Wine Movie: Bottle Shock

Chi · Post by **Chi** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:26 am

Anyone seen this? Recently came out at my local video store...

The movie is about the Judgement of Paris in 1976. Story is told through the winemakers of 'Chateau Montelena' and wine merchant Steven Spurrier.

Only recognisable actors were Alan Rickman as Steven Spurrier with his typical dry aloofness really helping the character along.

A few others were Chris Pine (did the recent star Trek movie) and the token aussie Rachael Taylor!

All of you probably know the story of the Judgement of Paris, pretty much that in 1976 a blind tasting was held between the wines of the Napa Valley California and France. The victors were the Napa Valley which consequently turned the wine world upside down (to quote the movie)...interesting to note that in the closing credits of the movie it comments that to commemorate the event the same tasting was organised in 1999...where the Napa Valley won again. Never knew that.

Movie isn't bad...not outstanding but not bad. Mainly focused on character progression and evolution. Some scenes are a bit over the top but the cinematography is quite nice. My pick for a character and actor has to be Bill Pullman as Jim Barrett, proprietor of Montelena. His charcter is artfully done, very agonising to watch.

To compare it to Sideways (which I recently watched) it is perhaps less focused on the nuances and art of wine but more on the characters journey...in fact Bottle Shock probably has very few truly 'wine lingo' references to wine where Sideways had many. Bottle Shock also lacks some of the laugh out loud moments Sideways had...mainly replaced by Hollywood cheesiness.

Overall, watchable...7/10.

Anyone else seen it?

Christo · Post by **Christo** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:51 am

i liked it. not too nerdy

c

Bick · Post by **Bick** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:07 am

I saw it at the cinema a few months back. I thought it was a nicely made film, very easy to watch, not cringe-worthy at all. My only reservations came later, when I learnt how factually inaccurate it was. But as entertainment it's pretty good.

TiggerK · Post by **TiggerK** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:08 am

Yes saw it on a plane recently. Enjoyed it, nice hippie 70's vibe, not much focus on the JOP itself, but that would have been too wine nerdy I suppose.

Worth watching. Loved Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, both great characters indeed.

Not that easy getting USA wine here in Sydney, can anyone recommend any good outlets with a reasonable range?

Cheers
TiggerK

Christo · Post by **Christo** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:37 pm

TiggerK wrote:Yes saw it on a plane recently. Enjoyed it, nice hippie 70's vibe, not much focus on the JOP itself, but that would have been too wine nerdy I suppose.

Worth watching. Loved Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, both great characters indeed.

Not that easy getting USA wine here in Sydney, can anyone recommend any good outlets with a reasonable range?

Cheers
TiggerK

langtons... but they (US Wines) seem overpriced.
c

bacchaebabe · Post by **bacchaebabe** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:51 pm

Ultimo wine cellars have a bit of a range and even Vintage Cellars are getting in some but there's not a huge range by any stretch of the imagination.

rens · Post by **rens** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:32 pm

I saw this about 9 months back. I enjoyed it as a movie. It was not to wine nerdie and nicely filled 90 minute of my day.

Mahmoud Ali · Post by **Mahmoud Ali** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:02 pm

I posted the following comment when the trailer for the movie first came out in Canada about a year ago. Sorry the writing is a bit clumsy and I still haven't seen the movie.........

"Bottle Shock is a Hollywood movie about the 1976 Paris blind tasting where California wines, a chardonnay and a cabernet, beat a line-up of famous French wines. It is being heavily promoted on TV though I haven't yet seen it.

The Paris tasting was a seminal event in the history of California wine. It marked the Napa Valley's coming of age and the beginning of the California wine boom. Many people think that this 1976 tasting proved that Napa wines were as good if not better than French wines. I'm almost certain that the movie will play up this aspect and if current American attitudes (and Australian?) are reflected then there will be a strong anti-French bias.

What I want to say is that I once read a contrary opinion on the Paris tasting. In a book I borrowed from the local library some years ago the author claimed that the French tasters purposly chose the most 'French' or 'Burgundian' style white wine in the first round. Then, when the French tasters were told that the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay from Napa had scored the highest marks, they set out ensure that a French wine win the red. As a result they gave a lighter styled wine the highest marks, unwittingly picking a California wine (Stag's Leap was it?).

I guess my point is that if the author of this version of the events surrounding the Paris tasting is correct, then it really wasn't the typical fruity and powerfull "California-style" wine that was the winner, but rather California wines that most resembled French wines. If anything, the Paris tasting showed that California could make French-styled wines, not exactly the lesson that has been passed down in most commentaries that I have read."

Cheers...............Mahmoud

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:34 pm

Bick wrote:I saw it at the cinema a few months back. I thought it was a nicely made film, very easy to watch, not cringe-worthy at all. My only reservations came later, when I learnt how factually inaccurate it was. But as entertainment it's pretty good.

Please elaborate...

Bick · Post by **Bick** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:35 am

monghead wrote:
Bick wrote:I saw it at the cinema a few months back. I thought it was a nicely made film, very easy to watch, not cringe-worthy at all. My only reservations came later, when I learnt how factually inaccurate it was. But as entertainment it's pretty good.

Please elaborate...

Steven Spurrier was pretty critical - saying that he saw precious little in it that actually happened.

For example: the whole storyline about the young mexican winemaker who supposedly made the chardonnay, but then made a batch of his own wine on the side and got sacked was rubbish - he wasn't even employed by Ch. Montelena until the year after the Judgement of Paris contest. In fact the award winning chardonnay was made by winemaker Mike Grgich, but he doesn't even get a mention in the film.

Apparently there was considerable artistic license taken throughout...

Craig(NZ) · Post by **Craig(NZ)** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:55 am

The whole wine movie thing sounds a bit OC to me. I already post on a wine forum and have a wine website so toddling off to a movie just because it has wine as a central theme may just a bit too much for one healthy mind to handle :lol:

Bick · Post by **Bick** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:35 am

Craig(NZ) wrote:...so toddling off to a movie just because it has wine as a central theme may just a bit too much for one healthy mind to handle

The wine theme doesn't have to be the reason to go see it Craig - like me, your motivation could have been that there wasn't much else on at the cinema the night the baby sitter arranged. :wink:

In truth, it was engaging (mostly because Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman are so good) but it wasn't as good as Sideways.

Craig(NZ) · Post by **Craig(NZ)** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:42 am

The wine theme doesn't have to be the reason to go see it Craig - like me, your motivation could have been that there wasn't much else on at the cinema the night the baby sitter arranged.

I get to the movies very seldom as it is - yip kids are great for putting the brakes on that sort of evening!!. If I can get to District 9 it will be a miracle

JJap · Post by **JJap** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:32 am

I get to the movies very seldom as it is - yip kids are great for putting the brakes on that sort of evening!!. If I can get to District 9 it will be a miracle[/quote]

I am in a very similar situation and actually got a 2 hour leave pass on Saturday when the kids had their midday sleep and ducked out to see District 9. Super movie and well worth the negotiation and planning needed to get there...

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:36 am

I read the book after the movie, and definitely some straying from the original events but hey, it's a movie, and what movie doesn't stray from the original script? The way it was depicted on screen was a good story nevertheless.

Some eye candy too - for me it was what-an-amazing-palate-Gustavo , aka Freddy Rodriquez!

Cheers,
Sue