AllMovie

Filmmaker and wine connoisseur Jonathan Nossiter directed this documentary look at how changes in global commerce and culture are impacting the work of vintners around the world. Focusing for the most part on small independent winemakers, Mondovino offers a number of perspectives, not simply on how wine is made and what sort of people devote their lives to the grapes, but how the marketing power of certain large winemakers and the homogenization of public taste brought on by the influence of North America has promoted the business of wine at the expense of the art, and has led to a less "sophisticated" palate overall. The film also offers the perspectives of some of the world's largest wine producers and explores the personalities of its subjects, revealing how the characters and their beliefs influence their products and business. Mondovino was screened in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.