Review of Bottle Shock (2008) by Jessica S — 25 Aug 2009
Based on the real life events of sommelier Steven Spurrier and his discovery of the nascent California Wine Industry in the 70s, Bottle Shock is a charming film that chronicles the rise of the now world renowned Chateau Motelena of Napa Valley.
This 2008 Sundance film fest entry features a star studded cast of familiar faces of film and TV, which in some ways hurts the 'indie film' street cred this movie strives for, but is saved by a decently written story of Spurrier's (Rickman) quest to find decent wines in California and mission to break the myth of the invincibility of the French vine. Because of his actions, a Napa Valley chardonnay was able to defeat some of the finest wines the French had to offer in a blind test conducted by the top wine experts in France, catapulting the reputation of Napa Valley to global status, paving the way for wines of other nations to the world stage as well.
The other bright spot to this film is the gorgeous cinematography of the northern california wine country which serves as backdrop and character in this film.
This review of Bottle Shock (2008) was written by Jessica S on 25 Aug 2009.
Bottle Shock has generally received mixed reviews.
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