During our imposed pandemic isolation, we watched a lot of movies and ate in.   One of the easiest and most delicious things to throw together with supplies from the fridge and pantry was a grazing board.  (I was made aware of these during a Virtual Yelp Event…I participated in a lot of those too during the past eighteen months.)

I also drank a lot of wine.

I’m pulling movie watching, grazing and wine all together today for May’s Food ‘n Flix post.  I’m hosting for May and chose Bottle Shock, a 2008 based-on-a-true story film.   It tells the David and Goliath tale of the fledgling California wine industry circa 1976.   An entrepreneurial British wine snob (Alan Rickman) wants to create a blind tasting between French wines and these brash young Yankees, thus the “Judgement of Paris” takes place and puts Napa on the map. You can read the announcement post here.

I was amazed that it was Spurrier’s character (the wine snob mentioned above) that gave the California wineries the idea that people would (and should) pay for wine tastings.

There was a lot of wine (obviously), some food references, but there wasn’t a lot of food shown on the screen.  (You can see my list at the bottom.)  I can’t wait to see what the rest of the FnF members came up with.

What follows is not a recipe but more of a guideline.   

How to Build a Grazing Board

By Debra

For a fancy board for guests, I use these recommendations. For just us, I pull from the pantry and fridge.  You also want to consider the 3 Cs:  cheese, charcuterie, and crunch.  (And maybe add CHOCOLATE!)

Ingredients

• soft cheese (Brie, goat cheese, even a cheese ball)
• hard aged cheese (like an aged gouda)
• a pungent cheese (like gorgonzola)
• whatever cheese is your favorite
• a good cow’s milk cheese like Manchego (or substitute a cashew cheese for vegan options)
• 2-3 different cured meats
• pickle or fermented elements
• fresh fruit  (grapes, berries, pears, apples—think about the textures)
• dried fruit (apricots, figs, raisins, craisins)  I used dried mandarins above.
• nuts
• honey, jam, or jelly
• chocolate
• crackers, pita bits, toasted baguette slices

Instructions

• Use 3-4 pieces of cheese per person and then build around that.  (The cheeses tend to take up the most space.)  Don’t make your guests work for their cheese—slice, cube, crumble and provide a cheese knife
• Use 2 oz. of meat per person.  Fold meats and arrange in “rivers” or make some salami roses.
• Decorate with  fresh berries (even pom arils) and herbs.
• Add seasonal or holiday touches as appropriate.  Consider gingersnaps for the winter holidays or conversation hearts for Valentine’s day.
• Place similarly colored items around the board, not side by side.

“Rodin used bronze…Debussy, the piano…Baudelaire, language…so Henri Jayer and Philippe de Rothschild used the grape.

Great wine is great art, my friend.”

“You have to grow up with the soil underneath your nails…and the smell of the grape in the air that you breathe.  The cultivation of the vine is an art form.  The refinement of its juice is a religion…that requires pain…and desire and sacrifice.”  

Even though Bo (Chris Pine) and his hair drove me nuts throughout the film, I loved watching his character’s transformation from the cellar rat whose life’s ambition is to see The Dead at the Cow Palace to the champion and representative for California wineries at the “judgement.”  

Here’s some of the wine (and their was a lot), the food (barely any) and food references from the film:

• “I detect bacon fat…laced… with honey melon.”
• Beers and peanuts at Joe’s bar
• 1971 Ridge Cabernet
• 1962 Buena Vista Pinot Noir
• 1947 Cheval Blanc (the one that almost “stumped” Gustavo)
• Bloody Marys, martinis and a sandwich at the Country Club
• A “dynamite” Sauvignon (made by a woman)
• Vittel bottled water, water biscuits or a French roll
• Burgers, looks like a roasted chicken (lunch break as the workers watch Sam wash out the thrashers)
• Portuguese sardines…and crackers (when Sam tastes Gustavo’s wine)
• KFC
• Guacamole served to Steven (probably something else he’s never tried, along with the California wine)
• sweet nectar of the Napa Valley
• Bâtard-Montrachet and a Chambertin (from Steven’s cellar)
• Vodka (to drown sorrows after the 500 bottles were thought destroyed)
• Other wines in the competition:  Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault Charmes, Chalone Vineyards.  1973 Château Montelena Chardonnay (the chardonnay winner)
• Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
• Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
• Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
• Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee Song 

If you have not seen Bottle Shock, I encourage you to do so.  It would make great holiday weekend viewing.   (You also have exactly three more days to create a post and join us.)   And, if you have not seen Harvest Season, you should.  It’s a great supplemental documentary to Bottle Shock.  (The real Gustavo is featured.) It’s a wonderful film!

The June Food ‘n Flix feature is  The Pickle Recipe hosted at Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  Look for an announcement post soon on Cam’s site.