It’s supposed to be about wine, whisky, and really good food. But, with a plan as simple as that for a television show, something is bound to go hilariously wrong . . . and still work out!
Wine Thief, directed by Lana Read and written by Brian Dobbins, is a carefree breeze to watch as a California winery becomes the playground for a poorly planned and executed TV show. The characters are easy to identify with and the plot is pretty straightforward, making the film a bit more picturesque for a Sunday afternoon rather than a thematic anthem about trust, friendship, and family.
Which is, ultimately, fine. This is a film which immediately embraces its audience with a feel-good vibe, thanks to the confidence of its cast, a sharp production design, and an easy-breezy vibe which more than makes up for its limited budget.
Read’s direction is spot-on for this lighthearted comedy and she trusts her actors to create their characters which works in the film’s favor. She’s not a newcomer to the film industry and has been directing independent feature films since 2015 - starting with the western genre - and it shows here as there are quite a bit of cowboy hats worn by both the film’s protagonist and its antagonist. And, yes, the good guys wear white and the baddies hats are black. The point is that she allows the characters to blossom, which is part of the film’s charm.
Because that characterization works when the story drags a bit. Not everything is as tight in this film as it should be. Sometimes, the story stumbles as one freewheeling distiller, Terry (Terry Shumrick), gets his brother, Tobin James (Robert Rusler), involved in a television show about their winery which, because of who is involved, threatens its chance to win the Golden World Wine Award.
There are moments which could have been a bit more out of left field and some places where a tighter edit could have quickened the pace, but - due to the size of the cast and the fun on display - it’s not always possible. What we do get is a scheming ride that Terry takes Tobin on, complete with a crazy film director, a shoe-horned romance amongst the vines, and a whole lot of eccentric characters that don’t know much about growing grapes, let alone their own abilities, but they might know something about television production. Might. 
These eccentric personalities just want to make a high energy and fun television show, but Tobin has his doubts. Especially when Sly Fox, the winery’s biggest gets involved, seeing a path to steal the prestigious award and break Tobin’s multi-year winning streak.
Featuring fun performances from Houston Rhines, Vernon Wells, Toni Romano, Andy J. Carlson, Claire James, and some incredible cinematography from Philip Adrian Booth (who wears many hats in this production), Wine Thief is perfectly digestible as a charming comedy, which is all it sets out to be, complete with a perfectly sweet romance woven into its tapestry of characters.
Wine Thief is a hearty gulping wine which, paired with the right takeout, makes for a perfect afternoon watch during these not so perfect modern times. The performances are full of character, absurdist in nature at times, and work to bring a smile to the audience’s face as this true (maybe) story about a winery suddenly thrown into the limelight wrangles its name back from those who would do it harm.
Released from Garnet Films, You Are Beautiful Artistry, and Tobin James Cellars, Wine Thief debuts on digital and demand March 4th. Time to get to poppin’ those corks!
MPAA Rating: Urated.
Runtime:
Director: Lana Read
Writer: Brian Dobbins
Cast: Heidi Appe; Claire Borders; Andy J. Carlson
Genre: Comedy
Tagline: A Plan So Bad, it Might Just Work
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Garnet Films
Official Site:
Release Date: March 4, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Freewheeling distiller Terry wrangles his brother Tobin into one of his poorly planned schemes; a show focused on wine, whiskey and food. Tobin is frustrated when Terry shows up with a film crew comprised of eccentric personalities armed with dubious abilities. Meanwhile, Sly Fox, Tobin's biggest competitor for the coveted Golden World Wine Award is cleverly plotting to steal the prestigious award and break his multi year winning streak.
