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.”
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