Raise your glass to a great director

Francis Ford Coppola didn't win an Academy Award for directing "The Godfather." Al Pacino lost in the best supporting actor category. Cinematographer Gordon Willis: not even nominated. Just some of Oscar's many injustices, unless you're a "Cabaret" die-hard.

So, when they give out the statuettes Sunday, stay focused and open a bottle of the Coppola Winery's 2009 Director's Cut Cinema. This is a full-bodied, rich, slightly earthy red wine from an excellent vintage. It's loaded with cherry and blackberry notes, with suggestions of cassis. Winemaker Corey Beck's blend includes 48 percent zinfandel, 35 percent cabernet sauvignon, 10 percent cabernet franc and 7 percent petit sirah. $32.

For $21, you can sip the 2009 Director's Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, a supple and flavor-packed production to go with grilled meats, maybe a vegetable risotto. Priced the same is the 2010 Director's Cut Russian River Valley Chardonnay, a creamy white with hints of pear, citrus and tropical fruit. It's a match for lobster, crab, shrimp. At a dollar less: the 2009 Diamond Collection Claret, a ripe and concentrated cabernet sauvignon that arrives in a gold-netted bottle and offers a trace of spice to complement the plum and blackberry. Red meat wine.

Two Coppola wines dubbed Votre Santé come in at a bargain $14. The floral 2010 Votre Santé Pinot Noir has a raspberry rush; the 2010 Votre Santé Chardonnay, citrus and pineapple. Both versatile.

One more Coppola-and-Oscar question: What's holds up better today? "Apocalypse Now" or "Kramer vs. Kramer"?