Crush: Message in a Bottle

A cinematic portrait of a year in the life of eco-conscious, artisanal winemakers and winegrowers in Ontario’s Niagara wine region, documenting the changing rhythms of each season and the challenges and potential heartbreaks of what it takes to produce an exceptional and ethical bottle of wine.

Runtime : 78 mins
Released : 2023

Film Synopsis:

Crush: Message in a Bottle is a cinematic portrait of a year in the life of artisanal winemakers and winegrowers in a new fine wine region. Documenting one of the most difficult harvests in recent history, Crush is a testament to the challenges of producing an exceptional bottle of low intervention wine in a frequently inhospitable climate.

A growing movement of winegrowers and winemakers are using eco-conscious practices to reduce their carbon footprint, merging modern and traditional techniques to infuse their craft with authenticity. Similar to the Slow Food movement, it’s a return to old ways, a response to concerns about the planet as well as what we put in our bodies.

This feature-length documentary focuses on subjects whose diversity is exceptional in a largely white male-dominated industry. Featuring winegrower Ann-Marie Saunders whose Jamaican-lineage family are pioneers in the region, dedicated to labour intensive regenerative farming; Kelly Mason, a first generation female farmer devoted to the risky, hands on craft of low intervention wild ferment winemaking; and Shiraz Mottiar, a winemaker celebrated as the ‘King of Gamay,’ who actively promotes diversity and sustainability in the industry.

Watch the Trailer:

Director: Maya Gallus

Starring:

Ann-Marie Saunders

Kelly Mason

Shiraz Mottiar