Raise a Glass to Love

The film opens with Jenna Savern failing the blind tasting portion of the Master Sommelier exam for the second time, specifically misidentifying a Malbec. Discouraged, she returns to her hometown of Carington to help her father, Mike, plan a surprise 40th-anniversary party for her mother. Upon arrival, she meets Marcelo Castillo, the new head winemaker at Savern Vineyards. Their first encounter occurs in the tasting room, where Marcelo pretends to be a regular customer while Jenna gives a technical lecture on wine; he eventually reveals his identity, sparking a debate between Jenna’s reliance on flashcards and Marcelo’s belief in 'the land' and intuition. Jenna’s boyfriend, Aidan, remains in San Francisco running his three-Michelin-star restaurant, Alluvial. He is portrayed as status-conscious, refusing to carry Savern wine unless it wins an award. As Jenna studies, Marcelo encourages her to experience wine through emotion and history rather than just facts. He helps her overcome a childhood fear of horses and introduces her to his organic farming techniques, including using ladybugs for pest control. Jenna, seeking Aidan's approval, enters Savern’s new organic Malbec into the Carington Wine Competition against Marcelo’s wishes. Tensions rise when Aidan fails to show up for the anniversary party due to work and reveals he is interviewing other candidates for a head sommelier position without considering Jenna. At the wine festival, Savern Vineyards fails to place in the top three, but the prestigious Jennifer Huether praises Marcelo’s wine for its creativity and offers him a job in Australia. Jenna finally confronts Aidan, realizing their dreams are incompatible and that he doesn't respect her as an equal partner. She breaks up with him and heads back to the city for her final exam. This time, she trusts her instincts during the blind tasting and successfully identifies a high-altitude Tannat from Mendoza. After passing the exam, she is greeted by Marcelo, who has turned down the Australia job. He reveals he is buying a local vineyard and asks Jenna to be his business partner and romantic partner. The film concludes with them agreeing to build a future together as equals in both life and winemaking.