Based on a true story, Bottle Shock chronicles the events leading up to the famous Paris
Tastings of 1976, wherein Napa wines bested the exalted French wines in a blind tasting
and put California wines on the map for good. The story is told through the lives of
father and son, Jim (Bill Pullman) and Bo Barrett (Chris Pine), who founded Chateau Montelena in
the early 1970s and whose Chardonnay went on to win what was eventually coined
"Judgment of Paris." Jim Barrett, who had been a successful real estate attorney
previously, is emblematic of the California vintners' spirit—mavericks who had come to
Napa on a quest to make world class wines.
Bottle Shock is many things: the story of Steve Spurrier (Alan Rickman), an unwitting British
wine shop owner in Paris whose publicity stunt set the stage for a paradigm shift in the
wine world; a father and son story as Jim and Bo overcome their differences to save
Chateau Montelena from creditors and what they think is an entirely ruined vintage; a
romance between a young beautiful university student (Rachael Taylor) who came to learn the
wine business first hand and wound up falling in love with a vintner's son who was just
coming of age; and finally, the story of a young Hispanic vintner (Freddy Rodriguez) just
branching out on his own. Against the backdrop of the turbulent '70s and in the shadow
of the French who had dominated the world's viticulture and viniculture for centuries,
these "hicks from the sticks" rose up for California, for America, for wine. And the world
of wine was never the same.
I left this movie...not one for leaving movies but the acting was terrible...the script was horrible...and Rickman was thankfully once again the actor left standing...but unfortunately couldn't sace this drab excuse for an arrogant, self-important movie...the producers should wear their glasses the next time they read a script...no offense to anyone who liked it..but save your money
I just watched this in Sonoma, California USA where my wife & I are vacationing. It was the opening night here and the Sebastiani Theatre which was built in 1933 was packed with the local community. You could tell how proud the audience was of the film because it was filmed in Sonoma and the producers still live in Sonoma. A special surprise was a presentation by the producers before the show started and a Q&A at the end of the film. A cute little film with some surprisingly big actors. Definitely go and check this film out.
A really great and elegant view of the
different tastes and varieties of wine. A
5 star. Look for more of my reviews.
E.B.A.