Musical comedy-drama La La Land has won the hearts of movie goers and specialized media (it even earned 14 Oscar nominations including Best Picture). Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling tap dance, jazz and sing their way through a colourful, charmingly nostalgic and moving love story with plenty of nods to Hollywood’s classic musicals from decades past.
Set in Los Angeles, California’s most populous city, it’s no surprise that there’s plenty of sipping through the film. Mild spoilers ahead, it all starts with coffee, as Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress working as a barista and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a broke jazz pianist playing soul-crunching Christmas tunes at a restaurant where almost every table features a glass of wine.
As the seasons go, they sip Champagne at parties, cocktails by the pool and of course, wines that we can only imagine come from local vineyards, as Tinseltown is actually just a short drive (about 6 hours, which is “short” in US road trip standards) away from California’s globally renown wine regions.
So, after watching -and sincerely enjoyed- the film, we have chosen three Californian wines inspired in some of our favourite moments of La La Land.
€17.99 – Available at Martin’s Off Licence
La La Land’s opening number is one of the most memorable parts of the film. Joyful, bright and sunny, the moment when a Los Angeles traffic jam becomes the setting for a mesmerizing and spontaneous choreography surely sets the tone for things to come and just like it, this cheerful and fruity Chardonnay will bring a smile to your face.
Tropical fruits -pineapple, passion fruit- sing while apple and honeysuckle dance in your palate. A moderate acidity and an agreeable 13.5% ABV work as balanced background tunes for its catchy beat.
€15.50 – Available at Marks and Spencer
In Hollywood, it’s all about the show and for a wine with that name, being bold, extroverted and not afraid to take the spotlight is as important as it is for any struggling artist trying to make it. Our La La Land inspiration for this wine comes from one of the most iconic moments from the film, the dance scene where Mia and Sebastian give a loving nod to Singing in the Rain and to the charming sequences that film-makers just don’t do anymore.
Dark, ripe fruit, mainly black cherry, blackberries and plum, combine with toast and sweet spice while tannins tap dance energetically on the palate.
€29.95 – Available at O’Briens Wine
Is there anything more romantic that La La Land’s planetarium dance? Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase dancing with the stars, it winks at Moulin Rouge and with its fantasy sky waltzing, it shows us how in love the leading couple is.
This Zin is as silky as Mia’s dress and as vigorous as the firm hold Sebastian has on her while they fly together. Aromas of bright, juicy red fruit -raspberry jam, cranberry, cherry- match the dreamy feeling of the scene, and a generous amount of vanilla and cinnamon evoke its sweetness.
Gabriela’s passion for writing is only matched by her love for food and wine. Journalist, confectioner and sommelier, she fell in love with Ireland years ago and moved from Venezuela to Dublin in 2014.
Since then, she has written about and worked in the local food scene, and she’s determined to discover and share the different traditions, flavours and places that have led Irish food and drink to fascinate her.
Gabriela Guédez Gabriela Guédez
