Uncorked
My attention deficiency does not allow me to sit through a movie. Time is a luxury at this moment, as we sit in our homes boggling through ideas to fill our days. Hence, the decision to tune in to Uncorked.
This movie brought back memories and stirred emotions. Somm-inspired films as such walks me through memory lane. More than a decade ago, my conviction to become a sommelier saw me drafting through dozens of emails to land a stage in restaurants in France to kickstart my journey. When I finally landed a job, it was through my parent’s kindness and loans that I managed to embark on the most significant journey in my life as a young adult.
Life abroad wasn’t a bed of roses. It took me some time to develop a sense of place in this wide, uncertain world. The work was hellish. The hours were insanely long, and the glamorous suit-clamping life of a sommelier involved hours of pre-shift as a cellar rat sorting out bottles in a musty basement cellar. Reflecting back at past times teaches me humility. I am never where I am today without experiencing where I was yesterday.
The scenes of Elijah juggling between work and study sessions speaks to the core of my soul. I am glad the film gets to show the world the amount of commitment it takes for sommeliers to master our craft. The joy, the pain, the uncertainty, the excitement, the disappointment. This journey keeps us alive. The quest for knowledge and the desire to become an elite has its price.
And what’s my favourite part about the film? It touches on human connection. No man is an island. Elijah had his family, his girlfriend, and his schoolmates rooting for him. My family and friends are the same. They are my cheerleaders. My journey is never lonesome, and for this, I am grateful. I am joyful.