NIGHTS OF CABIRIA

Sommelier Cinema is a new series that couples films with wine experts who curate a series of wines paired perfectly to the movie of the evening. We are excited to present NIGHTS OF CABIRIA, Fellini’s groundbreaking masterwork about a tragic yet proud lady of the night. We’ll be joined by guest sommelier Jeremy Parzen.

In Italian cinema, one name stands high above the rest – the domineering genius Federico Fellini. His films, including LA STRADA, LA DOLCE VITA, and 8½, are among the highest achievements in the cinema. NIGHTS OF CABIRIA is one of his strongest, a film starring his wife and muse Giulietta Masina. Masina plays Cabiria, a streetwalker in a slum of Rome. Destitute, she carries herself with cautious pride, chronically distrustful yet susceptible to flights of immense joy. Her performance is glorious, a true landmark in its balance between pathos and ecstasy. This wonder is not to be missed by anyone with a pair of eyes. (Daniel)

Our guest sommelier is Jeremy Parzen, food and wine historian and writer for the blog Do Bianchi. Jeremy has chosen a selection of wines that will help you drown out the sorrows of Cabiria’s tragic arc:

Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Tête de Cuvée Brut NV
The one wine the characters of Cabiria drink in frame is Champagne. In the late 1950s in Rome, Champagne denoted a wide variety of sparkling wines with a wide range of provenance (although true Champagne can only be made in the region of Champagne in France). This dry sparkling wine is made from Chenin Blanc grown in the Loire Valley and is made using the méthode champenoise, where the wine is fermented a second time in bottle.

Terres Dorées FRV100 Sparkling Gamay de Jean Paul Brun NV
The overarching theme of Fellini's films is characters who find joy and revel in the beauty of life (la dolce vita) even in the worst imaginable situations. Cabiria is a classic Fellinian creation and she inspired the selection of this sparkling Gamay from the low-rent district of Beaujolais because it is as joyful as she. The winemaker is a fan of Fellini and mentions him as inspiration on the label of this bottle. The wine is named FRV100, rebus (in French) for effervescent.

Tenuta di Pietra Porzia Frascati Superiore Regillo 2009
Frascati is the classic white wine of the Roman castle district, where popes and princes still make their homes and vacation villas to this day. In a time when table wine was nearly always produced locally, bright fresh and food-friendly Frascati often graced the tables of Rome's famous trattorie, where the rich and famous dined side-by-side with the proletariat.

Ca' del Monte Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore 07
Long before Barolo or Barbaresco, Brunello or Chianti, or the now ubiquitous and falsely crowned Super Tuscans were adored by the privileged class, Valpolicella was considered one of the great red wines of Italy. In the 1950s, you were apt to be poured Valpolicella in one of the swank restaurants of the Via Veneto, the elite thoroughfare that appears in many Roman films from that era. Indeed, Fellini's characters are served a Valpolicella in his most famous (however misunderstood) film, LA DOLCE VITA — set against a swinging Via Veneto cast of players.

Sponsored by Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, who will also provide a pairing of cheese. Visit them at antonellischeese.com.