Got a favorite film vying for this year’s Academy Award for Best Picture? Wall Street Journal wine columnist Will Lyons has a wine to go with it.

A NEW CINEMA recently opened in our neighborhood. I say cinema but everything about it is more like a theater; it has its own bar and wine list. On our first visit, while contemplating a glass, I was reminded of a wine-pairing game I devised while watching matches at the 1998 World Cup in France.

The premise was simple, to taste wines from the regions where each day’s match was played, journeying from brooding Rhône valley reds to zippy Sauvignons from the Loire.

As we all settle down to watch the Academy Awards this weekend, I can’t help but wonder if, similarly, a film can enhance the flavor of the wine you’re drinking? Or, more pertinently, can the wine enhance the film?

Like food and wine pairing, in reality there are very few clashes or perfect matches, but it’s certainly entertaining. In the spirit of the Oscars, here are my top wine pairings for this year’s Best Picture nominees.