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).