The Russian River Valley is acclaimed for its complex red varietals and the wine made from them. But it wasn't always that way, as a local film-maker has now documented.

Long before the grapegrowers and winemakers of the Russian River Valley developed a widely recognized "name" for their products, says local documentarian Joe Nugent, they quickly learned how to tap into regional markets for them.

His film, From Obscurity to Excellence: The Story of Grapes and Wine in the Russian River Valley, has been a five-year project for Nugent, one that grew out of his own, somewhat spontaneous entry into the realm of grape growers in the Russian River Valley.

The first public screenings of Joe Nugent's documentary about wine and the Russian River Valley will be at the Wells Fargo Center's East Auditorium on Saturday night, Dec. 1, at 7 and 9 pm. Advance tickets can be purchased online here.