Bruce Byrd, founder of Byrd Vineyard, and director Mark Tchelistcheff invite you to a personal virtual screening of the Award-winning documentary, André – The Voice of Wine.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this cinematic story of one of America’s most respected winemakers, André Tchelistcheff, while sipping on an Award-winning Byrd Vineyard wine.
Purchase a bottle (or case) of the 2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and receive a complimentary screening of the film!
*Look for your code to unlock the film in your post-purchase confirmation email.
The Award-winning film, André – The Voice of Wine, narrated by Oscar-nominated Ralph Fiennes, is about one of the founding fathers of American wine, a globally influential wine personality and the force behind the California winners of the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” – the true backstory of the film “Bottle Shock”.
It’s a cinematic love letter about a modest, uncompromising man’s journey from his earliest connection with vineyards in pre-revolutionary Russia to his rise to the pinnacle of wine culture in Europe and the United States.
André Tchelistcheff was born into an aristocratic family in Moscow, remarkably survived the upheaval of the Russian revolution and civil war, then studied winemaking in France. In 1938 the owner of Beaulieu Vineyard lured him to California’s Napa Valley, where his professionalism, knowledge of science, dedication to innovation, the depth and breadth of his multi-cultural background along with his unmatched palate helped move the American wine industry from a virtually moribund state after the repeal of prohibition on to its post-war renaissance. For over five decades, Andre worked with numerous wineries that together helped establish the American wine industry. His philosophy of life and his love for wine continues to influence generations of winemakers throughout the world.
Film director, and André’s grandnephew, Mark Tchelistcheff, has spent the better part of a decade creating a film that chronicles the extraordinary life of his uncle André. Mark has assembled an illustrious team of filmmakers including multiple Academy Award winner Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The English Patient, The Unbearable Lightness of Being) whose poignant directorial advice helped shape the film, crisp editing from BAFTA winner Michael Chandler (Amadeus, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg, Mishima in Four Parts) and a stirring original score from award-winning composer Alexei Aigui (I’m Not Your Negro, Le Petit Poucet, Moloch Tropical).
André Tchelistcheff, the “Dean of American Winemaking,” was a seminal figure, a legendary winemaker, and one of the most remarkable men of the twentieth century.
His influence and contributions almost single-handedly made the rapid development in the quality of wine in the United States after the repeal of Prohibition possible. For over five decades, he worked with numerous wineries that helped establish the American wine industry: Beaulieu, Charles Krug, Louis M. Martini, Buena Vista, Firestone, Schramsberg, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Hanzell, Heitz, Simi, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Hoffman, Jordan, Quilceda Creek, Sequoia Grove, Villa Mt. Eden, Conn Creek, King Estate, Rodney Strong, Niebaum Coppola, among others.
He was known as “The Maestro” and “The Winemaker’s Winemaker”. André believed in sharing information and teaching all those who yearned to make great wine. He mentored countless winemakers, including Louis Martini, Robert Mondavi, Joe Heitz. He taught young winemakers that they could make wonderful wine whether they were tending grapes in Napa, Sonoma, Oregon, or Washington.
His students and protégées now make wine in all corners of the world, weaving the subtleties they learned from him into their work. Years after his death, many still ask themselves in time of crisis or decision; “what would André have done?”
“Wine is an intellectual beverage. It does not have the toxicity of liquor. Taken in moderation, it opens the mind. I have seen an introvert, after two glasses of wine, open like a flower.“
-André
We hope this film will open viewers to all of the grand possibilities of life. André followed his passion, took great risks, and influenced so many people. He served as muse to an entire generation of winemakers who have made our world so much more wonderful by creating this magical nectar.
Tchelistcheff’s nephew sets out to make a documentary on his great-uncle André – Napa Valley Register
Berlin Hidden Gem: ‘Andre – The Voice of Wine’ Explores Napa Valley’s Russian Roots – The Hollywood Reporter
Top picks for BIFF: Four docs and two dramas to see at this year’s fest – Boulder Weekly
‘André: The Voice of Wine’ documentary set for a gala premiere at Lincoln Theater – Napa Valley Register
André – The Voice of Wine’ at the Lincoln Theater: a captivating tribute to a man who changed the wine world – Napa Valley Register
Graf and Tchelistcheff were revolutionaries in the California wine world – Sonoma West