Garrett Sutton: “It is a story bigger than just wine and involves the themes of integrity and determination”

The American author and businessman, who is currently premiering the trailer for the documentary The Lost Grape in Chile, which tells the story of Carmenère, spoke with us about this project and his relationship with wine.

30 years after the rediscovery of Carmenère, we spoke with the American author and businessman Garrett Sutton, who has just produced a documentary called The Lost Grape, which tells the famous story of this wine grape that was rediscovered in Chile by the ampelographer, Jean Michel Boursiquot. The premiere of his trailer took place these days after his visit to Chile, where he also took the opportunity to present to the public the new streaming platform, Sunn Stream. He tells us about his relationship with wine and Chile in the following interview:

How did the idea of ​​making the documentary The Lost Grape come about?

The decision to make The Lost Grape was arrived at in my kitchen in Reno, Nevada. Miguel Baeza’s two children were spending a semester with us to improve their English at a local school. Miguel told my son Ted and I the Carmenère story one morning over a coffee. We decided to make it right then and there my son, within ten seconds, came up with the title, The Lost Grape. It is a story bigger than just wine and involves the themes of integrity and determination. It is a story for all audiences.

You were born in California; I imagine you must be familiar with wine. But, how would you describe your relationship with Chilean wine (before and after the documentary)?

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and my first cousins (one who will be on the trip with us) lived in Napa. I spent a lot of time in Napa as a kid. I have always been open to trying wines from other countries and have liked Chilean wines. Now that I have been to Chile five times, I am appreciating some of the finer Chilean wines, which I can’t always seem to find in the U.S.

What do you think about the Chilean wine industry? Is there anything to learn from the same industry in the US?

I am not a highly educated wine expert. But I know what I like. And I do like the wines of Chile. If there is one thing to learn from the American market it could be that if you have something good don’t be afraid to charge for it. Where I live people will pay for quality.

This documentary will be available in Sunn Stream, can you tell us more about this new platform?

Sunn Stream is a new subscription based ($6.99 a month) streaming platform. We are initially seeking subscribers in the USA and Chile before expanding throughout the Americas. We plan to use the platform to benefit many charities, with $1 per month of the $6.99 subscription going to a charity’s subscribers. It is our intent to show The Lost Grape exclusively on Sunn Stream.

To finish, would you like to tell us more about the book that you are working on related to the same story with Carmenère?

I have written eight nonfiction books on legal topics in Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad / Poor Dad series. The books have sold well but after 20 years it is time to try something new.

As a companion to the documentary, I have been writing a history of the Carmenère and other lost grapes around the world. This has evolved into a fun novel involving the wine industry and its notable characters. I should be finished with “Lost Grapes” in the next year.