Amidst great shifts in climate, technology, and immigration policy, three figures with Mexican roots navigate the changing tides of the profitable wine-making business in Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Told over the course of one harvest season in 2017, this invigorating and succinctly edited film examines the unrecognized labor behind small, family-owned vineyards. Forty-year veteran Gustavo Brambila scrutinizes the method of his pruners to ensure the best possible end product; Vanessa Robledo forges a new path managing her mother’s vineyards in a male-dominated business; René Reyes is a guest worker from Mexico, forced to leave his family behind for most of the year to take this vital work in the U.S. With immaculate detail and pristine imagery, the film shows us the precision of a nightly harvest—workers at these vineyards pick grapes by hand, unlike some of their competitors who use machines. As political speeches are heard subtly in the background and wildfires spread throughout Northern California, the gravity behind the lure of this popular tourist destination is carefully expounded.  KR

Filmmaker Q&A following screening