A brilliant film written and directed by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (The Devil's Backbone), Pan's Labyrinth is a rare gem based on a fairytale and set at a rural military backwater in post-Civil War Spain in 1944.
Ivana Baquero stars as Princess Moanna (a.k.a. Ofelia), a young girl searching for her way back to the fantastical underworld. While traveling with her pregnant mother to visit her stepfather, the fascist military leader Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez), Ofelia meets a mythological fairy who leads her through an ancient labyrinth to meet a mysterious faun that may hold the key back to the underworld.
To do this, Ofelia must fulfill three special tasks outlined in the Book of Crossroads before the next full moon. The first: retrieve a key from the belly of an enormous toad, which she does with courage and persistence. The second: travel through a secret portal to retrieve a dagger from a creepy monster that likes to consume children.
Despite being warned not to eat any food, Ofelia cannot resist snacking on delectables in the Pale Man's ghoulish lair. Infuriated by her immature actions which cost the lives of two fairy companions, the faun abruptly leaves the labyrinth without telling Ofelia how to complete the third and final task.
Back at the outpost, conditions deteriorate as evil Capitan Vidal continues to hunt down members of anti-fascist guerilla army hidden in the forest. Ofelia's nadir comes as her mother dies in childbirth just as Ofelia's only remaining protector, housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdu, the female lead in Y tu mamá También) - herself an undercover rebel - is captured.
Scary, happy, mysterious and incredibly vivid, del Toro's marvelous film received an unprecedented 20-minute standing ovation when it debuted at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Embracing the underworld theme, Pan's Labyrinth is a fabulous film to pair with an intriguing wine from the southern hemisphere. One grape variety that fits into this category is Carmenère, a mysterious, thick-skinned black grape that was basically lost for an entire century.
Once used as an important blending grape in France's Medoc region of Bordeaux, the variety was eventually abandoned following the outbreak of a deadly virus that affected vineyards in the 1860s. Fortunately, cuttings were brought to Chile and planted in the 1880s.
In the decades the followed, most of these mysterious vines were thought to be a different strain of Merlot. But thanks to leaf testing in the mid 1990s, this unique grape variety was eventually planted separately in warmer regions and its popularity quickly rose, particularly with an increase to 5,805 hectares planted in 2003 from 330 in 1997. Today, the variety accounts for more than 10 per cent of bottled wines that are exported.
When they are right on, ripe clusters of Carmenère can produce gorgeous wines and great blends at a reasonable price. A great example is the Calina 2005 Reserve Carmenère, Maule Valley, Chile ($8-$10). This incredibly tasty red wine features complex aromas of blackberries, black pepper and fresh espresso beans; robust flavors of ripe cherries, plums, wild berries, allspice and other savory spices; rich texture and silky tannins; layers of complexity and a long, smooth finish.
Try this delicious wine with softer cheeses such as ripe brie and gorgonzola, easy-to-prepare summer kabobs made with chunks of lamb, eggplant, wild mushrooms and red peppers, and flavored cheesecakes. Like Chilean personality captured inside a bottle!
*Prices quoted in U.S. dollars
