There’s a reason why I love photographing wine and the people that make it. It’s the passion that follows. When you’re working with people who love what they do, it inherently no longer becomes work.

In July of 2020, I had an incredible opportunity to work with the folks at Steven Kent Winery on their new acquisition Mia Nipote Wines. The mission: to shoot lifestyle photography with the bottles and portraits with the winemakers. The shoot was at the beautiful property of the founding owner, which had a stylish cabana and remote-controlled waterfall that sat next to a vineyard that surrounds the property.

Steven Mirassou graciously hosted the group of close friends and colleagues that were there to accomplish two things, enjoy the wine and enjoy the night together. The plan was a success since we had created an incredibly comfortable environment for everyone, and it shows in the portraits.

Along with shooting stills of the wine on the property, I also had the idea of shooting short video clips of the bottles themselves. I didn’t have the proper stabilizing equipment with me, which makes shooting video harder. But with a good number of different takes, I was able to capture beautiful footage where the shallow focus followed the bottle to the glass of wine and back.

This photoshoot is a proper example of how good people and wine can make for a productive and enjoyable work experience. I was able to get great imagery and video footage, and at the end of the shoot, we all had a hard time calling it a night. By the way, you must visit Steven Kent Winery and try Mia Nipote. The 2017 IL Rinnova was an incredible wine, and when you try it, you must share it with a friend.