Early on in Blood into Wine — which is directed by Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke — we see Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan squatting in dirt and pruning the vines in his Arizona vineyard. The filmmakers ask, why do people drink wine?
Keenan launches into a weird riff comparing the complexity of a grape to the hyper-evolved genetics of the "supreme being" in The Fifth Element. He adds: "That's my hippie explanation — other than, you know, [to] get drunk at prom, get those panties off." This combo of stoner profundity and brutal deadpan humor will be all too familiar to fans of Reverend Maynard, and it's fitting that a documentary about the rocker's new foray into winemaking should offer a good mix of both, plus a unique glimpse into viticulture.
Will only Tool fans and œnophiles enjoy it? That's possible, but surely everyone can appreciate the gorgeous Verde Valley vistas and out-of-left-field celebrity cameos, which include Bob Odenkirk as a grape-mauling French wine snob.
