The Filmmaker

What began as a personal winemaking adventure for filmmaker Robert DaFoe became an unprecedented cinematic journey into the world of California wine.

DaFoe is a former professional snowboarder and a self-employed filmmaker, photographer and artist. The origins of From Ground to Glass date back to the 2002 harvest, when DaFoe was inspired to craft his own wine—and to document the process on film. Enlisting the help of Winemaker Chuck Carlson at Curtis Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley, DaFoe proceeded to make two barrels of Syrah under the label of Crimson Ghost.

“ The filming started out as a window into the process of making wine,” DaFoe said. “But as the wine was aging, my focus turned to interviewing winemakers, growers, home enthusiasts and visionaries from all over California. It was an organic process. I discovered a larger story along the way. It is their story as well as my story.”