Francis Ford Coppola strikes Oscars deal

The Francis Ford Coppola winery has signed a three-year deal with the Academy Awards to become its official wine sponsor – a natural fit for the California winery owned by film director and Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery will be the sole still wine brand poured at the 89th Academy Awards on 26 February 2017 and the Governors Ball, the Academy’s official post-Oscars celebration. The deal will run for three years, with the partnership continuing with the 2018 and 2019 Academy Awards events.

An accomplished vintner and controversial filmmaker, Coppola has won writing Oscars for Patton (1970) and The Godfather (1972), as well as three Oscars for The Godfather, Part 2 (1974). His seminal films include The Conversation (1974) and Apocalypse Now (1979), among many others.

He founded The Francis Ford Coppola Winery, near Geyserville in Sonoma County, under Francis Ford Coppola Presents – a lifestyle brand which includes films and videos, resorts, cafes and a literary magazine.

Located on the former Chateau Souverain Winery, the winery displays several of Coppola’s Oscars along with memorabilia from his movies, including Vito Corleone’s desk from The Godfather and a restored 1948 Tucker Sedan as used in Tucker: The Man and His Dream. Coppola described the estate as a “wine wonderland”  and a place to “celebrate the love of life.”

A range of custom blends with commemorative labels have been created for the 2017 Oscars by Coppola and winemaker Corey Beck.

The winery also announced that it will be the exclusive wine sponsor of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. As part of its sponsorship of the event, the winery will host premiere parties during the ten-day Festival in Park City, Utah, from January 19-29.

One initiative set to run during this time is The Big Picture, which will see an artist commissioned to create a custom, oversized wine cork mural that will build through the duration of the event, offering guests the opportunity to contribute to its creation.

“Filmmaking and winemaking are certainly two great passions of mine,” said Francis Ford Coppola. “By partnering with Sundance Institute and the Academy, I am now able to blend the two together in a big way.”

Coppola’s range of wines includes the Director’s Cut and Diamond brands.