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Bottle Shock – Uncorking Another Sideways
Bottle Shock is a temporary condition of wine characterized by muted or fruit flavors separated usually caused by wines that have been shaken in travel.
'Bottle Shock' film is an entertaining, but not look completely material in the events that led to the famous 1976 "Judgement of Paris", where California wines beat their French counterparts in a blind tasting of California wines put firmly on the map of wine. It's a good romp in the vineyard and shows us what the Napa of old age and how things have changed since then.
As a young college student traveling through Napa in 1976 it was difficult to understand how this event transformed the California wine industry. The estates of large Inglenook, Beringer, and Krug shared the stage with the new names of Grgich, Stags Leap, Mondavi and Sterling and were the development of world class wines. Do not they know that the Europeans? Well a trip to Europe in the late 70s showed that the wines that made it through the "pond" were not the names mentioned above, but it was the jug wines from the vineyards of Modesto, Bakersfield and Fresno. Good marketing had false good wine.
Back to the film … The story is told alternating between Napa Valley and Paris, as follows Jim Barrett (played a bit stiff Bill Pullman) a lawyer who followed his dream by ditching suits, the purchase of a winery ( target = "_blank" title = "Chateau Montelena"> Castillo Montelena) and striving to make Chardonnay largest in the world. Like many a winemaker then, as Now, your business is struggling and is applying for a loan third bank.
In Paris, Steven Spurrier (played wonderfully by Alan Rickman) is a priggish British wine merchant wine shop with a fight that has the idea of staging a blind tasting between French and California wines. Rickman is about 28 years greater than Spurrier was at the time and plays the Brit as a classic wine snob. Once in Napa juxstoposition Spurrier arrrives of it in the context of rural Napa is often hilarious.
Spurrier has denounced the film for many falsehoods and embellishments throughout and endorses a different version written by George Taber, who witnessed of taste. The new movie "Judgement in Paris" will be released later this year. Others have questioned why title = "Mike Grgich "> Mike Grgich, who actully made the winning wine Chataeu Montelena, did not get a mention in the film.
Both Bo and Jim Barrett, and a host of other veterans in the Valley helped with the story that was written by Jody Savin, Ross Schwartz and Director Randy Miller. Hollywood writers can sometimes make or break a story that depending on your taste and proximently to the actual events. This film is entertaining and certainly worth seeing. To get a more fact checking by George Taber's book, Judgement of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that revolutionized wine, or wait for the new film.
Bo (Chris Pine), hippie son of the owner only has ambitions to hold for a while. Brambia Gustavo (Freddy Rodriguez), the most serious and skilled "cellar rat" has visions of becoming a great winemaker. Sam (Rachael Taylor), the love interest is fictional but opens a window on development Bo from loser party animal to the promoter of the winery. The film is alternately and a little clumsy, Spurrier as he makes his way through target = "_blank" title = "Napa Valley"> Napa Valley tasting, swirling, spitting and recognizing the quality of California wine and Jim and Bo Barrett savers (Literally) as the father and son with the work ethic and goals.
The film is shot with panoramic views of the vineyards and certainly reminds us of what Napa Valley is beautiful. Many scenes are shot in the vineyard with the actors poking the vines with caution. (The fruit that hangs from the vines seem to was close to harvest and surely the vineyard owner had instructed the crew not to touch anything!)
The scenes are a little winery stages, but the film works and the story is quite true that it is important and pleasant enough to be entertaining. The story ends as the wine tasting Ushered Paris – and the rest as they say is history. The movie has a great 70's sound track was dominated with a lot of The Doobie Brothers tone. Also stars Dennis Farina Elia and Dishku.
As a note of irony at the end of July this year and Jim Bo Barrett announced that Chateau Montelena was sold, pending approval of government, Michel Reybier, owner of Bordeaux chateau Cos d'Estournel, a famed French winery.
About the Author
Cleveland is the founder of the online winery directory www.CaliforniaWineryAdvisor.com where hundreds of wineries are profiled in rich detail and cataloged by wine types, winery amenities, ambiances, tasting fees and hours of operation. Cleveland has been in the wine trade as a educator, writer, photographer, salesman, cellar rat, and most recently “The Winery Advisor”. He makes his home in San Luis Obispo and can be reached at: BCleveland@CaWineryAdvisor.com