Uncorked and Movies & Munchies Round-Up

I wanted to post this round-up prior to July 4th because of the good BBQ (and other recipes) that would be perfect for the holiday table.

Movies & Munchies is a group of film foodies that looks for culinary inspiration on the screen.  For June, I hosted Uncorked.  (You can read the announcement post here.)  

The plot of the movie revolves around Elijah, a young man who is fascinated by wine.  He must balance his dream of becoming a master sommelier with his father’s expectations that he carry on the family’s Memphis BBQ joint.  I loved the good-natured juxtaposition of these two world’s that Elijah journeys through.  It’s a family drama but not without some family humor (even though there is a loss).

I also loved Elijah’s refreshing way of explaining the differences between a Chardonnay (the granddaddy of wine) and a riesling and a pinot grigio.

• Chardonnay—”the Jay-Z of wine”
• Pinot Grigio–“Kanye West”
• Rieslings –“Drake”

That just makes sense.

Keep reading to see what others thought about the film plus some delicious food inspired by Uncorked.

We have a couple of members who I consider oenophiles themselves, and Culinary Cam is one of them.  Thanks to her for finding a list of all of the wines in the movie!  Cam also revisited a lot of wines and her pairings so please check out her post.  Her featured wine and food for this event was Penfolds Bin 600 Cabernet-Shiraz with Roasted Brisket.

Wendy at A Day in the Life on a Farm featured a BBQ sauce that she revamped after watching the film.  She made a vinegar based sauce like one you might find in Memphis.  The movie grew on her and she found the wine angle intriguing:

I found it especially interesting because I had no idea what was involved in becoming a sommelier, let alone a Master Sommelier.  It is likened to taking the bar exam.  Very few people are able to pass the test the first time through.  It is rigorous and punishing and I quickly understood why there are less than 250 Master Sommeliers in the world…..that amazes me.

Ultimately it was mama’s home cooking where I took my inspiration. There was often ham, turkey, greens, and monkey bread on the huge family spreads.  I decided to finally try my hand at Monkey Bread.

She mentions monkey bread made with canned biscuit dough (which I remember fondly from my youth) but she made hers from scratch!  Check out her recipe and review at Amy’s Cooking Adventures.

I had high hopes for my Movies & Munchies post but it just didn’t happen like I had planned.  Instead I copped out and searched the archives for BBQ and sides that would complement.  Here’s what I found:  my own favorite BBQ sauce recipe, baked beans, and a fruit salad.