"I DON'T take credit for the wine. It's the work of Mother Nature. I just facilitate it".

The very eloquent and grey-haired man on the big screen, complete with red-wine soaked lips, captivates the essence of what filmmaker Dan James and his team wanted to share from their journey of a lifetime.

After quitting his job as an events manager to travel the world visiting an impressive 80 vineyards, Dan and his wife Kat from Oxford are full of nothing but admiration of the winemakers they met at all corners of the world.

People like Steve Daniel, whose modesty and relaxed approach is apparent from the moment he appears in the 45-minute film.

With a Harley Davidson parked in front of his ageing oak barrels Steve is the most relaxed winemaker we get to know - the film has a delightful way of introducing you to the intricacies and the personalities behind the wine. Based in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia, Steve's Danshi Rise 2012 Shiraz is unsurprisingly one of Dan and Kat's favourites. But you won't find it in the supermarket - the 500 cases he sells stay in Australia.

Thankfully for the Oxford duo, who travelled with their young daughter, there was just about enough room in their camper van to bring back a few bottles from their travels.

And as we sit sipping a full-bodied red from the Klein estate in South Africa in the Ultimate Picture Palace, it's not hard to see why they're so passionate about sharing their discoveries.

The family began their five-month adventure last January when Dan, now 46, quit his job organising Ironman UK events, and the couple set off on their biggest adventure.

Starting in the vineyards of South Africa, they flew to meet the grape-growers of Australia and hopped over to meet some New Zealand vintners.

At that point Kat, pregnant with the couple's second child, had to throw in the (wine-soaked) towel and fly home.

Dan carried on with a friend on what was to prove the toughest part of the expedition: a gruelling tour of Chile and Argentina, from the top of the county to the bottom.

But the duo have fond memories of some of the challenges they faced. Dan said: "At one point as we were driving down Argentina the road just dropped away and there wasn't any more road.

"Another time we got to a point where the Sat Nav said there was a bridge but there was nothing, just a dry river bed, so we just had to drive across it."

Equipped with three cameras, a Go Pro and hiring a drone operator in Australia, the footage the team came back with is stunning - as was the size of data (two terrabytes apparently!).

So you can see why, like a good wine, it has taken time to produce the finished 45-minute film. But what an incredible souvenir from their travels.

And they're hoping it'll be more than that - they have a premiere at the Curzon cinema in Bloomsbury, London, as part of London Wine Week and have also entered the fruits of their labour into several film awards.

You are not only taken through their journey of discovery in the film but also of the winemaking process, all the way from the energy of the harvest right through to the enjoyment of the first sip of what the makers have produced. And at times it's tough - so much hard work (literally blood, sweat and tears) goes into producing wine and the people Dan and Kat met on their trip are truly dedicated and passionate about what they do.

Full of admiration, Dan said: "The people who make wine deserve a medal and they're truly amazing. Especially when you think they have to wait four years for their first harvest."

The couple have said they, like those who saw the film on the big screen for the first time, don't drink wine in the same way and it's not difficult to understand why - when they have witnessed what goes into its production and the sheer persistence of the winemakers wanting to make the best of the best.

Dan said: “My intention was to get as close as possible to the harvest and create unusual footage. We have pushed towards the arthouse genre while trying to retain a very watchable film which can be enjoyed by everyone especially wine enthusiasts. The passion of the winemakers was incredible and hopefully this will come across to the audience.”

Kat added: "We drink where we have been and definitely appreciate wine so much more."

Hopefully it'll be the start of something bigger and with hundreds of vineyards to explore in the world, and much more wine to be enjoyed and shared, the couple have more exciting times ahead.

Cheers to that.

Watch the trailer at vintagesixteen.com