easier to absorb information when it is presented in such an engaging way. If you really aren’t sure what port is or why the price or what is so special about it, watch the film.

If you have seen AYIB and AYIC then AYIP is a must see. If you haven’t seen any of them, Itunes is offering special pricing on the collection. The one thing I recommend is to have a glass of port in hand while you watch AYIP to enhance your experience.

Cheers!!