As he pours his latest releases of Cabernet, Syrah, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc, he launches into the story of how he got into the wine business. It could be one of his screenplays: filled with romance, action, disaster, and passion, and he tells it very well.
From screenwriting to wine
‘I grew up in an orthodox household in the Bronx in New York City, went to NYU, and got a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania,’ he rattles off rapidly while fussing behind the bar. After graduating in the early 1970s, he wrote a novel and showed it to a cousin who knew a film director, who said that if he turned it into a screenplay it might make a good movie.
He sold that screenplay to Warner Bros for $135,000 in 1980. To celebrate, he met a friend in Sonoma. ‘We took some wine, rolled some joints, and hiked up a mountain. There was no road, no electricity. I suffer from impulse control disorder, so when he said the property was for sale, I blew the money on 280 acres [113ha] just for the view. I still love it.’
Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Decanter.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Decanter.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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